A few hours later, Xing Lei sat in a familiar tap room, even the table was the same complete with the un fixed blade scars in its surface. This time instead of a lovely elf mage and a drunken female kobold, he shared the table with Ottar and the two dwarves that served as his bodyguards. In truth they all recognized Ottar needed a body guard as much as an orc needed a beating with an ugly stick, still it was their job and they were enjoying one of Ottars rarer kegs thanks to the assignment.
Harn Slatebeard, the dark bearded one, was still glaring at Xing Lei over his foaming mug. True to most dwarves Harn really didn't like non-dwarves at all and had been positively surly since he sat down with the tankard at the start. To Xing Lei, Harn reminded him a great deal of Yelrena, only real difference being the outer appearance. The racial superiority complex and general eagerness to end the existence of a non similar race were a dead match. Perhaps when this was all said and done he'd introduce the two, who knew? Perhaps short sighted bigoted idiots would find their Dao companion in each other...
A small smirk crossed his muzzle at the thought of elf and dwarf going at each other with their similar limited views amused him to no end. Xing Lei turned to regard the one with the huge fiery beard, Pale Rockcrusher by name and about as gruff as a bunny rabbit. Unlike Harn, Pale seemed to live a life of mirth, he didn't shy from battle but he just tended to go with what life tossed at him. Assigned to a Lord that didnt need his axe? No problem, drink his ale. Meet the Lords kobold friend? No worries, challenge him to a drinking contest. Not realize said kobold was using a body technique that in essence made even the strongest dwarven ales like water...Problem. Pale was currently under the table snoring rather loudly, despite Ottar kicking the fellow five different times to wake his ass.
Drinking a stout tankard of what Ottar had claimed was ale strong enough to strip the ugly off a dragons arse Xing Lei looked to Ottar who seemed itching to plant his magical wargame on the kobolds forehead. To be fair he'd drunk the good dwarf's best stock like water and wasn't even slightly tipsy. "So Ottar, is the forest why the monestary sent us out?"
Ottar shook his shaggy head taking a deep pull of his own drink, the froth clung to his whiskers as he slammed the mug down, "Rust and tarnish ya gecko no, it ain't. The trouble is with your tribe of wee scaled idiots, they've got themselves a war chief raiding everything they can reach, wouldn't normally be an issue, just thump the chief the rats disperse. This time the head rat is stayin' out of sight, can't thump the prick if he stays held up in whatever hole he calls home. News along certain circles placed ye with the monk whores, damned fine job there always knew yer scaled ass was a whore by the way. Anyhow, I sent a request in to get yer help. Me and my boys can roll in but we can't guarantee that yer home wouldn't be smushed flatter than an elf's chest after such. So I reckon, we send you in. You can cause the mess ye do and I don't have to listen to you or yer women bitchin at me."
Xing Lei looked dryly at Ottars grinning face, he had to admit the dwarf had the right of it, standard practice for the dwarves would be go in smash everything and then go drink, but Fleet Spear would be rather put out if their friend Ottar smashed the tribe flat. "And what do I get for being your errand boy?"
Ottar just leaned back swishing his mug as his beady dark eyes watched the kobold, "That's the best part of this. I don't gotta give your greedy scaley arse a damn thing, I paid a fee to yer monk buddies, so in a way I get to be yer boss and not pay you a single copper. Ah but that irony is sweeter than me mums darkest rum."
Xing Lei took a slow pull of his drink and sighed, he had almost forgotten how sects worked and reality was swift in kicking him in the tail. Naturally Ottar paid the monestary, he was the solution sent out. Closing his eyes he started to laugh, Ottar soon joined him. Pale giggled drunkenly under the table and Harn, Harn stared at all these laughing idiots and wished he was anywhere but with these morons.
The next morn came soon enough, as Xing Lei prepared to head out Ottar called to him to wait. A grinning pale was Ottars shadow this morn with no sign of Harn. Apparently he was sent to get Lei a mount to help expedite the journey, he was also handed a map showing a relatively safe route through the regrown forest. A few minutes later a cursing Harn appeared tugging a rather foul looking donkey behind him. Xing Lei blinked as Ottar and Pale looked to each other and started laughing again. Sighing Lei rolled his eyes turning and running out the gate of full speed leaving two laughing dwarves to calm the third, who cried out as the ornery mule leaned over and bit off one of his beard braids. By the end of this assignment, Xing Lei figured poor Harn would hate everyone equally.
Running through the forest he had to admit this situation was increasingly strange. Elves were making big moves to the north, his old tribe was striking out, he had a band of pirates to deal with. Dodging around trees he sighed, missing the wanderings they did before things got crazy. Bursting through some brush he smiled seeing the familiar grassland, the tall grass concealing him far better than the forest, but here and there Xing Lei could see rapidly growing saplings bursting from the ground, even now the forest was hungrily expanding its borders. Glancing around Lei could see several large fires along the edges, it would seem the other inhabitants were trying to force back the mystical wood as well.
Shaking his head, Xing Lei looked to the solitary mountain piercing into the sky in the far distance, the one good thing about his home was the unique terrain, the solitary mountain that stood apart from its fellows was easy enough to spot on the open plains but it would still take a few days to get to his tribe. Reaching down he tore a sapling out of the ground... or tried to. Yanking hard the young little tree came part way up then stopped, while it shouldn't, the young sapling had a large tangled root system beneath the soil that kept it from being easily torn out. Frowning deeper, the implications that saplings shared the root system with their main wood was telling in what the problem was, just there was nothing he could do about it for now.
Rushing off, he left the ever expanding forest behind, rushing through the tall grass avoiding the large camps of panther folk he stumbled across and stopping here and there to deal with more persistent beast packs that dogged his rushed run through the grassland, what barrels of blood he had properly used were once again filled and capped ready for when he was set to train again. Running on he sped through the grass, yet now and then he detoured to check on old land Mark's, he swung by the old trade hub location but it had been abandoned, thick grass obscured the low earthen walls and told a tale of how complete the panther folk raid years ago had been.
Adjusting his course, Xing Lei moved into the woodlands that stretched around the mountain, these early hunting grounds had no changed much, as he darted around trees and into clearings he remembered his early days with a smile, but it was one short lived as he burst into what should have been the tribes outer perimeter. The old stakes were here, he was in the right spot but all were over grown. The hunters huts were nearly falling over, a veritable ghost town greeted Xing Lei for his homecoming.
Looking in the huts he could see their abandonment was complete, herbs and hides were gone, anything movable and useful had been taken. Everything else was being reclaimed by the elements. Walking through the outer hunter camp he ventured to the sheltered cave that housed the tribes main host, but like beyond, empty. Admittedly the huts and such inside were of far better quality than years ago, looking more like human huts of thatch and wood more so than grasses and mud, but no kobolds. The floor of the cavern was dirty, scents and tracks said over time beasts had moved in, there was no blood, no bodies so he could at least rest easy that they hadn't been attacked, but where was everyone?
Walking past the improved chief lodge Xing Lei climbed the path that would take him to the hatchery, the dark passage was much as Keeper had liked it, rough and natural. The large chamber at the end which he recalled as warm if spooky, was now cold and bare. Keeper wasn't here. No eggs were waiting to hatch, not even shells lay on the floor. Xing Lei looked around when a smooth voice reached out to him.
HAVE YOU COME TO FINALLY KNEEL MY LITTLE CHILDE?
Turning Xing Lei almost smiled, a pair of large yellow eyes peered down out of the darkness. "As I told you then I'll tell you now. I will never bow before a faceless voice hiding in the darkness."
A loud laugh rumbled around the chamber, the yellow eyes vanished replaced by a sensuous lizard woman in a thick robe that did little to hide the fact she had curves more easily seen on a human than a kobold or Lizardfolk. She smiled at Xing Lei casually crossing her long legs, "Xing Lei, it's been a long time, you never visit, you never write, one would think you ashamed of your roots..."
Xing Lei chuckled, "Too busy killing idiots and breaking worlds."
The lizard woman put on a completely inhuman pout, "So why visit your old birthplace Xing Lei, as you can see the tribe is gone."
Xing Lei looked to her and sighed, "Where have they gone Destorianaxe?"
The lizardwomans eyes widened as she started to laugh throwing back her head in her mirth, "Ooohh someone has carried tales it seems, where ever did you hear my name childe of mine?"
Xing Lei frowned at the Dragon, "We can trade gossip later, I need to find the tribe Destorianaxe."
That similar lizard-like pout returned, "Is this how you ask for favors and information childe, so rude the habits you've picked up and not even properly evolved yet, did I put too much effort into you childe?"
"Destorianaxe..."
Crossing her arms she frowned, "You use my name so flippant childe, one would think you have forgotten manners, where does your confidence come from I wonder?"
Xing Lei vanished the kobold reappearing by Destorianaxe a clawed hand stretched to grip her neck, yet the lizard woman simply sat there unmoving, yellow eyes narrowed at the limb that so easily was gripping her throat. Her eyes looked to Leis, "I give you this one chance Xing Lei, stand down, do so and you shall survive this. Try something else to insult my pride and you shall die."
Xing Lei frowned and swung a back hand at her head, but what greeted him was not her cheek but her hand, striking out each fist whistled through the air yet the dragon just sat there, the fist colliding with her cheek and stopping dead, to Lei he felt he punched a stone door. Her body shifted becoming her true nature, a claw snatching out barely missing the somersaulting kobold. When he righted himself a large black dragon peered down at him.
I TRULY DO NOT UNDERSTAND XING LEI, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE NO MEANS TO FIGHT ME YET FIGHT ME YOU DESIRE, WHAT SICKNESS OF THE MIND GRIPS YOU?
The dragon shifted stalking around the kobold that suddenly held a mithril tipped spear and a slender saber. Her eyes narrowed as her steps became more wary. Serpentine neck arched as she looked down on him. When she blinked he was gone as she lopped to the side quickly, claws digging into the stone as she forced her body to move out of the way yet still feeling the spear scrape along her right haunch. Glancing back she saw her scales lightly marked, the weapons were unique to be sure but nothing that could penetrate her scales.
Xing Lei's insanity made her step back, this oddity had more ways than an Emporer in his throne room, his disregard for her obvious superior power bugged her to no end and still he kept coming, her clawed feet quickly repositioning her larger body as the deft little kobold darted around her ankles slashing and poking at the seams of her scales. Growling she let loose an aura, one common amongst dragons, drowning the area in terror, the awe of the apex beast predator was not to be underestimated.
Yet as she twisted her neck to see if the little kobold was suitably cowed, she suddenly yelped and darted forward her tail swishing hard behind her smashing apart the empty egg bearers, the blue of a kobold flipping over her tail to stab the other side of her buttocks with that spear flashing in her shocked gaze.