Xing Lei strode forward, the warriors around him gave way without complaint, no one really wanted to stand between Dull Scale and Gruck, especially with the package the former carried over his shoulder. They knew once Grull's head rolled off that hide if Dull Scale didn't challenge the chief, the chief would challenge him. That was a fight they didn't want any part of since it would be rather vicious.
Gruck's heavy brow dipped further as he saw it was not his son stepping forward with an entourage of exotic slaves, rather it was a youngish looking kobold with a foul smelling spear and a bloodied sack. Grimacing he snarled at the kobold, "Who you?! Where Grull? Where my prize!"
Glancing at Gruck like he was a performing clown, "I can understand not recognizing me, you were rather busy rutting while I was being introduced. As for who I am? The tribe calls me Dull Scale. I would have been known as the Slayer of the Forest Lord, but that honor your son stole from me."
As Xing Lei spoke Gruck was getting even more foul of mood, who cared if Grull stole some honor or some such, Grull was son of Gruck all was their honor. Growling low Grucks eyes narrowed, "Dull Scale shut up. Bring out Grull, where my son? Where my prizes?!"
Xing Lei shook his head and sighed, trying to build momentum with a barbarian was like screaming at a wall, unless you used a sonic technique the wall just didn't care. Flipping down his package he dropped it at Grucks feet, the simple leather unfolding revealing a quartet of severed heads, at the front were two brutish goblin heads, but at the back were Grulls and Whisperers heads. "Since you're so impatient, here's your son and his lackey. As for your prizes, already claimed. By me."
The host of kobolds behind either figure fell silent, the ones behind Xing Lei waited on baited breath for the response to so blatant an insult and challenge. The ones behind Gruck were filled with shock, everyone knew Grull stole kills, it was a well known secret that no one valuing their life brought up, but here was an obvious young blood blatantly announcing it in Grucks face before dumping his son's head at his feet. What would Gruck do? Why hadn't he attacked already?
Little did they know Gruck was frozen in fear, in all truth, Gruck had been a figure head for a very long time. The true chieftain? His head was before Gruck's feet. Grull had long ago challenged his father and won, but rather than be stuck in a boring leader position Grull wanted free reign in the tribe. The Great Shaman backed him and Gruck became a puppet. A figure head to hopefully breed more of Grull's stock. Now Grull was dead and his killer was coming for Gruck, had Dull Scale shown the slightest killing intent the old chieftain probably would have soiled himself. Still, until he could consult the Great Shaman... coughing he glared at the upstart kobold, "Five days new blood, we fight for rulership before the Mistress five days." Ignoring the three other heads he reached down to lift his sons head and shook his head, the Great Shaman would return tomorrow, she'd have ways of dealing with Dull Scale.
Turning Gruck waddled off, hardly looking imposing, Dull Scale chuckled and lifted his fist, the cheers behind him shook the tribe. "Alright, in five days the Mistress will see an old chief fall and a new one rise. Disperse." Xing Lei was confident in himself and turned to head to the hunter camp. The forgotten trophy heads laid unfeeling on the ground though Whisperers slack visage seemed to scream 'but I'm important too!'.
Waiting for him was an agitated Fleet Spear who frowned slightly at the elf who still tailed him, "Are you crazy Zing Lee? Gruck will tear you to pieces why in the Mistresses name did you challenge him?! And invoking the Mistress to guarantee the fight... oh Mistress take your scaled ass!"
Xing Lei laughed flashing a smile her way, "Good to see you too Fleet, this is Alustriea, I rescued her from the goblin camp before they bred her, she'll be watching my back."
Fleet looked from Lei to Alustriea back to Lei, "You know what? You are a Dull Scale." Sighing in frustration she through up her hands and stalked of giving a yell to Leaf Dancer, the pair marched off Fleet fuming and Leaf glancing worriedly at Xing Lei, she really didn't want to have this meeting with Fleet but it was due course, she didn't fear for her life, she was pretty sure Fleet wouldnt kill her, but a sever beating? Oh, that was coming. She'd count herself lucky to be off her sleeping mat in five days to watch the battle...
Xing Lei himself retreated to one of the small huts off to the side, usually they stood empty in case hunters needed healing and more controlled environments to maintain the poultice and herbs used to dress wounds, but if Alustriea was going to stick around, bedding with the hunters wasn't an option. Glancing to the elf he motioned to the hut, "Sorry I don't have an clean inn to put you up in so one of the medical huts will have to serve, once i get this challenge sorted I'll see about getting you back where you belong."
Alustriea nodded simply glancing to Xing Lei, "So what happens now?"
Xing Lei shrugged, "Gruck gets to stew for a handful of days while I continue my training. Unlike him, I'll seek out every possible advancement before the fight just in case the Great Shaman has some trick to play, from all tales Gruck himself is more hardy than Grull but seeing him today i really have to wonder."
"You think his strength exaggerated to keep his seat?"
Xing Lei nodded, "I wager Grull was the muscle while the Great Shaman is the brains, with her lack of presence she'll return within this five day time limit, how she'll help him I've no idea, most of the other shamans are all bluster, the only one with ability I've met can cure minor injuries, hardly awe inspiring."
The elf nodded though looking concerned, "That female we met earlier doesn't seem to like me."
Xing Lei chuckled, "Fleet Spear, she was... is... my guide in the tribe. I think in most cultures that would equate to family yet not family, a care taker who teaches and guides the young into adulthood, she just feels I'm overstepping, especially with a 'trophy'."
"And are you?"
Xing Lei shook his head, "I don't believe I can fight the Mistress with one hand tied down but for a bully like Gruck, I'm more than capable of thrashing him."
"So why agree to delay your challenge?"
"Because while I don't fear Gruck, magic is something I'm not comfortable with. I'm hoping you will teach me a bit more about the subject, cantrips are workable but understanding the rules behind it more so."
Alustriea giggled looking at Lei who wore a curious look on his face, "Sorry, you're the apprentice most master spellcasters would love to have. Most students want to leave the theory to get on with hurling fire and lightning, you on the other hand want the book learning."
Xing Lei shrugged, "I have to admit throwing the elements from my hand is nothing I'm unfamiliar with, magic however is different. I sense it as a seperate energy from that which our body produces, like its fuel is akin to a possessing ghost than a muscle that can be trained and strengthened."
"But I thought you never cast spells before that cantrip I showed you?"
"In the strictest sense I've never thrown a spell. Instead I've handled elements a bit differently. Take fire for example, can you mages do this...?" Xing Lei turned over his hand and focus, a faint white flame flicked to life on his palm, the earliest pill flame he ever produced, but it still counted.
Alustriea widened her eyes and reached out feeling the soft heat the white flame radiated and shook her head, "Can't say I've ever heard of a mage conjure such a flame, what is its use?"
Xing Lei willed the fire away and slowly maintained his breathing, the weak pill flame had used almost 90% of his inner reserves, as a body tempering cultivator, summoning the weakest level flame was a huge over burden on his soul. Coughing slightly he answered, "Right now nothing, it's too weak and I can't maintain it for too long. Later on though it can be used in alchemy to forge pills."
"Alchemy? But isn't that using solvents and beakers to make potions?"
The kobold shook his head, "My alchemy and yours sounds fundamentally different. Mine is used to make powders and salves and eventually pills while potions are possible, it's more solutions used to temper the body. If you like, I still have some of my initial tempering solution, try adding it to your bath water and see how it feels, just a reminder though, tempering the body results in large gains.. thus a price in pain is extracted. Once you start, no matter how uncomfortable you feel, stay submerged." Leaving for a minute, Lei soon returned with a clay jar about the size of his torso, handing it over to her.
"For now I'll leave you to experiment with it, I have a more advanced solution I need to use so I'll bid good eve to you here Alustriea." Watching him go, the elf curiously popped the sealed plug on the jar, the thick aroma of herbs blended together assailed her nose, while nothing smelled poisonous she was still skeptical and moved about, fetching water from the nearby stream to fill the tub in the hut part way with water before adding the mixture. Glancing around, she shucked her robe and jumped in, she almost yelped as she felt the solution burning against her smooth white skin, denying the cold of the river water. For the first time since she left in the care of that crazy kobold she felt this wasn't such a good idea.
Despite the elf's cries, Lei had hurried to prepare his own medicinal bath, submerging his body with a sigh. Despite his scaled body, it felt like millions of needles crawling into his flesh. Focusing on his training he remained immobile in the solution as it worked between his scales and deeply into his fleshy body. Sighing he glanced down at himself, ignoring the impurities that seeped out between his scales but could already see them shining with a luster all their own. In his old human body, body tempering generally improved ones looks as a secondary effect of strengthening the body, he wondered how much Alustriea's skin would shine once her body worked out the foulness. Blinking he groaned, he had forgot to mention to her about the impurities, most women who didnt expect literal gunk pouring out of their pores got an awful fright when their bath suddenly looked more like an outhouse pit.
Laying back, letting the mixture work, he figured he'd apologize tomorrow and give her another dose, she'd forgive him. Chuckling he gave another sigh feeling dead scales peeling off his body, almost molting a second kobold as the layer of dead scales travelled up his body from tail tip to neck. Hearing a noise he glanced to the side and saw Fleet Spear tucking a battered Leaf Dancer into the huts cot, "All differences settled?" he murmured quietly that nearly made Fleet Spear jump out of her tail.
"Zing Lee, why are you in a medical hut?"
"Training, you didnt answer me, all good between you and Leaf?" Xing Lei shifted in his bath feeling a patch of shedding flesh tear a bit.
"Mostly, we're still in disorder about some things but no more trying to kill me and my revenge is sated. How are you training in a bath?"
Xing Lei glanced over, "Leave the camp and head towards the stream, you'll find a blasted tree stump on a cliff, dig under it into the hill to find a clay jug. Add its contents to your own bath and you'll see. Just be careful, it's not a relaxed process and you'll find your body expelling impurities, both that and the discomfort are normal. When the solution stops irritating you you can get out and wash off."
A soft groan came from Leaf as a tired eye opened, her words were a whisper, "Can I try it too Dull Scale?"
Xing Lei sighed and nodded, "Once you can move on your own again after healing I'll make a jug for you to try, the one I told Fleet about is the last of my old prepared solution."
Leaf Dancer gave a soft, pained grunt. Playing second string to Fleet Spear rubbed her tail the wrong way but she sucked it up. "Alright."
Xing Lei waved Fleet Spear off and soon enough a third poor soul was immersed in painful bath water, much better prepared than Alustriea, Fleet Spear wasn't as shocked by the sludge literally exploding from her body but it still hurt like hell, having the poison still in her body made the tempering even more uncomfortable. Thus the first night was spent with the four in pain. Xing Lei trained quietly while Leaf Dancer tried not to aggravate her beating and bruises. Alustriea and Fleet Spear however were close to screaming violent death on Xing Lei, the former sat in her rapidly cooling sludge freaking out about the inky blackness that stained the bath water, while Fleet felt like someone was trying to pull her tail out through her mouth, the sludge she was warned about but the torturous pain? She'd get Zing Lee for this!