The people waited on baited breath, watching as the gate rose. Most were expecting some great mountain of a monstrous humanoid, maybe even a traitor to humanity, a barbarian savage and primal. When a kobold, naked and carrying a spear strode out onto the sands of the arena the crowd gaped. Even the king watching from on high face palmed and made note to have the writer of the speech drawn and quartered for such an obvious over exageration of what the being would be. He'd seen the reports himself, this creature had handled their suspicious allies by himself yet not one report stated this great foe was a short little kobold.
When the opposite gate opened, it stood wide for several minutes. Sounds of disagreement, curses and shouting echo'd from within. Why were so many prepared for a kobold? This was insulting their skill! Send out the trash! Hell release a beast if you wanted a pure slaughter of such a pathetic foe! As the arguements called out, Xing Lei leaned on his Spear and looked at the announcer who had stopped in mid stride, embarrassed to leave the arena empty save for 'Kobolicus' with no enemies. Grinning the kobold loudly stated, "If my opponents fear me this much I may as take their forfeiture should I not?"
The announcer blanched. The crowd roared half in fury, others in amusement as the kobols shout mocked the hestitating gladiators. Growling the former arguing warriors charged out of their gate, a good twenty strong all making a beeline for this stupid little beast that dared insult them. The stomp of their booted feet was like the thunder gods themselves roared their fury, the cloud of dust kicked up by the mob made the charging force seem hundreds strong rather than a mere score. Xing Lei did not falter, readying himself to accept the fight. The announcer certainly fled, rather than calmly heading to the gladiator gate, the poor man ducked into the closing monster gate, better any port in this storm than risk being killed alongside the mouthy little beast.
As the mob met the kobold the crowd was shocked, a few cheered and roared in glorious fury thinking the kobold trampled beneath the feet of the mob. But the ones who could see were shocked, the spear in the kobolds hands was more akin to the reapers scythe, it swung fast and wide tossing any foolish enough to step into range, the cocky warriors were sent flying, hooked off their feet or smacked low, Kobolicus darted into the mob unafraid of the numbers, jabbing through exposed flesh, clobbering the unwary, smashing jaw and joint before finishing off any down gladiator with a swift stab.
The dust caught up to the battle, swirling around a vicious melee filled with battle cries and cries of agony. The crowd was on its feet, originally unimpressed they hungered to see the arrogant little monster being rended limb from limb. Slowly the dust settled and the crowd gaped, Kobolicus stood alone on the killing field. His twenty foes laid around him, some silent, their life blood spilling into the thirsty sand. Others bit back their cries of pain, holding shattered limb or torn leg, hoping this vicious monster would not find them in the mound of corpses.
King Ironhand stared down shocked. Only now did he take those reports seriously, an ally of elves this little foe had to die, especially after revealing his power. Suddenly his eyes flew wide and he dove to the side, a loud THUNK, echoed behind him. The crowds roars fell silent staring at this absurd scene. Kobolicus stood empty handed in the arena. His bloody spear now quivered back and forth plunged through the back of the king's throne having just missed old Ironhand. Clutching the rail the elderly man stared at the kobold below who casually shrugged and shouted, "If you are going to accuse me of trying to kill your wrinkled ass, may as well lend a spot of truth to it."
The audience was struck dumb. What had they just witnessed? A gladiator had enough strength to throw their weapon at the king's viewing box and nearly struck their liege? The silence gave way to rage, calls for murder and vengeance rocked the seating area as the kobold turned and walked back to the gate that was rising, a flood of handlers rushed out with clubs raised to beat this vicious little bastard for trying to hurt the king. The savage beating went on for several minutes before they dragged Xing Lei's limp body back into the dark. Grinning despite the pain, the shouts for his summary execution rattled the very stonework, at least he gave the crowd something to remember.
Three months passed, Xing Lei was finally pulled from his hole to face a beastmaster and his pets. Once again Kobolicus thrashed the opposing team before clutching the axe the tamer had used and hurled it towards the viewing box, this time the missle was turned aside by a gust of wind. A cocky looking young mage sneered at the kobold before a fang ripped from the maw of the tamers pet wolf lodged in the mages throat. As the young man choked on his own blood, Kobolicus turned to the king and smiled, "Soon enough, you and I will dance dear king." To which another savage beating was laid on the kobold before his presence vanished for another three months.
This third appearance saw the kings presence now by proxy, the old man himself was hid away not wanting to test his luck against the wiley kobold who had been framed against him but was now decidedly trying to end his reign. Old Ironhand was really wondering had he crossed a line at last to anger such a foe that seemed to counter his every safety measure to have something sharp and pointy close enough to make the old king sweat, and the ritual beating afterwards did not seem to drive the fire out of the thing, each one seemed to only encourage the kobold more.
This time no human stepped forth and instead a monstrous beast was herded out into the arena, looking like a cross between a lizard and a boar it hungrily charged the smaller prey who, much like with the tamer, had not been allowed a weapon. The crowd was oddly silent this match, observing the heroic struggle of the kobold who used the things momentum against it, time and time again Kobolucus lead the creature to ram head first against the walls, after the fifth such collision the beast spat blood and collapsed, putting out only a whimper when the kobold cracked off a great tusk and ramed it through its pain filled eye and into its brain.
This time there was no hurled weapon or fang, the kobold looked into the king's box paying the minister no heed and instead yelled out, "Three for three, I stand alone. Human, animal and monster falls before me. I am not satisfied! I demand a duel to add royalty to my list of kills. King or Crown Prince, Queen or Princess. Throw out who you will. Until we meet again."
Turning the kobold strode back to his gate, this time the handlers did not beat him, rather like honor guards they framed either side letting this strong gladiator walk between them as if he were the king of the arena, and few could claim he wasn't. A gang of skilled gladiators, a tamer and his menagerie, and now a monster fresh from the edges of civilization. Did Kobolicus fear nothing? Even now it challenged the king and then walked away as if the kings reply would not be worthy to hear.
No longer did the prisoners thirst to try for his bounty, most thanked the gods they were not picked to be his victims. Not fed, beaten, facing insurmountable odds. And still he walked in like he was twenty feet tall and owner of all the land. Most of the veterans nodded in respect as Xing Lei passed him, returning to the silence of his cell. The kings challenge would be denied, he knew this. Three wins, however impressive, had not earned him any such boon. But that was not his intent, the citizens would talk, rumors of a powerful kobold slaying his way up the hill to knock off the king would spread far and wide. The time for returning to his mate and friends was about to reach a year and a half of being late, chances were good Alustriea was in her homeland and the elves were preparing. Fleet Spear would come and he'd be waiting, atop Ironhand's throne if need be.
Still it surprised him when the handlers came for him the next day, a solemn air hung heavy in the arena. Striding from the gate with no weapon, the kobold stood before the crowd, undaunted. His eyes scanned the crowd, a part of him hoped to see his friends there, but then a minister stepped forward, the voice raised speaking to the crowd, His majesty King Ironhand has heard your challenge criminal and found you wanting. Rather than royal blood, our wise king will present you a test." The gate below the box rattled open and a squad of heavily armed soldiers marched out, at their lead was a familiar figure. The general who had introduced the prisoners to the arena had appeared again, leading some thirty easily seen, battle hardened warriors.
"Fret not Kobolicus, you need not fight his majesty's army. Rather the general himself will test if your mettle matches the beasts of your mouth." The thirty soldiers had broken their formation surrounding the pair in a wall of fighting strength. Each figure watched impassively bored by what they were asked to do. The general stretched pulling two swords from his hip, one he tossed to the dirt before Xing Lei, the other he drew and pointed the kobolds way, "Know you are about to die prisoner."
Scooping up the sword, Xing Lei drew it with flourish from the scabbard, his short form taking the lead in their dance, metal kissed metal in a resounding tone and the general grit his teeth as he found himself pushed back a foot. Determined to win back his momentum he stepped forward, that blade in his hand moving like a viper to stab at the gaps in Xing Lei's stance, each time the general thought his strike was true, the kobolds blade or scabbard intercepted the strike. The sound of sword against sword stopped being a back and forth and became a continuous clamor as the pair struck back and forth, each using strange angles and sharp. Both showed their skill with sword and sheath, alternating strikes yet neither had scored a true wound on the other.
The soldiers fidgeted watching their general fighting evenly with a kobold, tales of this beasts victories had been believed to have been exaggerated but witnessing this fight many of them had to admit the smaller reptile was meeting their commander tit for tat. Which made the general fume, to be considered even match with a kobold? The humiliation alone made him want to punish those that looked upon this little bastard with any respect. Gritting his teeth he pushed harder, striking faster using every lesson he had ever learned or picked up, but yet the kobold matched him, strike for strike, even in places where the kobold should not have seen his next strike coming from, a blade or sheath was there to knock away his strike.
Minutes dragged on the pair continued the relentless assault upon the other. Man vs monster and it was too close a battle to say whom would strike down whom. Breaking apart the general took deep lung fulls of air, sweat poured from his brow as he eyed the kobold with undisguised hatred. This thing needed to die, not in future, not soon, it needed to die...now. Straightening up the man sneered and shouted, "Present blades!"
The surrounding soldiers forgot all personal opinion and belief and swiftly drew their blades. The walls of armored muscle sprouted polished steel, ringing the pair in vicious pain should any dodge back too far. Xing Lei didn't seem threatened, casually stroking the polished surface of his sword, looking into the mans hate filled eyes, watching the cruel gleam that yelled the man intended to push him back on to the blades behind.
Xing Lei shook his head matching that gaze, "Don't try it general."
Chuckling the man gave a war cry, power flooding into his body and rushing forward, a hand out stretched to grab at the kobold, but instead he found only air, his hand grasping nothing as the kobold ducked and spun, his tail slashing across the mans ankles, tripping him up to sprawl forward towards that fence of drawn steel. Panic shone in the mans eyes as the blades reached for his falling body...