Quest Target Located

"Speaking of which," I began, deciding this was as good a time as any to get moving on the kobold business, "do any of you know anything about a kobold problem, by chance?"

The lead guard massaged his temples in exasperation.

"You're here about that...? Yes, there were reports of kobolds being sighted near the road to the east, opposite side of the village from where you two came from."

"Anything else you can tell me about 'em?"

"Not really, no. Nothing's happened with them yet, but kobolds creeping around public roads is never a good sign. Best case scenario, they'll get up to thieving. Worse case scenario, the nest grows big enough to threaten travelers and merchants."

So the request was put in preemptively. Not an unreasonable thing, given what these things were supposedly capable of doing. Easier to get rid of them now, before they grow as a threat.

"Alright, I'll take a look and see what I can do."

I said my goodbyes to the guardsmen and the townswoman - I politely declined the latter's invitation to dinner, citing my earlier task - and I noticed the guards muttering among themselves as I left. It didn't seem like it was about me, however - if I had to guess, it seemed like the very existence of Rockford was enough to spook them, for some reason. Maybe he was a really rare type of monster...?

Either way, I walked back out the way I came, to retrieve my aforementioned companion. I could only hope that the spell hadn't worn off while I was away, otherwise this reunion would be...violent.

Rockford was exactly where I left him, as still as his statue-like natural would initially suggest. He did not, thankfully, spring to murderous life as I approached, either - a definite win all around, I'd say.

"Come my mighty steed, we must go investigate!" I proclaimed as I got back on top of his back. I mentally instructed him to rise, and the stony beast did exactly that. Soon, we were off into the wilderness, looping around Slyrest from a safe, concealed distance to get to the eastern road on the other side. I kept my eyes peeled while we were off the beaten path, just in case I caught sign of the kobolds. I didn't see a thing, however.

On the eastern side, I decided to have Rockford prowl the sides of the road while I looked around. So close to the town, it was too much of a risk to have him out in the open, in case a traveler came by, or the guards on the walls were actually paying attention.

"I forgot to ask him far down the road they were spotted...shit," I muttered to myself, looking around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary here, practically under the shadow of the town's walls. But then again, I seriously doubted a few kobolds would be bold enough to get this close...

I continued down the road, silently instructing Rockford to keep up. To his credit, I couldn't see him from my position - but, perhaps due to the nature of him being my companion, I could sense that he was there.

With the town in the distance, I came across another traveler, heading in the opposite direction, towards Slyrest. With as little information as I had, it couldn't hurt to keep asking.

"Hello, good sir!" I greeted the man - another human, making it seem like Slyrest was yet another town of the sort - as he approached. "Could I bother you with a question or two?"

The man looked me over quickly - probably to see if I looked like I was peddling something - and quietly nodded.

"I'm an Adventurer from Athelens, you see, and I'm here about some kobolds. Heard anything about them?"

"Heard about 'em? I've bloody seen 'em!"

How fortuitous.

"Really? Can you tell me where?"

"Just maybe ten minutes down the road here!"

"I don't suppose this happened...just now?"

"Just now? No, this was maybe...I'd say about a week ago. Haven't seen 'em since."

Ah. Well, so much for a warm trail.

"Alright, thank you. I'll go take a look," I concluded the conversation with a nod of thanks.

"I heard them kobolds like to nest where it's warm!" the man called after me as I continued down the road. I had a feeling that information would not be particularly useful.

"Objective fulfilled: Gather information for a quest."

"The guards earlier didn't count, I guess. Also, where's Zeta?"

Penta, of course, didn't reply.

I decided to link up with Rockford, who remained hidden in the brush, to expedite the journey down the road. As I approached, the stony beast remained as still as a...well, statue, which made it almost impossible to notice him until I was only a foot away.

"That's never going to not be unnerving," I said to no one in particular, getting back onto the rocky feline's back.

It wasn't long before we were close to my estimation of where the man meant. Of course, nothing was there to indicate anything, let alone of the kobolds.

"Damn it. This is...tough without at least something to go on." Where was a quest marker when I needed one?

I paused, looking back and forth as I weighed something in my mind.

"Rockford. Find the kobolds!" I shouted, throwing a hand out like I was the commander of a mighty army and this was my decree.

Nothing happened. Rockford returned to his statue-esque nature.

"...I don't know what I was expec-"

Before I could fully bemoan my failed attempt, my stony companion took off like a rocket into the wilderness. I struggled to keep my balance, forcing myself forward so I could wrap my arms around his neck.

"Holy shit, it worked?!" I screamed, barely able to hear myself as the air whipped around us. Each shift in direction threatened to throw me from my mount, but I refused to call him off. There was no other way to find those kobolds within a reasonable amount of time, and I was getting hungry, damn it!

Just as I began to wonder how far out we'd go, and if we'd be able to find our way back, Rockford immediately came to a stop, and the sudden halt in momentum threw me instantly from his back.

"OH SHIT!" I cried, soaring several feet over the ground before finally hitting the dirt. I rolled, and rolled, as the momentum slowly began to peter out. Thankfully, nothing had been directly ahead of us, otherwise I'd be very much dead.

As I came to a stop, I waited a moment, took a breath, and jumped to my feet.

"'By the gods,' Rockford, you asshole, are you still trying to kill me after all?!" I roared, pointing an accusatory finger at my so-called companion. He did not move a non-existent muscle, nor offered a single word of apology. The bastard.

It was only then that I realized he had actually fulfilled my aforementioned request, after all - and, thus, we were not alone.

A gathering of small, vaguely reptilian creatures stood to the side, having watched the exchange in silence. Each wielded a wide assortment of weapons, some appropriately sized, others obviously not. But as my notice earned their attention, they began to stir from their amazement and take up their arms.

"Oh shit, you actually found them!" I said, putting my hand to my whip.

"Inquiry:"

The voice rang out in my mind, just as Penta and Zeta's declarations usually did, but the voice was completely different - noticeably male - from either.

"What would be your course of action, if you were forced to confront a goat in hand-to-hand combat?"

"HUH?!"