Chapter 15

"No! No! No! He's eating the goblins again! Please stop the Dragon from eating our money!" said the blue lizardman.

Swallow. "My name is John not the Dragon." replied John after he swallowed another goblin limb.

It had been easy to gather a party of blue lizardmen. He had just walked over to the rock betting stall announcing his intention to subjugate goblins got some fast cash and food.

John smelled more tasty goblins deeper in the cave. The blue lizardman called Levicorpus had been gathering right goblin feet in a sack for proof of the goblins killed by the party. Levicorpus was also collecting parts of goblins to be sold later in the restaurants.

Meanwhile John had been collecting random rocks that looked interesting. He had also collected all the black bipyramid and green opaque crystals that the goblins had been mining as well as the red sand in their pouches. John stored these in one of the rings that had fused in his tail. John wasn't certain but he felt alien presences coming from the rings when he first wore them before the rings fused.

After collecting quite a haul the party left the caves to return to the Inn and collect payment. While heading there John spontaneously morphed in a flash to his bipedal form. Shrinking from ten meters long in size to just over two meters tall. Now his scales were even denser though looked much softer.

Surprised the Levicorpus jumped away into Mortimer and Salivus. The other lizardmen crouched in defense after swiftly recovering. "Who are you?!" asked Levicorpus after unsheathing his daggers. Mortimer and Salivus unsheathed their daggers as well. Claws and fangs were fine against goblins but cold hard bronze was needed for real defense.

"I'm John. I was getting hungry again so I just changed size to something smaller. I won't be as hungry this way." John explained. The others stared at him they had not known about this new trick.

Though considerably smaller John was still the largest in their party. They were also able to close ranks.

After several kilometers they confronted a war band of thirty something hobgoblins heading in the direction of the caves they just left. Armed with wooden scutum, pila and gladius the hobgoblins were a impressive sight. Their jingling belts and cleated sandals beat the road in marching unison.

"Halt! Move aside! Captain Raul comes through!" shouted the lead hobgoblin. The lizardmen scurried to the side of the road leaving John holding the blood dripping bag and blocking the road. To John they looked like bigger meatier goblins with horned helmets around his own height.

Captain Raul was reclining on a pallet carried by four legionnaires. He was massively rotund wearing blue wool homespun that stretched across his enormous frame. Over which he wore a mixture of bronze chain, scale and banded mail. His horned helmet blazed in the sun. Likewise his banner legion wore leather skirts with banded metal vests over red wool homespun and jingling belts. All wore the same red neck kerchief.

Captain Raul called out. "Delicious lizardman. Kill it we will eat well tonight."

John dropped the bag and imitated Stormshadu's fire stance with open hands instead of katanas.

From the dropped bag a goblin foot rolled out.

Time stopped.

Captain Raul fumed " Kill them all!"

The blue lizardmen ran at full speed into the surrounding woods as they knew it was suicidal to fight a trained war band with their numbers. Even if they outnumbered the hobgoblins ten to one they still would have run. They were merchants not adventurers and in it for some quick silver.

Eight soldiers detached from the retinue to chase down the three blue lizardmen. Leaving more than twenty facing John. Forming into ranks of five to a row they proceeded forward using their scutum and gladius to advance.

John struck three times from his fire stance using his claws of hands and feet in a flurry of blows. The wooden scutum exploded on the soldiers arms with John's claws severing their hands. While the first rank was injured the second rank moved forward stabbing their gladius to John's scales. The bronze blades sparked as they harmlessly were deflected off his skin.

While in their midst John unleashed a cloud of his poisonous mucus dragon breathe. It clung to all the hobgoblins homespun save Captain Raul and his attendants. Unleashing a draconic roar left the hobgoblins temporarily stunned. The weakening effects of the poison began to work before the mucus ignited. The flames lapped over the banner of soldiers while John continued to tear them limb from limb.

Recovering from his momentary shock Captain Raul war casted a devastating lightning spell. Coruscating blue bolts arched over Captain Raul's outstretched hands plowing into John scotching his flesh.