The Immortal Kobold

While the two ladies composed themselves, Xing Lei rubbed his ring. For the time being he'd have to be careful waving around such a thing, he doubted the world had ever seen such an object but it would certainly make getting these piles of shiney junk back to Turk easier. Turning to Szzelarena and the angelic woman he nodded politely, "So since you both didn't help the monsters in their hunger I suppose you need something of me?"

Szzelarena purred practically sauntering over to his side as she smiled down at his short stature. Released from the chains she now towered over the mortal, yet reached out to cling to his arm like some blushing maiden. Her black eyes were half shut as she gave a sultry m.o.a.n and rubbed her curves against his scaly arm, "Well we wanted to see who got to rip the balls off Hazim first, but then you, our lovely little saviour dealt with him yourself, don't you feel that you owe me some compensation for centuries bound beneath that loathsome infernal?"

"Unhand him you vile harlot, his good deed shalt not be tainted by your lecherous and licentious behaviour!" the angelic woman chimed in her finger pointing at the demoness who swiveled from Xing Lei giving him a rather glorious eye full of her dark full bottom before her tail slapped his shoulder, those dark eyes blazed as she advanced on the angelic woman ready to lay into her.

"Don't understand half those words you prissy frigid nun but can't you see he's the kind of mortal that favors my side. Well my backside at any rate..." Szzelarena had started off strong then drifted off on the last bit having felt Xing Lei's eyes roaming her bottom.

"HA! It is only your sinful displayed flesh mesmerizing such a heroic soul from staying true to the proper and pious path of righteousness, so if you don't want him staring at your fat a.s.s put on some hell's be damned clothes already!!!"

Szzelarena glanced down at herself and gave an impish giggle, "Oh! Right!" Smiling slightly she ran her hands down her curves, where her touch passed a slinky ebony dress unfurled adhering to her skin even closer than cloth should, in truth to Xing Lei it looked more like the demoness had painted her body with black paint rather than covering it up. Looking at the two he shook his head, for planar beings these two acted like sisters.

"That's because we are!" the pair chimed in together looking at the kobold. Szzelarena coughed, "And yes we can read your mind, surface thoughts are easy, but to explain we are positive and negative, the laws of the universe demand a balance, so when a demon is born..."

"A celestial ascends to their angelic raiment to match the march of evil." Finished the blonde celestial.

"Anyways, hearing your second wish we need to know just what have you wished for?" Szzelarena asked staring at Xing Lei.

Standing up and brushing himself off he shrugged, "I'm a reincarnated soul, I wished this boring mundane mortal realm was closer to the world I originally lived in."

Both demoness and angel gaped at the kobold then looked to each other, in unison they began chanting, complex circles of magic appearing beneath the demoness' hooves while a brilliant light ruptured the air above the angel, Szzelarena winked at Xing Lei, "Corrupt you later cutie, need to see just what level of chaos you've wished for."

Both planar entities vanished leaving Xing Lei alone in the treasure vault. With a shrug he began willing the treasure into his handy little tool, but it still took him hours to load it up, he was rather amazed one lone mortal even with a genie's wish could keep hold of so much material wealth. Shaking his head at the absurd degree of hoarding that silly Emporer had done he next searched for an exit, which he hoped was still standing. While that infernal could move around easily, a mortal had issues with collapsed tunnels and ceilings. It took him awhile to find the proper main exit and climb through collapsed areas into the crumbling keeps main floor.

When he arrived, the panther folk camp was in chaos. Large horse like beasts were marauding through the gathered tents sending the panther folk scurrying. Still, being the masters of the plains that they were, Xing Lei had to admit they were putting up a decent defense. Glancing around, he took time to rob the riders of their goods, much to the surprise of a pair of hiding slaves who had sought refuge in the warehouse. To have the security of goods stacked around you then standing in an empty room with a grinning kobold? The two screamed and ran outside.

Xing Lei himself slipped away in the chaotic melee, watching as mortals started adapting to fighting monstrous beasts, sure these things only seemed to be rank one, but likely only the rumored dire beasts were on the level of monstrous beasts. Smiling to himself, he slipped back into the tall grass, enjoying the sounds of battle behind him and wondering if the orcs would encounter anything special. The return trip took him a little longer, mostly due to now encountering roaming monstrous beasts every so often, at rank one these beasts were still not a big enough challenge for him but it did allow him to gather some of their blood and organs, while the natives of this world would have no clue of the value in beast bodies, he could take full advantage to raise his tempering again.

When the orc fort came back into view, Xing Lei was not disappointed, from the looks of things a flock of monstrous crows wanted to roost on the orc fort. The brutish green skins were fighting back but it seemed to be almost one sided as the crows, which were now the size of large dogs, swept down through the gangs of orcs reaping lives with their sharp feathered wings. Xing Lei sauntered in, paying the chaotic battle around him little head, the one crow that hed swept down hoping to pick up the smaller kobold had instead found a spear thrust into its b.r.e.a.s.t, looking over the feathers Xing Lei simply dug out a small core before heading inside to seek out Turk.

Orcs brushed past not minding him in the slightest, the thick warriors were more preoccupied with dealing with feathered monsters than a roaming kobold. Xing Lei found a tired looking Turk in his meeting hall, one of his arms and the opposite leg was bound tightly yet fresh blood stained the wrap, he was ordering more of his gang to secure the roof when he noticed Xing Lei walk right in and plop his scaled but in Turks seat.

The orcs one eye narrowed dangerously, "I take it the deals off and this was your doing?"

The other orcs in the room turned on Xing Lei who shrugged helplessly, "Actually I have what you want, but if you're so quick to cast me away I guess I can just keep it and arrange a nice burial for your fort."

Turk looked around and snorted, "Where? Let me guess you hid it until you confirmed your friends safety right? Yo, Brok, go fetch the kobold. Duresh, send word to the dwarves tavern, my partner here will want to see the elf too."

Xing Lei didnt bother to correct Turk, simply sitting back and putting up his feet, "I also see you're having troubles with the Steel Feather Crows, if you want advice I can tell you a simple way to get rid of your pest problem."

Turk narrowed his eye again, looking at the leisurely reclining kobold, "Alright, I'll bite what will it cost me?"

Xing Lei smiled and held up a hand with his fingers out. "Four mounts and feed for them for a week, once this exchange is over I'm taking me and mine away."

As Turk was thinking over Xing Lei's request a dark scaled kobold to kobold missile leaped through the door, bounded off the table, pushed aside the two orcs flanking Turk and crashed into Xing Lei's c.h.e.s.t, bowling him over and ruining the calm relaxed poise he had cultivated to deal with Turk. Fleet Spear paid little mind to any of that as she curled against her mate, over joyed to be back with him. Lei was only starting to see the world normally again when the heavy stomp of booted feet heralded a second missile, this one a weeping elf lass, her once long wheat colored hair cut almost page boy short, crashing atop him and Fleet Spear in a tangle of limbs.

Ottar looked at Turk, the orc looked back than both looked at the trio and roared, "Get a room you three!!!"

Some time after Xing Lei was extracted from the vice like embraces of his mate and his charge, he once again stood before Turk, "Since you fulfilled your end, here's mine." Holding his hand over the planning table he looked into the ring and began emptying it of the coins. A metal rain cascaded down over the table swiftly rolling off and piling up almost ankle deep. Ottar and Turks boys backed off as the coins started to drown the poor table under their weight. Turk could barely suppress the urge to dive at the pile, his sole eye was lit up with a golden glitter, 'Murderous crows in the belfry? Bah, with this wealth he'd hire a team of rangers to shoot and pluck the things! And it just kept coming. Soon the others retreated fully from the room as coins covered the floor supporting Turk and Xing Lei on a shining sea of gold and silver coins.

Closing his hand and looking to Turk, "Complaints?"

Turk shook his head running his thick fingers through the floor of shifting coins, barely registering Xing Leis presence as he tried to visually count the small mountain in the center of the room that stretched up high to the rafters. "Oh...yeah... ye said something about dealing with the crows?"

Xing Lei strode towards the door where Turk's boys had shoved a crate against the entrance to keep the coins from escaping the room, "Look for some tall grass with a rich ebony root, remove the grass and grind up the root, burn the result some place high, or where ever the birds are trying to nest, the smell will drive them away."

Nodding absently, the orc boss ran his fingers through the coins letting them fall through his thick fingers, "The mounts are yers, get outta my fort."

Taking Fleet Spear's hand and nodding to Al.u.s.triea he guided the pair towards the exit, smiling towards the dwarf he inclined his head, "Want to come with, kobold friend Ottar?" The cheeky grin on Xing Lei's muzzle riled the dwarf and he almost agreed before shaking his shaggy head, "Me place is here ye cousin to a crocodile, don't think I don't know what ye just did. Turks boys will flap their lips and half the fort will be fighting over that show o' coin you put off. If me luck is good, perhaps I can finally reclaim the post and not just a tavern, be a glad day indeed if the green skins done killed themselves off."

Xing Lei shrugged and flipped his hand a heavy pouch proofed into existence that startled the three around him. Feeling the weight he tossed it to Ottar who caught it and blinked, there was some definite heft to the bag. "Don't open it here just in case, just an investment that you leave your door open to us if we need it, I'm not sure if we'll be back the same way but if we are we hope to be welcome, thrown axes and all."

The dwarf snorted and laughed, cautiously tucking the 'investment' under his beard. "Bah yer not a kobold, yer a damn two legged dragon. But seein' as yer Al.u.s.triea's friends, I'll keep a seat by the hearth open fer ye, now get the lass home, with monsters crawlin' out of the grass this region is goin' ta hell in a handbasket."

Waving to Ottar the trio left the fort, as Turk promised a quartet of horses were waiting. Climbing up atop one he helped Fleet spear up behind himself. Glancing to Al.u.s.triea, he nodded simply. "From here on things will be getting interesting, so ride fast and stay close..."