I checked the spear, my hands reaching over everything about it. The small crevices in the obsidian that were clearly unpolished, the way that I had connected it. Every detail was unveiled under my watchful gaze. I could lose myself in the process, it was such a beautiful thing, despite the rough edges, the places where more care could have been. I loved every single part of it. It was a craftsmen's joy. To look upon my creation and see not only the flaws and how I could improve but the pride in that I had made it. That I had made progress.
It was after seconds that felt like hours that I handed the spear off to the other Kobold. I had found no flaws in the make that would lead to catastrophic failure, though that didn't mean it was perfect just that I deemed it well enough to be used.
'But before that…'
I looked towards the clumsy form of the Kobold that was wildly swinging the first spear that I had created around. It hurt something deep within me. To see my weapon that I had painstakingly crafted be handled with such recklessness. No form to be seen.
It was a craftsmens worst nightmare and the reason that I grabbed it from the hands of the clumsy goblin. I may not know how to wield a spear but I at least knew better than the imbeciles that were my subordinates.
With a scathing glare that I didn't even know I could give, I knocked the spear from the hand of the other kobold with a relatively simple maneuver.
The kobold that I had knocked it from looked like a kicked puppy, he was even giving me those puppy dog eyes that they gave but I wasn't swayed.
It only encouraged me more because I did not want to see them die.
It was why I kicked the spear back into his hand and put him into a proper stance. Or at least as proper as I know of.
It was a stance that held the spear parallel to the ground and pointed straight at the enemy.
I gave the other spear to the kobold I had taken it from and put him into that position as well.
Once I was sure that they had the position down by taking the spear from them and having them do the stance on their own, I started them on piercing attacks.
A thrust straight, adjust their position, the a thrust in a direction I pointed too.
Just like that, half an hour passed. I wasn't sure if the tracks were still accurate but I was still resolute on tracking them.
It was why, now that I was comfortable in the kobolds ability to defend and help me, that I started my tracking.
I walked up to the track and followed it. Though when I looked up I saw a cave, the light from the crack in the ceiling not even reaching the entrance of it.
I would have to rely on the kobolds sight to get me through here. Or I could go back and find one of the glowing crystals so that I could see.
Safety in preparation or recklessly charging forth. It wasn't that hard of a decision.
I had always been a little impulsive but with how much time had already passed and the fact that it was my life that was on the line, I chose to go back and grab a crystal for light.
…
It took barely a minute but once that was over the Kobolds had come back with a crystal in hand. It was one that I didn't recognize. Though that didn't say much since I was no geologist, I couldn't even name many of the more common gems. It was metallurgy that I was more adept in.
For most of my life I had thought of crystals as things to decorate not anything that I would ever need to bother with but now. Now with evidence contrary to that right in my face I couldn't help but reevaluate those values.
It wasn't that the crystal was impressive, it was just the mystical quality it had. Ideas sprouted in my mind about them. About how I could transfer those properties into a weapon of any kind.
It didn't help that the ethereal memory that my skill was drawing upon was nodding in assurance.
I sighed at that, my mind purging any of those thoughts out of my immediate worries as I entered the cave.
…
Darkness, oppressive darkness that seemed to consume everything. Only lessened by the tiny glow of a small crystal.
I held the small crystal down to the ground, the small amount of light that emanated from it lighting up the ground.
With the small amount of light I was able to see the direction of the footsteps. Each of them were going in the same direction.
I looked back up and saw that the cave split into two. One path that seemed to be so narrow that I would have to lay down to fit through it and another that was about the same except I might actually be able to crouch through it.
I narrowed my eyes at that though, the footsteps that I had seen were too big for them to be able to crawl through that space. It was simply impossible.
That meant that there was an alternative path. One that I couldn't see.
It was for that reason that I found myself walking around. I checked every crook of he cavern we found, even crawling down into the space that I could to search.
Still though I could find nothing. It was getting to the point that it would have been more cost effective to cut my losses and leave.
However I ignored that part of my mind in favor of ramping up my search.
"Kuaak" the Kobold interrupted, the slight shout waking me from my search. I found myself following the sound. I felt the hope that came from the shout of the kobold. Although it could have meant many things I hoped, to anything, that they had found a way forwards.