Serpentine whistled softly, wrapping bandages around his wrists, the melody a curious blend of rain, birdsong, and trap beats.
Yes, he was beatboxing.
"Oi, Elçi." Serpentine's voice carried a melodic whine as he glanced toward the two figures at the far end of the arena. "You've told me about the Administrative and Military Hierarchy, right?"
"That is correct, my lord." Elçi nodded, wiping Serpentine's wings with a wet towel, a distracted sparkle in his eyes. The avian appendages twitched in cold pleasure.
"There's one more I have left to know, is there not?" Serpentine smiled, hanging his legs like a child he sat on a bench.
"Hm?" Elçi paused, his eyes trailing over to Serpentine's own.
"The racial hierarchy."
"Ah." Elçi nodded his head, before fluidly resuming his cleaning duty, the wet towel constricting every last inch of dirt between the feathers and on the patagium.
"It is not much. As you may remember, Kobolds are a race descended from various reptilian heritages, interbred into a singular race, having awakened their bloodline, and then diverged again into different races."
Serpentine hummed thoughtfully, inviting Elçi to continue.
"Depending on which bloodline they have awakened and their path of divergence, if they have awakened any at all, dictates their place in the hierarchy."
'Interesting...' Serpentine could not help but think back to the various Kobolds he had seen so far.
"List the genuses of the Kobold family, and their place in the hierarchy." He commanded, his voice playful yet firm. Elçi did not reply for a moment, instead waving his hand over the angelic wings.
Shadows slipped from his feathers, plucking out dust and pebbles, scratching unreachable itches. They coiled around his demonic wings, clearing debris from the skin and bone.
'Shadow Control,' Serpentine noted.
Dusting his hands, Elçi walked to the demon's front as he began to speak, his voice drawn and clear.
"Dormant Kobolds, who have yet to awaken their bloodlines, are at the bottom of the hierarchy, often relegated to manual labour or minor roles."
'The ones with the earthen brown scales.' The demon realised.
"Above them are Alligator and Serpentine Kobolds – skilled in combat and occasionally research, but with limited social standing."
He hadn't seen an Alligator Kobold, but his eyes glanced at Surend at the mention of the serpentine ones. He chuckled a little at the terminology, since he himself was named Serpentine.
"Above them are the Elemental, Shadow, and Skeletal Kobolds, highly respected for their roles in magic and strategy. Their resilient physiology makes them valuable across all fields."
Serpentine perked up. "Is that what you are?"
Elçi chuckled. "Indeed, my lord. I am but a humble Shadow Kobold."
'Humble my arse.' The demon rolled his eyes inwardly, but couldn't help but ask out loud, "How do the physiology of the other two work?"
"The Elemental Kobolds have coloured scales that are endowed with the power of the elements that they wield, while Skeletal Kobolds have had their skin and muscle tissues all turn to bones, with grey scales harder than a giant's skull covering their body." Elçi narrated, his hand forming various gestures as the shadows between them came to life, mimicking the form of the two kobolds.
"Their muscles turn to bones– how do they even move?" Serpentine stammered, his voice slightly cracked as he gazed.
"Magic, my lord." Elçi smiled wryly. "They harness the darker forces of magic, abilities usually wielded by a Lich." The kobold fluidly danced with his fingers once more, the shadows forming a black cloaked figure with a scythe before them, a recreation of the typical Grim Reaper.
"That... yeah, I guess that makes sense." Serpentine scratched his head with an indecisive grin. "What's next?"
"At the top are the Dragon Scaled, Ancient Scaled, and Deepsea Scaled Kobolds, ruling with unmatched power and leadership." Elçi spoke, his voice suddenly more animated, his eyes flaring wide.
Serpentine shifted.
"The supreme leader – is he one of them?" he asked, voice steady despite the chill creeping up his spine as Elçi's fanaticism grew palpable. "Or was it the supreme general?"
"Indeed, my lord. The Khagan is a Draconian Kobold, as well as is Heir. The Supreme General, on the other hand, is an Ancient Scaled Kobold who commands the army directly under The Khagan."
Elçi's voice rose a few octaves with every few words he spoke, but he didn't seem aware of it. Or rather, didn't show it... possibly.
'I can't even tell if he's acting.' Serpentine grumbled.
"What about the Deepsea Scaled Kobolds?" He asked.
"The Supreme Overseer of Provinces is indeed a Deepsea Scaled Kobold." Elçi nodded.
Serpentine leaned forward, his eyes gleaming as he questioned, "Do all such Kobolds have ranks this high?"
At his words, Elçi laughed and shook his head. "Surely you jest, my lord. We are no Ogres, but a pragmatic species."
'Ogres?' Serpentine caught on, but before he could speak, Elçi continued.
"We may respect the traditions and honour the ancient heritage, but we are more than willing to adapt and survive." The kobold smiled, his eyes trailing to his right. Serpentine followed his gaze, and saw him glancing at Surend.
"Anyone can be anything, if they have the ability. The racial hierarchy does play a significant role, in the end, but it is not the strong who win." Elçi muttered.
"But those who win are the strong ones." Serpentine nodded in approval, finishing the quote, prompting Elçi to grin.
"In any case, my lord, it is now time for your fight." Elçi sat up with a sigh, his old bones cracking. "But before that, this servant dares to ask, what exactly is your species?"
Serpentine grinned, "What do you think?"
Elçi fell silent for a few seconds, before speaking, "You are no Kobold, and you are certainly no human either. But considering you are a Progenitor of ours, I can only assume you have achieved an Evolution or Mutation in some way."
Evolution and Mutation.
Two Chaos Factors capable of altering one's very biology, an element of randomness born of pure chaos force.
"You aren't necessarily wrong." Serpentine mulled over. Technically, while he had neither Evolved nor Mutated, he had Ascended, from a mere Demon to an Ascended Demon.
"Where do humans fall on the racial hierarchy?" Serpentine asked absentmindedly, stretching his spine and muscles as he began walking towards the arena, attracting the attention of his foes, who noticed him.
"They do not have a fixed place, my lord." Elçi glanced at the man next to Surend. "Humans are too variable to fit into the racial hierarchy. Their status is determined by their roles in the military, administration, labor, or craftsmanship
Elçi's reasoning was sound, and Serpentine wholeheartedly agreed.
Elves were inherently loyal and smart, her superstitious. Dwarves were proud and stubborn, yet soft. And all Demons had a tendency of chaos and action, being restless and unapologetic.
But humans had no such psychological profile. They could be anything, anywhere, anytime.
And the most dreadful part about humans was that they could change. A gentle soul could be a mass murderer, a genocidal drug addict could be a martyr, and a father could be a sinner. And the change was usually spontaneous, a life-changing decision made in the spur of the moment.
As memories of his interactions with humans flashed through his mind, his eyes befell the human next to Surend.
'Adam, was it?'
He knew of an Adam, though probably not this one. Not a mere probability, but a realised Wheel Character even outside the linchpin, in the canon of the Wheel of Faith.
He wondered if they were related somehow.
"Ugh." Serpentine staggered, a sharp pulse reverberating through his skull like a splintering mirror. He clenched his jaw and curled his fists, steadying himself before anyone could notice. Only Elçi's gaze lingered – a flicker of concern, or perhaps curiosity – but the kobold remained silent, his expression unreadable
'It still hurts.' His weakened connection to chaos made breaching the fourth wall a mental strain.
"Alright, let's do this." Serpentine exhaled, the sigh carrying a mix of resolve and exhaustion. He rolled his shoulders, the joints cracking like distant thunder as he strode toward the arena's center. The sand beneath his feet was cool and coarse, whispering promises of bloodshed.
Across from him, the serpentine kobold stood coiled and tense, emerald eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger.
'Surend, the ectomorph serpentine kobold, likely poison abilities and rapid speed. No immunity to curses, but I don't plan to use that, so this can be tough.'
His eyes then drifted off to the human male before him, the man they called Adam. His movements were minimal, and his gaze betrayed no emotions, not even glancing at the demon. He seemed to embody mechanical efficiency.
'Adam, the mesomorph human with mechanical efficiency, likely a unique power or training regiment that broke a part of him.'
The arena buzzed with an electric tension, the whistle of a seeping breeze blending into a low hum, like a storm waiting to break.
Serpentine stretched his arms one last time, the joints popping with sharp, deliberate cracks. His eyes flicked between Surend and Adam, analyzing every twitch, every breath, and the very motion of their joints.
A serpent's speed and poison, with a weapon unknown. A human's adaptability, with a clearly toned physique. His mind raced, weighing possibilities, calculating outcomes.
He was confident he would win, but he knew better than to underestimate his foes.
Elçi's voice was calm but firm behind him. "May the cosmos favor you, my lord."
Serpentine grinned. 'The cosmos would strangle me if it could.'
Especially when he was running from The Primordials. But oh well, it was too late to regret.
After all, the game had already begun.