"After them!!" roared Ellaria and Braddox in the same voice.
Fey grabbed up Astrid, throwing her on her back and raced after the captains. She was not about to let Ellaria go into danger without a healer. Not happening.
She quickly caught up, racing through tunnels she soon found them. Already they had caught and killed the two Kobogons. Behind her came the rest of the bands' members, most of them injured in some small way, even Averys came, holding his recently healed stomach and looked faintly ill, and Flora, who floated with a hand held to her leg.
The captains put their fingers to their lips and shushed them as they arrived, commanding quiet. Fey looked between them wondering what the issue was, then Braddox gestured at her and she trotted forward slowly and silently. He glanced at her then to Baerinda on her back. Then he pointed past himself and Fey leaned by to see. There was another cave ahead, and in it one last Kobogon.
This Kobogon, however, was different.
She was shorter than the others, and she radiated a surety of motion that was almost jarring. Her scales were snow white and fringed with pink, her breasts petite, her eyes violet, slitted, and glowing. She rolled her claws as she spoke to someone out of view, each motion smooth as though averaged out removing any minor imperfections of motion that were present in other creatures, she moved like flowing silk, the epitome of exquisite poise, and danger.
Beautiful terrifying danger.
"I've got her," said Baerinda, "She's under my influence, she won't notice us even if we put on a parade in front of her."
"Excellent. Tell me, does anyone else in your band have a Limit Break Ellaria? I doubt I am the only one who senses that it would be wise to kill this one in one powerful attack."
Ellaria hesitated. "We have some," she glanced back at Fey, "But used recently."
"Even yourself?"
"Yes, I have one too, but I also used it recently, and time is the least of the prerequisites before being able to use it again."
"Very well. Your band is fascinatingly powerful, we should discuss this over drinks after all this is done. For now it seems I shall deal with this last one myself."
Braddox gripped his anvil hammer in both hands and slowly advanced forward into the cave.
Fey and Ellaria followed close behind, Chloe who was still on her back floated a dozen cum lances above her, ready to rain death on this last Kobogon.
As they neared voices became clear. Two voices. The Kobogon was speaking to someone just out of view, a tall stone formation blocking line of sight, the entire scene lit by a beam of sunlight from a hole in the cavern ceiling, and dotted glowing blue crystals that patterned the cavern walls.
"You are a curious one, children and goblins are as a rule not particularly intelligent yet you are both a child and a goblin and from what I can observe of an intellect that far outstrips both."
"Appearances are deceiving Shiva, I am not as I appear, the lottery of memory rebirth did not favour me as well as I would have liked but one cannot always get their way, we make do as best we can considering the realities of our own situations."
"And this is the answer to your reality?"
"It is an avenue I wish to explore."
"An alliance between you and I? What a curious concept."
"Not just you and I, but more, I wish to expand, to grow."
"You cannot possibly think you can control or influence a power such as I as you are. You are the lowest of the low, a cockroach that will be stepped on by any greater power you near."
"I have no need to be as physically or as magically powerful as you Shiva, I have something else. Knowledge. So much… knowledge."
Shiva tapped a claw on her chin, even that otherwise hesitant motion gave the appearance of being choreographed perfection.
"And that knowledge led you to this, your… offering."
"Yes."
"I am perceptive enough to sense that there is something... unique about this item."
"You are not wrong. To most eyes it is but a simple summoning stone, if a particular pretty looking one."
"A summoning stone? What use have I of some dullard monster that can be called to heel."
"Allow me to demonstrate."