Minglings 19

Walking at the back of the line following Bolyr through the jungle, Jake looked beside him. Tergin had come with the blue armed Kobold this time, only asking a few general questions. Then when they were about to leave, he had signaled Jake to fall back with him.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked softly. 

Tergin looked around, before keeping his eyes fixed on Bolyrs back.

"Have you decided what to do yet?" 

Jake nodded. "It doesn't look like I have a lot of options. Unless what Bolyr said, about the possibility of me dying during the transition is a lie?" 

Tergin shook his head firmly.  "It is the truth. And you are right. You have no other choice. But you need to know something. Bolyr's daughter, his only remaining family, is in the group of women, as is the youngest sister of a village elder. Although they won't say anything if you decide to breed with them, you will get into trouble later."

Jake cursed softly.

"How do I recognize them?"

"I am going to stay with you and point them out." 

Feeling relieved, Jake nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet. If there are no other women, who come forward other than those two, you will have to pick one of them. The worst would be if they both come and no one else…"

"What do I do if that happens?" Jake asked, getting nervous.

Tergin did not reply immediately, keeping his steady pace while gazing at the hard black sand that let them deeper into the island. 

"I would pick only one and make sure it is the one I liked. Because if the one you choose ends up fancying you, you will have a hard time leaving them afterward without a fight." Scraping his throat, Tergin glanced at Jake again.

"One more thing. We aren't sure, but something weird is going on besides the festivities. All of the elders have disappeared, leaving only one here, and we cant find him. It is probably nothing..."

Jake blinked and looked at the smaller Kobold, but the other was staring straight ahead, seeming lost in thought.

Silently the two kept walking forward as Jake mulled over what he had just heard. A soft noise from up ahead made him look forward, but he saw nothing. The further they went, the louder the sound got until it became clear that a party was going on in front of them.  

The dense jungle ahead thinned, stumps of trees showing that it had been manually cleared. Through the trees, the party could see many torches lighting up the surroundings. Moving through the last of the trees, Jake and the others got a clear view of their goal. Houses on poles and interconnected by bridges and beams wound around an enormous stone tower. The tower was only half-finished, perhaps five meters high, with wooden ramparts around the top showing it was still under active construction. Some buildings were built into the tower, giving the whole place a cozy feel. 

A well lit wooden plateau stood on one of the lower levels, filled with tables and chairs. Around a hundred kobolds sat at the tables, eating and chatting. In the middle of the plateau was a daze on which two kobolds were acting out something. It was a cross between dance, fight, and mating ritual, and sometimes it looked like they were about to kill each other. The other kobolds were watching and shouting something or cheering.

"It has just started, you have not missed anything yet," Bolyr said, surprising them all with a slight smile. 

"Come!" Turning around, the Kobold ran towards the nearest ramp leading up to the plateau. The other Kobolds, including Tergin, followed close behind.

The earthlings stared after the kobolds, and then at each other. 

"Let's just see what happens…" Mason said with a shrug, before walking forward, a grin spreading across his face. 

Taking a deep breath, Jake took Emma's hand and pulled her along. "Let's see what they have to eat, ok?"

Emma looked up at him, uncertain, but she nodded, gripping his hand tight as she looked at the mass of people and lights. 

Walking up the steep wooden ramp, Jake had to use his claws to keep from slipping. This way up was truly not made for humans, he thought. Behind him, the others followed, whispering to each other. Stepping on the plateau, Jake realized it was bigger up close, and he felt a bit overwhelmed by the many faces that turned toward him. Wondering where to go, he looked for Mason.

"Over here, Jake!" 

Looking to where Mason's voice came from, Jake saw him close to the dais with the performers. He was sitting at a table with Tergin, Bolyr, and an elderly looking Kobold. Startled, Jake realized that it was the oldest Kobold he had seen so far. Many of his scales were turning dull, and the skin around his neck and arms was sagging. Looking at him, Jake sensed a strong, don't mess with me, vibe. 

Looking over his shoulder for Sandra and the others, Jake found them right behind him. Sandra nodded, a humorous twinkling in her eyes. Groaning inwardly, Jake headed to the table were Mason was already tasting different things.

"Jake! Sit, eat, and be happy. For at least tonight, life is good again." Bolyr said, raising a metal mug.

Noticing that the Kobold seemed more carefree and happy then he had ever seen him, Jake took a seat next to Tergin. Emma sat down in the chair next to him, hugging his arm as she inspected the others at the table. A short shuffling later, Sandra and the soldiers sat down at the opposite side of the table, in front of him. Sandra had the spot next to Bolyr, and the indigenous Kobold seemed happy with the arrangement. He quickly grabbed another mug and handed it to her.

"Try this. I am sure you will enjoy it," Bolyr said, the corners of his mouth curving up.

Sandra stared at the mug for a moment before taking a quick look around the table. Everyone was staring at her in expectation. Without any indication of what she felt, she took a sip from the mug. Almost immediately, her eyes widened, and she gulped down the entire contents. Mason, curious as ever, rose and grabbed another mug, smelling it before taking a small sip. A broad grin surfaced on his face, and he looked at Jake.

"It tastes like honey, mixed with vodka and melon juice."

Getting the feeling his friend was making fun of him, because that just sounded disgusting, Jake took a mug from the table and tasted it. A sweet, thin liquid with a powerful bite filled his mouth. Feeling how it warmed its way down his throat before almost burning a hole in his stomach, Jake noticed how tension left him. His muscles relaxed, and he leaned back in his chair.

The noise of the party became less intrusive, and Jake closed his eyes a silly smile plastered on his face. A small voice from the side stopped him from drifting away. Although the question didn't seem terribly important, the fact that he couldn't wake up to answer it was. As if by instinct, he contracted his new muscle. A wave of energy rippled through his body, and the sounds around him became clear again. He heard the same question from his left.

"Jake, you have to wake up!"

Jake's eyes flew open, and he blinked a few times before looking at Emma sitting next to him. The little girl was looking at him with wide-open eyes, and a quick look around the table showed him that she was the only one still fully awake. Examing the others, he saw Mason had his eyes closed and his hands clasped around the edge of the table. A frown kept creeping on his friend's face, but his eyes stayed closed. Next to Mason, the two remaining soldiers had fallen asleep with their heads on the table, and Sandra was gone.  Worried, Jake stood up, looking for her. 

He found her standing two meters from the table. She was blinking with bleary eyes, trying to stay on her feet as she swayed dangerously. Around her, the party was still going on, but not everyone was participating. Some Kobolds were standing close to Sandra, looking at her with hungry eyes.

Knowing something terrible was going on, Jake looked at Bolyr. To his shock, the native Kobold was in a similar position, barely able to keep his eyes open as he glared at the old Kobold sitting next to him.

The old Kobold, however, was ignoring him and only had eyes for Sandra. Something in his eyes gave Jake a horrible feeling. Looking around for anyone else to help him, he found Tergin sleeping next to him, some drool running down his chin. Shaking the Kobold did nothing, and Jake gave up. Getting up, he rushed around the table and grabbed Mason, shaking him.

"Wake up, Mason! Try and resist it! We are in deep shit!" 

Besides a slight frown, Mason's eyes stayed closed, and he didn't respond. Growling, Jake worriedly looked around, his eyes falling on Bolyr next to Mason. Reaching out his arm, he slapped the Kobold across the face. As soon as he did, Bolyr's eyes snapped open, and he stood up. His head snapped back, exposing his throat, and he furiously roared into the night sky. The entire party froze, and all of the Kobolds looked at him in shock and dismay. Next to Bolyr, Mason's eyes snapped open, and he blinked in confusion.

"What the hell is going on!" Sandra's voice sounded ragged as she quickly rushed back to the table, leaving behind a few Kobolds staring at her.

Tergin, the soldiers, and one other Kobold were still asleep, draped across the table. Jake cursed, Bolyr's roar had not awoken them, and they needed all the help they could get. All around, soft murmuring came from the Kobolds who were looking at them, finally realizing something was going on.

Bolyr stepped away from the table and looked at the old Kobold, who was still quietly sitting, ignoring the commotion.

"Vestr! How dare you poison me! The elders won't stand for this!" Bolyr's face contracted as rage seemed to overcome him.

A few of the Kobolds standing around rushed forward to take a position next to Vestr, flanking the old Kobold like bodyguards. They cast warning glances at Bolyr, but the bulky yellow Kobold ignored them.

Raising his one blue arm, he pointed it at them. 

"Answer me, or today, I will end your old, miserable life!"

The murmuring stopped, and a deathly silence followed Bolyr's statement.

"Why are you always so hasty, hatchling. Now look what you've done, ruin the entire fest." A chuckle followed a dry, cracking voice. Vestr rose from his seat, smooth and steady, belying his old age. Spryly he strolled in front of Bolyr with a nasty grin on his face as if he seemed content about something. 

"I did not poison you. It was just a simple sleeping herb that did you no harm. And the Elders will agree with me when they come back."

A low, dangerous growl came from Bolyr, but the old Kobold just chuckled, flourishing his arm in some strange gestures.

"You should have listened to me. I told you we need to do what is best for the tribe. Now I had to take matters into my own hands." Raising his hand, he signaled, and within moments a group of twenty Kobolds surrounded them, weapons in hand. 

Seeing the raised spears and knives, Bolyr became even more upset, looking around and waving at a few of the other Kobolds. As soon as he did, they rushed forward, and the second group of armed Kobolds formed. The first group backed away standing behind Vestr, while the other group stood behind Bolyr.

"Everyone head back to your houses. Tonight we will decide once and for all who leads the Antraci!" Bolyr's loud voice caused the other Kobolds to look at each other. 

Looking at the group, Jake saw that there were almost no old ones and only a dozen children. Most were in their prime, with scars and battle marks showing a harsh life. After a few murmured discussions, the elderly and children were escorted away until a group of around one hundred Kobolds was left, forming the third group. This one was almost all females dressed in party attire. 

They whispered amongst themselves for a moment before grabbing spears from below tables and from benches. Then, without any fear, they walked forward, following a slender young, yellow, and blue scaled kobold.  

Bolyr moaned when he saw her, and a stern look replaced the rage from before, but he kept silent.

"Why must you fight?" The young woman's voice rang out as she looked at Bolyr and Vestr.

"Ah, so like your father, you are. Hasty and without thinking things through clearly." A soft, nasty chuckle followed Vestr's voice. 

Mason leaned over next to Jake. "That must be Bolyr's daughter!" 

Jake nodded. He was holding Emma's hand, again wishing he could have sent her with the other children. Next to him, Sandra was sitting close to the still sleeping soldiers; her eyes fixated on what was happening.

"He is a fool, Lyra. He would force his way on others. How is he any different from the Goresh?" Bolyr spoke in a gentle voice, staring affectionately at his daughter. 

"Father, he has the best interest of the tribe in mind. Can you not understand that both of you want the same thing? He might have made a mistake, but what do you even know of these strangers?"

Lyra, gestured to the earthlings, palpable distrust on her face.

The watching Kobolds began whispering amongst themselves again, and Jake felt his hackles rise. He had been sure the daughter of Bolyr would be on their side, but now it seemed he was wrong?

"Your daughter is wiser than you are. Why don't you let me do this my way?" Vestr spoke, a slight smile hovering around his lips.

Bolyr looked at his daughter in pain, before hissing at Vestr. "Your way? And what would that be? Force the woman to bear your children on the small chance that you will father another awoken son to replace the one you've lost?" Bolyr spat the last of the words at the other. 

For a moment,  a look of hurt crossed Vestr's face, and then he sighed softly. A tired look on his face, he stared into Bolyrs eyes. "And would this be so bad? We need Awoken if we are to regain even a semblance of what we have lost! For years we have tried, but none have been born, NONE. At this speed, it might take hundreds of years, if we don't die out first."

Sandra, hearing what he had planned for her, glared at him a hateful look on her face. She was about to say something when someone else beat her to it.

"You will not force yourself on anyone, or we will dispatch you here and now." From behind Lyra, a woman in her prime walked forward, stepping in front of the younger ones. She glanced at Bolyr's daughter with a frown. "Lyra, backoff. You are too young to understand what is going on here." Then she turned back to the others.

She cast a single look at Vestr, and a look of disgust crossed her face before she turned to Sandra. "Don't worry. As long as we draw breath, nobody here will harm you." Holding Sandra's gaze for a moment, she looked between the two groups. 

"As for you. Neither of you qualifies to lead us. For a long time, I have hesitated, but I guess now is as good a time as any to act." 

Silent, she stared at the Kobolds behind Vestr and Bolyr before raising an eyebrow. "Long, have we been without real leadership. It has brought us only ruin. From now on, I will lead us. If anyone should disagree, speak now." A low growl followed her words, quickly picked up by the large group behind her. 

Bolyr looked at her in shock, and slowly resignation crossed his face. "Why did you never speak out before, Gria? When asked you when we arrived here, but you said... "

"I know what I said, Bolyr. But I had hoped you would step up, so I didn't have to. But you never did, and now here we are." A sad look crossed Gria's face before she turned to Vestr. 

"What will it be?" She commanded, her tone leaving almost no room for anything but acceptance. 

The old Kobold had lost his calm appearance somewhere during her speech, and he had a spiteful look on his face. "Who gives you the right to lead us? You are young and inexperienced!" 

Gria just shook her head, looking at the Kobolds behind Vestr. After a moment, most of them walked towards her, only leaving vestr with two older male Kobolds. Seeing his followers dwindle, Vestr swore in a language Jake couldn't understand before walking away. At the end of the platform, he turned around. "This isn't over. I won't be cast away like some old sword."

"This is over, Vestr. Either you follow my lead from now, or you will be cast out." Gria's words were cold and slow, and Vestr stumbled ones as he walked off. But he didn't turn away, disappearing into the dark. 

"I will follow you, Gria, as I said I would when we first arrived on this island after you're father joined the eternal resting grounds." Bolyr's words caused the remaining tension in the air to fade, and when he walked towards the table and sat down next to Tergin, many followed him. Gria and Lyra followed after Bolyr, and Gria beckoned the earthlings over. 

"Please sit. I am sorry you had to be a witness to this. Nothing like this will happen again. You have my word." She spoke in a reassuring, soothing voice.

Jake, Mason, and Sandra sat back down, this time surrounding the two still sleeping soldiers. 

"How do we wake our friends up?" Sandra asked, looking at Bolyr. 

"They should wake soon. There aren't a lot of things capable of putting a Kobold to sleep, and those that do only last for a short time."

"This isn't what I had expected when we came here," Mason said, shoving a mug next to him to the center of the table, a look of disgust on his face.

Gria stared at him for a moment, an unreadable expression on her face. "And what did you expect?" She finally asked.

Jake looked at her, afraid she was angry, but instead, she had a look of genuine curiosity on her face. She motioned Mason to speak, smiling at him.

Blinking a few times, Mason shrugged helplessly. "Information about this world? What is happening to Jake, us? And a safe place?"

Gria nodded again, a satisfied look on her face. "Then fear not, you have come to the right place. Let me start with the shortest one."

In rapid succession, she pointed one finger at Mason, Jake, Sandra, and Emma.  "You four are all, what we call, Awoken, but from the looks of it, you have never heard this term before. What do you know about Kobolds?." She turned to look at Jake, a sharp look in her eyes as she examined him, waiting for an answer.

Startled, Jake scratched his chin, before regaling the only things he remembered. "They are said to have Dragon blood, are strong, and hatch from eggs?"

A giggle from another table made Jake look over, wondering what was going on. Five young women were staring at him, bright smiles on their faces and sparkling eyes, reminding him of schoolgirls. A sharp stab of homesickness made him sigh, and he turned back to his own table.

Looking at him with a lopsided grin, Gria shook her head. "That is not a lot, but it is accurate. We, you, have dragon blood. But not all have the same amount, and only those with enough awaken."

"What does that mean? We have heard the term many times now, from Bolyr as well. But nobody explained it to us!" Sandra said, sounding slightly exasperated. 

Blinking at her, Gria continued. "Well, that is because it is the most common knowledge there is. To us, at least. It is the first story our nest mothers tell us after hatching." Smiling warmly, lost in thought for a moment, Gria shook her head and continued.  

"When Bolyr came to us and told us that he had found Kobolds that weren't Kobolds, I thought he had finally lost his min, but seeing you and how you act. It is impossible not to see it. No Kobold, especially no Awoken, would act like you," and she pointed at Jake, smiling apologetically. 

"Let me tell you a little story, a story we tell our young, that begins with an ending. Dragons are extinct." She looked theatrical at them, but Jake just shook his head in confusion. Shrugging, she continued. 

"Thousands of years ago,  the different faces of this world were in a grueling war. The Kobolds, led by the Dragons on one side, fought against the combined might of the Fiends and Goblins. Back then, the other races, like the Beasts and Insects, were few in number, and they played no role. To keep this story short, we lost. Nobody knows how, but the Fiends managed to lure the remaining Dragons into a trap from which only seven escaped alive." 

Gria sighed, looking off in the distance for a moment before continuing. "Without the Dragons, we had no way of winning the war, and worse, no way to defend ourselves. The Fiends, hoping to rid themselves of one adversary, slowly hunted us into extinction. As the last city was about to fall, the Dragons managed to cast a great spell, one of three fed by their remaining power. It took what remained of the Kobolds away to a far off place. "

A soft murmur came from one of the kobolds, but his neighbor quickly hushed him.

"Our ancestors arrived at what was then one of the many hidden continents in the wild-lands. It was far removed from the war and was supposed to be a safe-haven. They were wrong. Without the Dragons, even the wild-lands were too dangerous. Everything with dragon blood is strong, but our ancestors had so little it hardly mattered. Knowing this, the Dragons cast two more spells. Entwined and at the cost of their very lives, one of the spells shared their blood with the Kobolds, greatly increasing our individual strength. At the same time, they cast their last and greatest spell, bound in our and their blood."

Looking around, Gria saw that everyone, not just the earthlings, was silently staring at her. She smiled and continued.

"From that point on, some Kobolds were hatched with an abundance of draconic blood. The purity of this blood was what would trigger the third spell, possibly turning some into Awakened. The spell would and still will find a clutch of eggs from any beast descendant from Dragons and change one of the eggs. A part of the Kobolds soul and mind will enter this egg, and when the egg hatches it will be different from its brothers and sisters. It will resemble a Dragon, but incomplete and imperfect. From that moment on, the hatchling, guided by the magic of the spell, will try to survive and get stronger. As it becomes stronger, the connection with the Kobold will strengthen until, at one point, the Kobold will start seeing through the Dragon's eyes in his dreams. As the bond grows stronger, this will start happening in waking moments, until eventually the Kobolds soul will be pulled out of his body and into the Dragon's, drawing along all his draconic essence and leaving behind an empty shell. The soul will merge, and the minds will blend, and a young dragon is born, complete, and weak. "

A small collective sigh came from the gathered native Kobolds, but their revery was rudely interupted by Mason.

"Wait. Are you telling me I am going to change into a dragon?" He said, looking at Gria in dismay.

Before she could answer, more questions followed.

"And what happens if the dragon hatchling does not survive?"

"Will we still be ourselves, and what happens to our body?" 

Blinking, Gria stared at the earthlings, examining each of them in turn before looking at Sandra with an earnest look on her face. Behind her, the other Kobolds where watching, whispering amongst themselves.

"You will be yourselves, and more, but the body you have now will die, turning to ash when your essence leaves it." 

"Well, damn." Mason's looked at Jake, a horrid look on his face.

Gria turned towards him, a gentle smile on her face. "No need to be afraid, young one. Changing into a Dragon is not a bad thing, but an honor. And eventually, when you grow strong enough, you will be able to retake this form. Well… almost this form. Hiding something behind another smile, she turned to Jake. 

"Your question is the one all awoken dread because when the hatchling dies, a portion of your soul will die. Do you know of soul-sickness in your world? "

Jake shook his head.

"Ah, then at least something was better in your previous world. Soul sickness is the most horrific thing possible for any living being. It happens when a part of your eternal soul is taken or dies. Incomplete, the soul hungers and yearns for what is lost, and slowly goes mad. In its madness, it will see other souls as its own and attempt to take them and replace the missing part, creating more soul sickness as it does." 

A sad murmur followed her words, and some of the Kobolds began leaving — the joy they had before, gone from their faces. Seeing them leave, Gria sighed before continuing.

"We call these beings, Ravagers because they ravage any area they visit. Nowadays, not many are left, but once in a while, one shows up."

Falling silent, she picked up one of the cups and took a careful, appraising sip before spitting the liquid out. She looked around and waved at another table, pointing at the pitcher while looking at the only Kobold still sitting at the table. Around her, the others began conversing again, causing the uneasy quiet to end.