The Immortal Kobold

The rough passage slowly twisted, unlike the ruins above the walls of the passage were not worked stone but rather rough uneven rock, the way back behind Xing Lei was not a closed door but rather more of the uneven rock, it would seem he would not be leaving the way he entered. With only one way to advance he crept along the passage, his senses alert not only for other life but traps as well, if this region were like the separated spaces of his old world it would not be unexpected that the entry be where traps and formations were plentiful.

Still as he felt the path begin to slope downward he encountered nothing but the oppressive stillness, the soft step of his own feet and the slow breaths he took. This passage was much like the grassland, empty and maddening in the simple absence of what should be there. Yet forward he continued, every nerve taut as his body was ready for guardian or trap, yet that readiness was like an unloaded bow, it frayed upon the string as there was nothing to release the tension. Just an endless, spiralling passage.

Xing Lei started touching the walls, his claws scraping against the rock to leave a mark upon its surface. He had been wondering about the seeming endlessness of the descent. Was it truly this long, or was he trapped in an illusion formation? Speeding up a bit he hurried along and smiled when the passage finally ended at the entrance of a larger cavern, much like the passage this room was rough, unworked stone, yet unlike the passage Xing Lei was no longer alone. Casually leaning against a wall was an odd looking human dressed in what looked to be flamboyant silk robes. Seeing Xing Lei enter a relieved smile flashed across the man's face, "Ah at last a trial taker has come."

Pushing off the wall the man walked towards the wart Xing Lei and glanced down, "Aren't you a little short for this kind of thing?"

Xing Lei smirked looking the man up and down, "Aren't you a little lost silk pants?"

The man's face looked a touch surprised by the flippant response then gave a hardy chuckle, "Oh indeed far from what I'd prefer but here we both be, so challenger ready for the first trial?"

Xing Lei held a hand up to stop the man from continuing his spiel, "What trial? And who exactly are you?"

Laughing the man stepped back and bowed deeply, "Ah my manners, do forgive, it's been some time since the last trial taker has been here. You may call me Hazim Al-Duress, Hazim if you please. As for the trial, long ago the lord of this land bound me to this realm and setup a trial to test his most faithful followers. Those that succeed are rewarded vastly, those that fail... well... let's just say it's better if you don't."

"The trials themselves are thrice conflicting, to test your mettle, mind and heart. Only the strongest, smartest and most loyal and steadfast were deemed to go on to be the right hand of my Master. I am your guide, your judge and hopefully not also your executioner. I shall guide you to each challenge, and at the end grant you boons based on your trial. Now shall we proceed?"

Xing Lei, "Greetings Hazim Al-Duress, you can call me Xing Lei, but before we begin you should know you have no lord anymore, this trial space is now behind a ruin."

Hazim shrugged as if this news barely concerned him, "I figured such, it's been close to five centuries since my Master sent his last advisor to me, humans do not live so long. Still rather than being bound to my Master I am bound to my task, so while the reward of becoming the right hand of Emporer Gunzare, lord of the twelve lands and twenty tribes, is now invalid. The trial itself must continue, I will simply have to provide a reward of a different sort, if you finish. Now if we may begin?"

Xing Lei listened to the name of Hazim's master and shrugged, "Which test is first?"

Hazim clapped and the rough room faded out of existence, instead of a rough cavern, Xing Lei found himself and Hazim in a dusty chamber. Large stone bricks enclosed the space and dimly glowing Crystal's were affixed to the four walls. Standing in the center was a quartet of figures. Ancient in appearance these four were bound together with silvery chains, with the arrival of the two these four twitched a bit. The figure looking in their direction was shaped like a woman but her flesh was a deep crimson in color, two goat like horns curled up from her forehead, cloven of hoof and barely dressed in a garment that barely concealed a body that was sinful in its mere existence.

Hazim frowned slightly then inclined his head, "Your first challenge is of the mind. My Master bound to this trial four tricksters from the outer planes, their four riddles you must solve, lest they become a second trial of mettle. Szzelarena, Mistress of the Pits, it's not been long enough."

The demonic woman's eyes snapped open, onyx of both pupil and iris they stared at the pair as blood red lips lifted in a sneer of contempt, "Ah Hazim, you don't write, you don't visit, one would think you loathe our company. Is this the latest prodigal of our esteemed Master? Isn't he a touch on the short side? And why is he covered in scales? No, I refuse. Off with you lizard, your kind is naught whom my words are for."

Xing Lei stepped around Hazim to stand before the demon, "Even if the trial is now defunct i am still considered a trial taker, you are bound to stump me so ask your question."

Sighing she frowned shifting her dark gaze from Xing Lei to Hazim, "Fine, listen close mortal."

... In the great year of our lord Gunzare I was travelling to his great capital, on the road I met a man who boasted of having seven wives, each wife had seven daughters, each daughter was attended to by seven ladies in wait, each in turn had claimed to have presented our lord a pair of golden bulls. Of bulls, ladies, maids, wives and beings, how many travelled to our lords great capital? ...

Xing Lei chuckled pretending to think a bit before saying, "If this is your riddle I'm surprised there's a risk of failure. Only yourself was going to the capital."

Frowning Szzelarena shrugged, "Your answer is correct." As her voice sounded the quartet swiveled shifting the demonic woman to the right to present a different figure. This one was only vaguely humanoid, tall, almost seven feet in height, this creature was oddly rail thin, wearing a lavish robe. Atop its shoulders sat a grotesque visage of an octopus, purplish blue in coloring with a pair of milky white eyes that stared at Hazim and Lei with utmost hatred. The tentacles that covered its lower face wriggled in agitation as a voice like nails on a chalkboard resounded in Xing Lei's mind...

'RELEASE US HAZIM! OUR COLLECTIVE WILL HARVEST THIS WORLD FOR YOUR AFFRONT'

Hazim coughed, "Master caught this one on the astral plane, it seems to come from a race that uses its mind to speak. Powerful spell casters too. Qstle your question for the trial taker?"

The alien figure narrowed its eyes on the kobold, drool slipping from a mouth hidden in the mass of tentacles, 'THERE ARE FOUR SIBLINGS IN THIS REALM, ALL BORN AT THE SAME INSTANCE. THE FIRST RUNS BUT NEVER TIRES. THE SECOND EATS BUT IS NEVER SATED. THE THIRDS DRINKS AND THIRSTS FOR MORE. THE LAST SINGS ETERNALLY. WHAT ARE THESE SIBLINGS FOUR?'

Xing Lei thought a moment, looking into that grotesque face, the drool slithered down its tentacles eagerly waiting for this morsel to be denied the answer. Those tentacles practically twisted themselves in knots as the thing's hunger grew steadily.

Yet, it was to be denied.

"The siblings you speak of are the elements. Water, fire, earth and air in turn." Stated Xing Lei firmly.

'NOOOO! PLEASE HAZIM, GIVE US THIS ONE! A MISERABLE LITTLE KOBOLD, WHY WOULD THE MASTER OBJECT, LET US FEED UPON ITS MINOR MIND!'

Still it would be denied, its begging shourpts cut off as the figures again rotated turning aside the alien monstrosity to reveal a beautiful young maiden in a plain white dress. Skin like ivory and hair like spun gold, she stood elegantly in her silver chains. A dim radiance seemed to bleed from her very presence but most disturbing was the pair of scabbed over stumps behind her shoulders. She looked sadly at the pair before opening her mouth, "What am I?"

Xing Lei was about to speak when he caught himself, glancing between the angelic woman and Hazim he had nearly fell into the rhythm the first two had set, only in this case neither Hazim nor the woman conversed, rather she had asked a simple question, to which he almost answered without thinking. Narrowing his eyes he whispered softly, "You are a question."

Bowing her head hiding her face behind her long hair, tears streamed from her eyes. The answer was correct, again she'd be denied freedom and a chance to slay one of the masters loathsome toadies. The quartet spun to the final figure, a vaguely humanoid creature that seemed to lack feature or true form, as Xing Lei watched the body shrunk and became a duplicate of himself. The chained Xing Lei looked at his free counterpart and spoke, "You saw me wence I never was and wence I could not be, yet within that very place mine eyes did look back into thine and my face was seen by thee. What am I?"

Xing Lei frowned, "You are my reflection."

Giggling madly the chained kobold vanished, the three others similarly dissipated like so much smoke, in their place stood an iron bound door that stood free of any walls. The dark wood was badly scratched and pitted with Mark's as if some wild beast had launched itself at the surface. Glancing to Hazim Xing Lei motioned to the door, "The trial of mettle?"

Hazim nodded briskly sweeping his hand towards the portal, "To allay your concerns this does not take you to the trial, rather it is the trial itself."

Stepping close to the door running his fingers over the marks he could see where prior trial takers had attacked it. Claw or blade, hammer or axe, all sorts of damage was inflicted to the surface but none looked like they had penetrated the wood. Just running his fingers over the door he could feel the sturdiness, it brought make memories of materials he used late in his last life, practically invincible under the heavens, to be struck down by mortal blade would be laughable, even leaving a mark that would not wipe away would be hoping for far too much.

Slowly he circled around the free standing door, inspecting both front and back, the rear face bore no damage making Xing Lei curious. Reaching out he grabbed the door handle and turned it, with a click. Pushing forward the door swung in but rather than revealing Hazim on the other side it opened into a rather well lit hall, fires crackled in small braziers hanging from chains connected to pillars that stretched high to the ceiling, a plush red carpet stretched forth from the door, what most drew Xing Lei's eyes were the small mountains of treasures that framed this carpeted walk way, the fire light reflected off these mounds of precious metals and jewels, off the various glimmering trinkets and weapons the jutted from the mounds of coins and stones.

Hazim appeared by his side and whispered softly, "In my six hundred years of serving my Master you are the second to reach the final trial, countless others failed to realize that one does not need brute strength to run a nation, you need a powerful mind to circ.u.mvent the problem of a hard obstacle that cannot be brought low by mere weapons or muscle. To simply walk around the door and open it from the 'inside'."