I Stand Undefeated

Xing Kah faced off with Xing Lei, the larger lizardman looked down on the latter in contempt while Lei was dividing his attention between his son and his mother who was sneaking around in her shadow meld form. While this variant ability made keeping a lock on her challenging the aggression that bled through for him was easily felt. His head tilted slowly as his eye observed her path, glancing at the general he smiled, "So will it be you two together or is she just biding her time?"

Kah frowned looking around, he could see nothing but him and his supposed 'father'. Grimacing he looked to where Xing Lei currently glanced and frowned, "This battle is mine mother, I need no help to cleanse the shame of this coward from our pasts."

Kesellex shifted into view, an ink blot on reality as her body formed behind Xing Lei, a pair of wickedly dark blades clenched in her fists, "Son... general... you know nothing of this foe. Together we will beat him."

Kah shook his head, "Such a victory would be hollow, it would appease our family perhaps but we would still wonder if alone could we beat such."

Xing Lei chuckled and glanced at the pair, "Simply put you cannot. It is no insult to either son nor mother of your prowess, it is simply a fact of what is. General Kah if you will, lift that cleaver of yours and strike me with your power, fully, unreserved. I swear I'll not block nor step from this spot."

Kesellex frowned, "This is one of your tricks isn't it Dull Scale..."

Xing Lei shook his head, "No trick, you, our son and Destorianaxe all need to see the path I walk to understand this entire charade has been for naught. You know what I taught you and Fleet Spear years ago, you know the early accomplishment strength. I am a single step from grand completion. The difference between my body and both of yours is like the difference between a chicken and a knight. Peck me, I will not bleed. But I need only stretch forth my hand to break your necks."

Kesellex frowned darkly glancing from Xing Lei to Kah, she could see her former lovers words enraging her son, was this his plan? To have Kah strike without thought and take advantage of the wild blow? Nervous she growled at herself, it had been years since she doubted herself like this, not since she too wore the body of a weak kobold.

General Kah snarled and brought the great cleaver over head, his eyes narrowing on this supposed father, could he really strike like this? Despite his words, part of him wanted to know Xing Lei, but if he struck him down... could his heart and mind really steel and brush aside that he had slain the one who helped create his life? The war of hatred yet familiar relation crossed his face when Xing Lei looked up, "Everything will be fine son, if Leaf told you nothing else about me it should be that life and death are gripped firmly in my hands, if I wasn't sure, you would not still be standing poised to strike."

Gritting his teeth Kah swung down that large cleaver slicing through the air dropping like a boulder, as Kah struck so too did Kesellex, darting at Xing Lei's back her twin blades slashed across the base of his spine as the cleaver slammed hard into the kobold's shoulder. Even Destorianaxe sprung forward when she realized that crazy Dull Scale really had no intention to dodge, no matter how fast the dragoness was she was powerless to watch as cleaver and blades struck Xing Lei...

... and stopped.

Kah blinked looking down on his father, of all the early tales he had been told, Dull Scale was a god made flesh. He challenged death and walked away with a smile. He charged impossible foes and returned with their heads as trophies. General Kah slumped to his knees before the still standing kobold who simply rolled his shoulder, the screech of metal against scales sounded out as the cleaver rolled off his barely blemished shoulder and fell to the side forgotten. Kesellex continued her assault, tears and frustration rimmed her eyes as her knives drew sparks against his lower back, even slashing at his thin tail brought not but the sharp scrape of metal that could find no purchase.

The arena was silent, no more cheers, no shouts and calls of joy, just a crying female and the loud screech of her daggers unable to severe the life of the one who left her behind.

Destorianaxe swallowed softly, she once did the same as Xing Lei, to prove to Kah that for all his strength, for the body tempering Kesellex had graced him, he could not wound their Mistress. Like Xing Lei, her scales resisted the blow. But unlike him she had been staggered by the strike, it had not wounded her, but her pride as a Dragon took a blow that she had been moved by the blow of Xing Lei's son. Her pride took another hit now as he still stood there, unmoving and unconcerned. His focus on his son paying the distraught spymaster slashing at his back not a wit of concern, as if his small shoulders could shoulder all of existence.

And beyond the ineffective screech of Kesellex's daggers, no one else made so much as a peep. They merely stared in awe as this rumored hero turned in place looking into the crowd and smirked, "Is it not time you three stopped skulking about? If Kesellex cannot hide from my senses in her shadow plane, your little troop are a walking beacon of light, so stop embarrassing yourselves."

The quiet crowd murmured and looked around, even Destorianaxe narrowed her eyes and peered around. Kah reclaimed his cleaver and shook off the mental trauma he had just endured, moving beside his distraught mother.

Silence choked the stadium when the sound of clapping sounded off to the side. Heads turned and a trio of Lizardfolk appeared. Unlike the ones in the arena stands these three were adorned in clean cut leather armor and had scales of rich crimson. The three stood arrogantly exposed before the host of Blackscale lizardfolk, nor caring one wit that they had been discovered, the foremost one was the one clapping. "Kobolicus, your reputation both proceeds you and severely does you no justice."

Xing Lei folded his arms over his chest, "Seems you know me but yet you don't introduce yourself? Poor manners from a visitor."

The lead redscale chuckled, "Indeed however it is visitors who fail to introduce themselves that is rude, we are no guests. Assassins need not introduce themselves to their victims."

Xing Lei laughed, "Too true, then best make your mo-" As he spoke Xing Lei suddenly vanished from where he stood, rolling to the side as that leader snarled a word and a spear of flame crossed the arena to tear through the brief afterimage he had left in his mad dodge. Xing Lei however didn't stop moving with that single dodge, as the lead finished his spell, his companions cast theirs forcing him to keep moving, dodging back and forth as elemental and mystical missiles reached out for him. Destorianaxe was busy keeping her troops from rushing the stage, so casual were this trio's actions she could smell a trap, instead she ordered them to disperse and protect the perimeter, Kobolicus would handle the assassins.

Xing Lei was slowly making his way closer to the trio much to their frustration, though the leader who spoke first seemed quite unmoved by the kobolds advance, instead he was busy chanting a lengthy incantation as if he had all the time in the world. The two behind him were cursing and slinging spells with greater impunity, fire, ice, lightning, acid. All manner of mystical elements lanced out, just missing their target. As Xing Lei was about to leap at the group he suddenly darted to the side, this move saved his life as the back pedalling casters realized their mistake.

The lead redscale finished his spell tossing a glittering dagger into the air, as it hovered there the blade started separating forming more and more blades that whirred around his person, his two fellows stepping back to maintain their distance had a brief look of shock and dread on their faces as the whirring bladestorm consumed them, the two lizards had not even the time to scream before a flood of blood and gore splashed on the arena floor, the blades leaving nothing but a red mist of the pair.

Glancing back the leader shook his head muttering, "Idiots."

Xing Lei placed outside the whirling barrier of blades, he had stretched a hand forward tentatively and was awarded with a shorn off chunk off the finger tip, a quick healing spell had fixed the damage but it was clear unlike his son's blade or Kesellex's enchanted daggers these blades had a higher effectiveness than either, walking through would have the same result as the first two. Sometimes he really hated magic.

The redscale frowned, for the time being he was safe but already the plan had been fed to the dogs. They were to slip in and murder the highest ranked amongst the black army, but thus far, even the wretched kobold still lived and stalked out side his cage. He could try for the general or the spymaster but with his cover blown either Kobolicus or the great dragon would have him in an eye blink. Worse still, the second part required them to multi cast a strong destructive spell at the heart of the black army which would trigger their army to invade, yet his helpers were so much paint on the tiles. He sighed.

The Master would not be pleased. Glancing around his head suddenly turned to focus on the kobold stalking outside the barrier, Kobolucus had proven to be a very high importance target after what he had witnessed but even now he was trying to find a way through the whirling blades, what struck him as odd was the fast little monster was now pointing a hand crossbow his way, for some reason a cold sweat trickled down the back of his scaled neck. Logic demanded that any missile entering the field would be shorn like flesh, yet Kobolucus was lining up a shot like he could see which way the blades were flying.

Pulling the trigger the quarrel leapt forward yet didn't splinter the moment it entered the barrier, the redscale eyes popped wide as the tip still managed to reach him, by that point it had indeed been shredded, but that fact even the tip had smacked against his chest shocked the mage assassin, what Kobolicus had just done defied every rule of magic he knew. Lifting his head he almost wept, gone was the fired crossbow and now the kobold stood arms akimbo, two loaded hand crossbows training on him. Cursing he started a shield spell, feeling the magic shimmer over his body just as Kobolicus fired.

This time the mage almost puked blood. Someway, somehow an intact quarrel shattered against his shield spell, worse still the quarrel had shattered on his forehead ridges, without the additional spell the devilish kobold would have turned him into a draconic unicorn. Breathing out a relieved sigh he looked over again and this time vomited out some blood. Kobolicus had two more loaded crossbows armed and aiming, swearing viciously the mage pulled a small rod from his sleeve, he was about to break it when his arm was thrown back, a crossbow quarrel embedded in his shoulder.

Biting back the pain he snapped the thin rod activating its magic and vanishing in a cloud of glittering notes of light, his eyes filled with hatred as his translucent body faded away, "I shall return Kobolicus." He hissed through his clenched teeth and held his wounded arm.

Xing Lei chuckled, "I hope do, bring your Master too."

The redscale blinked, the thought of someone fighting the Master had always been a silly notion but looking at the fading visage of Kobolicus he felt a twinge of fear when he pictured both the kobold and his Master meeting, as he finally teleported away he found himself starting to dread this assignment.