The Battle

Fleet Spear staggered to the side of her tent and slumped down wrapping her tail around her shuddering body. Her head shook softly, denying the very thought of Leaf trying to turn her into a mindless sex toy. Xing Lei watched helplessly before moving over to squeeze her shoulder. "There's a way to find out, give her the chance to drug your water again. We catch the culprit in the act and confront them."

Looking up at Xing Lei she gave a helpless nod, "Hide over there, my routine has been pretty off with the drugging but ever since it was full blown I've been sneaking out to relieve myself." Her scaled cheeks turned that same ruddy hue that Leafs had, apparently even Fleet could be embarrassed by talking about her needs.

Replacing the water skin, Lei crouched down behind a pile of furs Fleet kept in her tent as the kobold herself rushed out looking every bit the needy one she appeared earlier. Xing Lei hadn't even taken a third breath when the tent flap opened and a small figure darted in heading directly for the waterskin, removing it from where it hung, the empty skin was replaced by one bulging with fluid. As the figure turned it jumped in surprise that not only was Fleet Spear standing in the doorway, but Xing Lei stood up from where he had crouched down. Turning to Fleet he shrugged softly, "Sorry Fleet Spear, I hoped the guess was wrong too but this proves it."

Fleet loomed sad at first then her eyes filled with rage, "Leaf Dancer, what is the explanation for this? Why are YOU of all beings, my clutch mate, trying to kill my mind?"

Leaf Dancer tried to initially smile and play it down, but hearing Fleets words her eyes hardened and the smaller female snarled, "Clutch mate? Mistress take you, you insufferable bitch! The first male that shows brains as well as muscle and he's like a fly on your shit. Dull Scale won't even look at me while you're here, so if Grull has you, Dull Scale will become MINE."

Fleet Spear looked sadly at Leaf Dancer shaking her head, "You'd kill a long time friend all to get mated?"

"Not just mated. Being his would have protection, you've been so caught up avoiding Grull and his father you don't see Whisperer using those poisons on every other female in camp. I was given a choice, you or me. The answer was obvious." Leaf Dancer frowned and shivered, "Whisperer was clear, either you submitted to Grull or I could wait and submit to him."

Fleet Spear sighed sadly looking to Leaf Dancer with a trace of pity. Given the options, she could understand why Leaf forsook their friendship. Grull and his father both preferred pliant submissive females, while Whisperer preferred to torment his partners. Chances were good that even had Zing Lee not cured her, Whisperer would still have poisoned Leaf, that's just the kind of scum that shaman was. Glancing to Xing Lei she gave a soft sigh, "What do we do?"

Xing Lei was watching the discourse between Fleet and Leaf and simply shrugged at her question. In truth they couldn't deal with Leaf right now, she was important for the scout group in the attack. Likewise smacking Whisperer and Grull at the eve of combat would likely mean a summary execution. "For now nothing, Fleet Spear you need to get your mind back in order for the battle. Leaf, leave Whisperer to me, I'll deal with him during the battle, for now go away and try to find some way to make amends to Fleet."

Leaf Dancer frowned but nodded walking between the two, glancing at Xing Lei, she rested a hand on his arm with a hopeful look in her eyes, "I really do like you Dull Scale, please try to think of me as well as Fleet, even if it's as a concubine I'd rather be your second than nothing..." Sighing the kobold slipped out into the camp, quickly disappearing into the throng that was getting ready to march out. Xing Lei reached put and squeezed Fleets shoulder. "Survive the battle, whatever comes later we'll see to."

Slipping out to prepare himself he did not go to the communal living hut, rather he slipped out of camp to a certain spot, a week ago he had dug out a hollow beneath an old stump to store the things he'd made for himself. The crude gear of the tribe would not do well in a real battle so Xing Lei had spent sometime to make his own preparations. Sliding out a bundle wrapped in hide he unwrapped a suit of hide armor and a well crafted spear. From the hole he also pulled out a pair of flint daggers, the most flimsy craft he had done, but until he could lay hands on actual ore to Smith proper tools he'd have to make due with hide and stone.

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Rockhide Boar armor

Rank: Bronze

Defense: 10

Specials: Improved defensive wear, will turn aside most wood or flint weapons.

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Novice Kobold Spear

Rank: Bronze

Attack: 6-12

Specials: Decently made spear made by one familiar with spears.

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Xing Lei was satisfied with the results, with the materials at hand they should beat what most others were going to battle with. The question was what were his goals for this battle? Fighting cause 'the bosses' say to, didn't inspire his fighting spirit. Rather he needed to challenge himself against thinking foes, animals were prone to easily exploited instincts, but a thinking warrior? That would boost his cultivation.

Moving along the outskirts of the war band Xing Lei took his assigned position, like most hunters he was to be a trail marker and problem solver should the group hazard across any beasts. Oddly enough he found his position to be a really advance scout, even further out than Leaf Dancer, likely this was Grull or Whisperers idea, they must have figured a lone kobold vs any goblin bands would likely end in Dull Scales poor unfortunate ending. Xing Lei however was happy, it gave him advance chance to test himself against their foes before the kobold war band swarmed in.

The group was expected to take two days to reach the goblin encampment, there were rumors of smaller raid groups wandering their territory so the advance scouts would have to either deal with these patrols or at least guide the kobold war band in round about routes. As expected it was into the second day when Xing Lei encountered his first goblin, the group looked to be a rather typical variant of the kobold hunting party. Two fighters with a ranged assist. The fighters looked a little imposing, mottled green skin with hideously ugly faces, pointed nose, beady red eyes, scraggly unwashed hair. Even at a distance any hunter could first smell these things. Both fighters carried rusty looking short blades while the ranged assist carried a bow.

Xing Lei crept closer, keeping low to the ground as he stalked this patrol and listened to them talk to each other, thankfully his varied voices ability let him understand not only draconic but also the language the goblins used. It seemed the patrols were on high alert, not because the kobolds were found but because another group had been raiding their claimed area, tall pink skins in strong armor with decent weapons had recently hit the lair, some were captured, others killed and apparently, eaten. Lei grimaced as the description could well mean humans had become food for these beasts, if a human war band was on the move this might mean additional trouble for his own tribe.

Wasting no more time Xing Lei strode out of the bushes towards the trio, smirking a little inside when the goblins froze and gaped, surprised to see a foe emerge from the bushes so close at hand. Lifting his spear, Lei lead his charge inwards with a simple thrust, putting the force of his body behind the blow and smiling in satisfaction when the slender, pointed tip tore through the throat of the goblin on the right, that same shocked look plastered on its ugly face forever more as the light of life fled its eyes. Its companion gave a small cry, though it was more beastial than of rage or revenge, it didn't even seem to care that its companion just lost its life, the scraggly goblin took the opportunity to slash out with its rusted blade.

Shifting his body Xing Lei twisted the spear lodged in the first goblins neck, the weapon and his strength being the only thing to keep the body upright. As he swung his weapon to intercept the slash of the blade, the dead goblin slid off the point and was thrown against the third which had been readying its bow, the notched arrow flying wide of Lei but scraping the temple of the second goblin, tearing several strands of greasy, stringy hair from the goblins scalp. The wounded monster gave a yelp of pain, losing its grip on the blade as it reached up to press against the gash in its scalp.

Xing Lei shook his head. These were the opponents the tribe had to move in numbers to deal with? With his first routine, one goblin was dead, another injured and the third was tangled up in the corpse of the first. How did this require a few score warriors? Sighing he swung his spear butt low, hooking the goblin who had dropped his weapon through the ankles and heaved, leveraging the snarling monster from its feet to crash onto it's back, twirling his spear around in his hands he brought the point down sharply, driving it into the goblins chest. While he'd never seen such creatures before he figured for most humanoid beings the heart would be in the chest.

The goblin shuddered and lay still, as the third finally pushed off it's dead compatriot and noticed it now stood alone against the kobold. The fact it's two buddies were already dead didnt seem to faze the spindly armed creature, rather tugging an obsidian dagger from a loop at its waist, the thing lunged forward savagely. Xing Lei rolled his eyes as he swept the end of the spear down, smacking the goblin to the ground. Shifting his position, Lei kicked out at the things wrist and heard the snap as the goblins wrist broke. With a wail the dagger fell free of its useless fingers, yet like a maddened badger, the goblin lunged at his ankles trying to bite him.

"So they're beserkers..." Xing Lei muttered to himself, bringing the spear back down across the goblins skull, then slit it under the things chin to toss it further back. Reversing the spear with a deft motion, he lunged forward driving his spear into the belly of the foe. It snarled, swinging wildly at Xing Lei with his fingers, the jagged nails swinging harmlessly through the air before the body finally bleed out and slumped to the side.

He frowned at the smell the bodies gave off. While unwashed as they were, they did not smell pleasant when alive, but dead? With the blood exposed to the air that foul odor took on new meaning. No matter how he wiped the end of his spear against the earth or their ratty loin cloths, the bloods smell adhered to his spear like a foul taint. No wonder Fleet Spear had warned him against getting any on himself, the foul substance would take dedicated effort to remove, if it came off at all.

Shaking his head Xing Lei turned to investigate the goblins, were it not too risky to get covered in their blood he would have taken the time to slice one open to see if its vitals were more or less similar to a humans, but for now he wanted to check their belongings. Kobolds didn't seem to have much in the way of individual property, families shared a single hut yes and had family owned goods, but individual property? Mostly such applied to weapons and armor. Goblins seemed to have some sense of personal ownership, as each had a rough cloth pouch, sadly their contents were less than desirable. Some smooth stones, rotten maggoty meat, various miscellaneous things, nothing one could consider worthy spoils which made him all the more suspicious about this war.

Frowning, Xing Lei pulled his spear out of the soil, trying to ignore the stench on the point he raced off into the underbrush, he needed answers and he meant to get them.