The Duel

Each day before the duel saw Xing Lei a very busy kobold, between his excursions into the forest he still had his duties as a hunter, then of course was Alustriea's spellcasting lessons. Each of the next four days saw him pushing himself to the limit to be prepared for whatever might happen. Life in the tribe did not change much around him, while the rest of the kobolds were discussing the outcome they too just went around their lives as normal since to them the leader position might change but they served the Mistress anyways so the ultimate goal didn't change whoever won.

Alustriea and Fleet were both looking more dazzling, both had stepped into the second rank of body tempering and were well onto their third rank, though to focus on his training he did teach them both how to make the rank three and four solutions so they could help in his herb search. Leaf Dancer was finally kicked out of his hut much to her disappointment, considering she was at one point ready to hop in one of the baths with Xing Lei, he deemed her fit enough to start her own tempering, so the other two females dragged her back to their shared bathing hut to keep an eye on the amorous huntress.

With peace restored Xing Lei could focus on his training, it still didn't make sense to him why the Great Shaman would dump Gruck and back him, as far as he knew the old crone was rather displeased with him. Did slaying Grull really tip the scales in his favor? Shaking his head he continued moving through his spear routine, a simple enough set of movements that were becoming more perfected with each completion. Most cultivators favored sword or saber, some even liked staff or maul, but he was of the select few that cherished the spear.

Exhaling a breath of foul air, Xing Lei slipped out of his hut and stood underneath the sun. Tomorrow was the duel, in all truth he should rest, let his body recover any fatigue it had gathered in this handful of rushed, hard training. Still something inside him was putting him on edge. Looking around the hunter camp he couldn't see anyone spying on him but his flesh was crawling, there were eyes on him.

Stretching, he felt his bones crackling in his joints. Between his advanced evolution level and his body tempering he could likely battle Gruck blindfolded, but that older kobold shouldn't be too easy, he had been wise enough to delay vengeance and as of yet had not retaliated in any way, but that was more the difference between kobolds and humans. The tribe was more closely knit than a family, while this battle for supremacy strained the relationships slightly it was still one faction with one goal, who was in front wasn't a general public opinion discussion, kobolds just lived simply.

Xing Lei shook his head and walked across the outer camp, slipping into a large hut. Fleet Spear was as usual soaking in her solution, while seeming asleep Lei knew otherwise. "How does your body feel?"

"Good Zing Lee, all the old poisons and wounds from prior hunts are gone, my body almost feels like a young bloods again. Is this what the body tempering of yours does? Returns our bodies to its strongest point and then improves on that?"

Xing Lei nodded before sitting on the edge of her cot, letting his eyes wander over the things she collected, her hut most reminded him of a humans home, full of small hunting trophies, strings of teeth or claws from the various predators she won over decorated much of the walls. "And more, body tempering is the foundation of cultivating."

Lifting her head a curious look in her eyes, "What do you mean cultivating?"

Xing Lei thought a moment before speaking, "Our bodies have natural channels for guiding powerful energy through our bodies, these are typically called meridians. By following a special flow through these channels you can reach amazing strength and perform things that one only thought gods could. It is a path to immortality, though it is a harsh and unforgiving road."

"So you intend to live forever Zing Lee? Why would you want such?"

Xing Lei blinked at the simple question, "Personally, I want to stand on the apex, to be able to protect family and friend from all danger, to see where my bloodline eventually reaches. For many cultivators just being powerful is enough but others, like myself, wish to be able to see the lives of our great great great grand descendants and be able to guide our bloodline into the distant future."

"Sounds silly but I'll help if I can, will you teach me to cultivate when the time comes?"

He smiled and nodded, "Sadly I can only teach you my own so I don't know how compatible with your body it will be. Body tempering is a generic all rounder cultivation, but once you start spirit cultivating it's better to have a personalized technique."

Fleet Spear shifted in the tub, this process was one of the more irritating ones, not due to the pain but rather the molting. She really would not have him witness her shedding a second body's worth of scales. "Any further movements from Gruck or the Great Shaman?"

Xing Lei rose sensing the discomfort coming from Fleet, "No, I'll go see if Alustriea has any news, I'll come back later." Slipping out he missed Fleet frowning, to say she had feelings for this young kobold was putting it mildly, yet he was always running off to that elf. Viciously ripping her shedding skin off her arms she stewed in her bath, not sure what to do to capture that Dull Scales heart.

Xing Lei himself was indeed aware of her feelings, the kiss they shared still sat heavily in his mind. All three appealed to him, if he were honest with himself. In his old life he had had two wives and a concubine, but this world seemed to work a bit differently, harem holders were frowned upon rather than looked at as powerful individuals. Maybe the kobold and goblin hierarchies had jaded his perception but on the other side was his former humanity, as appealing as Leaf Dancer and Fleet Spear both were, they still lacked features he formerly found physically attractive. As for Alustriea, she more was in line with what his old self found attractive but was a kobold and elf pairing even possible?

Shaking his head he chided himself, worrying about females and relationships on the eve of his fight against Gruck? Since when did he so lose focus? He should be training, looking for more ways to ensure nothing unexpected happened. Finding himself standing before Alustriea's hut he shook his head and knocked against the entry frame to announce his presence, "Alustriea, it's Xing Lei, may I enter?"

He could hear the elf shuffling about inside before calling out, "Come in Xing Lei."

Slipping inside he found the elf bundled up like some weird monk. Other than her robe she had also pulled a hide blanket over her head to hide herself. Tilting his head in curiosity Lei stepped closer, "You alright? Can't say I've ever seen anyone bundle up after body tempering. Did something happen?"

Alustriea shivered as he spoke, the hood shifted to look at him and it shook slowly, "I think I might not react to the solution too well."

Xing Lei cocked his head, "How so? Did something happen to your skin?"

Alustriea sighed and removed the hood, her pale ivory cheeks were a fierce red, though from Leis guess it was more to do with blushing than an irritation from the herbs. "You have to promise not to laugh."

Xing Lei was truly curious now, "Alright I swear I'll not laugh, so what happened?"

Sighing the elf shifted her robe a bit and looked expectantly at the kobold waiting for him to break his promise, Xing Lei however just blinked, "Uh Alustriea, what am I suppose to be seeing other than your robe?"

Her cheeks burned even hotter as she closed her eyes and lifted her hands to indicate her chest, for the first time Lei realized the robe was pushed out on top a lot further than normal. From his talks with her he had been suggested that she was actually well endowed for an elf, but now it looked like she had gone straight from crab apples to watermelons. Biting his lower jaw to keep himself from laughing he shook his head, alot of women in her original position would have loved this sort of growth spurt... but for an elf he guessed she felt she looked weird.

Coughing he shook his head, "I shouldnt make light of this issue but perhaps the solution figured your prior endowment was to be corrected, to be honest this is rather a first for me. Later on I can forge pills that should allow you to go back if you want, but honestly I dont see a problem."

Alustriea sniffled and looked his way, she almost looked like a sad puppy, making you want to stroke her hair and sooth her, "Really, you don't think I'm a fat freak?"

Xing Lei shrugged, "Other than your increased bust the rest of you is still your original shape right? So no worries if it's really problematic for you we can fix it up when my pill fire is stronger."

"Thanks Xing Lei." Still sniffling a bit she looked over, "So other than to see me panic, what brought you over? Is it time for the duel?"

Xing Lei shook his head, "Soon, just wanted to double check see if you had learned anything new."

Alustriea shook her head, her sharp, pointed ears drooped a bit, "Sadly I haven't, the shamans have been more open since we started discussing mystical theorycraft but word about your Great Shaman has been sparse, it's like she's not even in the tribe."

Xing Lei frowned at that, it struck him as odd that the old crone was first off, not backing Gruck. Now to learn she had vanished from the tribe? Just what was she doing? Nodding his thanks, he slipped out of the hut and walked deeper into the tribe proper. For the last few days he had avoided coming into the tribe main area as this was Grucks domain, but for all the busy work of the kobolds he saw no sign of Gruck. His visible perch was unoccupied, even his concubines weren't present.

Walking to the dueling platform before the absent throne, Xing Lei ascended the platform and knelt on his side. Slipping his spear off his back and laying it before him. The duel was hours away but yet here he was, ready, honed to a killing edge, but with his foes mysterious movements, something sat ill at ease in the pit of his stomache. As the time trickled forth a few kobolds took note of the lone figure waiting on the stained stage, so unlike Grull who usually postured and roared before a challenge, this one was quiet, serene.

The few became many, time marched on. Xing Lei could hear the others talking, he nodded briefly as he heard his friends arrive wondering where he had gotten to then gave startled cries seeing he had arrived much earlier. When the crowd hushed, his eyes opened to behold Gruck across the platform. The old chieftain was a wreck, his body was a withered hollow of the old fat kobold he had seen before, from the looks of him, Gruck had spent this entire time rutting in his harem. The older kobold looked exhausted, not one here to fight for his life.

Grucks bloodshot eyes narrowed on Xing Lei, as he pulled out a pair of serrated blades from his belt and crouched low, yet still Xing Lei remained kneeling. Watching the older kobold with disdain clear in his gaze. He had fretted about what his foes were doing... but Gruck had pissed away these days screwing his toys! For the first time Xing Lei was angry at Gruck. Planning, training, wasting valuable time reviewing tactics and possibilities, showing up early to build momentum.

And his foe shows up having rolled out of bed in five days.

Killing intent surged in Xing Lei's eyes, it washed off his steady frame in waves that even the three women felt. Alustriea and Fleet Spear cringed away from the stage, having known this young kobold for a bit they could not remember a single fight in which he had shown such blatant hostility. Leaf Dancer also found this side of Dull Scale scary but also attractive in it's own way, here was his true face, that savage instinct that she wished was directed in claiming her, she practically melted by the stage.

Gruck was oblivious to this pressure, a sneer of content curled upon his muzzle as he darted forward with all the speed of a wounded turtle. His steps shaky, his weapons held wide inviting a direct strike. Before anyone could blink Xing Lei vanished from where he knelt, his speed pushed to the max as his fist became intimate with Grucks nose, blood splattered across his rock like knuckles as Grucks head snapped back, his flimsy momentum halted with a single attack. Lei's fists were as if a blizzard swirled around Gruck, his firm strikes rocking the slovenly kobold where he stood, at the same time each strike after the next knocked Gruck back into another strike.

Most thought Xing Lei would use his spear, but none expected him to fore go the weapon to ignore Grucks daggers and just proceed to beat the old chieftain with his natural given weapons. As for Gruck, the visage of the old chieftain was no longer the same. Under the swift beating his face was beaten beyond recognition, blood flowed freely from his broken nostrils and split lower jaw. Sharp teeth flung freely from his maw to clatter against the stone platform as the younger kobold seemed to want to brutally beat him to death.

Xing Leis vision swam in redness, his arms swung tireless, again and again slamming his tempered fists into Grucks face and body, slapping away the feeble stabs of daggers that held no true grip. Rage billowed from him, killing intent erupted from his very scales as his fists fell like raindrops on his opponent, yet never striking fatally. He could have long finished this but a seductive whisper urged him on, to beat his foe into mush, to let the rage consume him, then claim his prize.

A snarl tore through Xing Lei as his fists slowed and he threw himself away from Gruck. His reddened eyes looked upon Fleet Spear, through the rage he saw the horror plastered on her face, the unrecognition that this victorious kobold was the one who moved her heart. His gaze found Alustriea, her own eyes swiftly turned away from his, the look of disgust firmly on her face. Was this the true nature of her saviour? Turning his red eyes upon Leaf Dancer, there was no disgust or worry in her eyes, her lust radiated from her gaze like his killing intent, she reveled in his brutality, it turned her switch on and if he demanded her on this stage his hazy mind knew she'd comply instantly.

Grabbing his head he screamed at the air, expelling this rage, drowning out the seductive whisper that urged him on, to finish Gruck, to rut the females, to become the new chieftain, all he had to do was surrender. On stage Dull Scale looked like he had lost his mind, Gruck had slumped to the platform, the savage beating had thrashed him within an inch of death but yet through his broken face the old kobold smiled, yet that smile froze as he watched Dull Scale scramble back to his spear, hoisting it up and looked to let fly Grucks way. The old chief shuddered realizing death had come and closed his eyes.

Xing Lei almost did it.

He almost flung his spear at Gruck, but at the last moment he pulled back and launched it higher, back up to the old ledge he and the keeper of the rookery had come out from. Xing Lei felt the rage, the anger, the blood lust flow from his body. Slumping to his knees he looked up at another kobold high above, the spear plunged into her robe, yet her scaled hands clapped slowly as if the spear in her breast was naught but a thorn.

The Great Shaman, no longer a crone, casually walked to the edge of the ledge, "Well fought my childe, not only beating your foe but keeping yourself as well."