The Immortal Kobold

The scarred task master stared death at the small kobold before him, this little wretch must have had something break inside his mind to carry on with such flippant disregard for death. His hand dropped to his coiled whip as he sneered into the face of Xing Lei who looked back completely unconcerned by the drow males movements. Laughing at the seemingly oblivious little beast, the task master raised his whip high and brought it down towards the wretched kobold, he'd teach this thing respect, or beat it to death. Most likely both.

Unfortunately as the whip snapped out, Xing Lei was now standing two steps to the left of where the thick braided instrument had kissed the tunnel floor and he was also in the same pose, a dumbfounded look on his face as he shifted his gaze from the task Master back to his own limp imaginary whip laying on the ground. The drow himself snarled and sweeped the whip back for another crack at the kobold but again, the strike...just...missed Xing Lei, but once again he was posed just like the fuming task master.

The warriors had slowly bunched the slaves together and were watching with amused looks, a pair even bet on how long it would take their 'boss' to actually hit the kobold. Hearing these two in particular made the task master go into a frenzy, his whip slashing and snapping at the smaller kobold as the reptile danced under the leather rain. Yet still the whip did not touch his scales. The task master was fuming, his eyes narrowed as he redoubled his attacks, watching the kobold ducking and weaving amongst his lightning like strikes, yet still the whip would not connect.

Growling through tightly clenched teeth he called two other slavers to help, the trio lashing at Xing Lei with a multitude of strikes. High or low, left or right, snapping, slashing. It didnt matter what the three did, the kobold seemed completely unfazed by three soldiers trying and failing to whip his scaly b.u.t.t. Yet Xing Lei kept up the act, his attention had been drawn to the elves, who had enlisted some dwarves to ambush the rear drow, the two groups had managed to subdue their quarry and had armed four or five of themselves.

Xing Lei shifted position, quickly flipping between the three slave drivers forcing them to turn their backs to the trouble brewing in the caravan, stopping for a second the task master and his two friends lashed out, only instead of dodging again, Xing Lei instead reached out as he stepped slightly to one side, two of the wh.i.p.s snagged around his forearms, pulled taut by the kobold, the task master whip had actually been stepped on after it's near miss and now the drow was violently tugging his tool trying to free it from beneath this kobolds clawed foot which felt like a mountain perched upon the end.

"Okay I think that's part one of the distraction done, time for part two." Xing Lei's muzzle spread in a cruel toothy smile as the two slave drivers behind the scarred drow looked to each other then behind, just in time to see a pair of elves gut the wise a.s.s gamblers. Glancing back to Xing Lei they dropped their wh.i.p.s and reached for their blades as Xing Lei smiled at the trio, his voice dropped an octave as he spoke in drow to the trio, "I dont think you three want to miss this second trick." Grinning the kobold inhaled deeply, feeling sparks at the back of his throat as he exhaled a fan of brilliant flame from his mouth, the gout of flame illuminated the tunnel briefly as the flames licked over the three drow Xing Lei faced.

The task master had timely shielded his eyes but his arms were badly burnt, his friends though were screaming clutching their eyes, while the flame only had enough power to reach the scarred drow, the brilliant eruption of fire instantly appearing before the other two had sent needles of pure pain into their eyes. Some of the slaves were no different, the bright light in the dim tunnel had hurt their poorly adjusted gazes, but the elves and dwarves took this time to launch their rebellion against the remaining drow slavers, the other slaves were quick to help, or scatter into the tunnels, fleeing while their would be masters were dealing with an armed revolt.

Blinking away tears, the task master snarled at Xing Lei, drawing a nasty looking rod from his belt, squeezing the handle, lightning crawled along the surface. Sneering at the unarmed kobold he lunged forward slashing at Xing Lei. Much like the whip, Xing Lei took a half a step and met the drow slaver head on, his clawed hands caught the slavers wrist trying to pull the larger elf off balance only to find the slavers food locked around his lower leg and an ebony fist intercepting his jaw. Staggering back, Xing Lei watched the scarred drow advance, a slender blade fl.i.c.k.i.n.g from the cuff of his armor to dart out at the staggered kobold.

Grimacing he felt the point drag across the scales of his c.h.e.s.t drawing a thin trickle of blood, despite its size, the small dagger seemed to be heavily enchanted, feeling the wound itch he frowned, and stepped back in, ducking and weaving as the dagger struck like an angry hornet, seeking to leave its wicked sting and potent toxin in the smaller being. Xing Lei was being pushed back, he dared not take the blade lightly with an unknown poison, just as Xing Lei was ready to risk a suicide attack another blade whistled down from the side.

The shining arc of the blade swishes down between the bobbing and weaving pair, but rather than the kobold it was the drow to scream in pained rage, clutching a bloody stump to his c.h.e.s.t and leaving his hand and weapon, on the floor. Smiling grimly from the side, the elven woman advanced on the task master that had threatened her, where it was priorly Xing Lei ducking and dodging, now it was the scarred drow's turn. The elven woman was relentless however, crowding in with the blade and launching a deceptive two part strike. While the whistle of her blade missing should have made her frown, it was her true attack, her foot connecting intimately with the task masters crotch that made her smile, that smile turned bigger still when his one good hand dropped to cradle his injured manhood and her blade cut across, sending that ugly visage arcing into the air with an eruption of blood.

Nodding grimly, the woman returned to the group of former slaves. While they had fought for their freedom, a number of their group had not escaped drow blades. Xing Lei did what he could but for wounds this serious, his minor healing magics could do little but ease their pain as they slipped into the afterlife. While friends and family wept, the able warriors grouped together to discuss what to do next, most were of the mind to escape, flee the kingdom and inform their respective nations that the former neutral Ironhand was working with dark elves.

Another group wanted to return, ransack the Night Parade, expose the villainy to the city personally and deal with the matron of the den of corruption, others argued this down, destroying a business that Ironhand obviously supported would achieve nothing but their own early deaths, better to get their own kingdoms involved and force Ironhand to appease the offended races. Xing Lei kept his opinion to himself, both methods had their fair share of good or bad points, as for himself, he intended to return, if for no other reason to reclaim his spatial ring.

In fact as the others talked he slowly began back tracking, but before he could get far a group of familiar figures blocked his path. The elven woman and two of the other elves, all that remained of the former half dozen or so, stood waiting for him. The woman he had healed had a long sword resting against her scarred shoulder, "Figured you'd sneak off. We're going with you."

Xing Lei frowned a bit and shook his head, "Silvertrees needs to be alerted most of all, me I'm going back for what's mine not on a crusade against the dark elves that remain."

The woman grinned and shrugged, a soft wince spoke that her shoulder was still tender, "Then you go get what you want, we'll stick the head of the drow bitch from the roof of her own shop ourselves."

Xing Lei didn't argue, he couldn't fault these elves from wanting revenge, but he doubted it would go that well. From her scepter to that nasty punch, he could well tell that the leader, regardless of how she presented herself, was league's stronger than her troops. For himself, he merely hoped to slip into whatever passed as the Night Parade's treasure vault, get his ring and rob them blind for his inconvenience. Seeing as the ring only looked like a brass band, he doubted the female drow would personally keep it, unless she detected its special nature, but he doubted that, she'd need to be a cultivator to even see what it was, get into it? She'd have to be vastly stronger than anything he had thus far seen in this realm.

Letting the elves lead, Xing Lie followed after in silence. He thought of robbing the slave market of its valuables but he knew this was a touch and go plan. The disgraced warriors he fought in his viewing box were the now corpses they left behind, but he didn't doubt there'd be more at the complex ahead, it would be silly to dispatch their entire force to guide the slaves to where ever they had intended to be sent. After a few minutes of walking they found themselves back in the underground prison staging area, the cages were empty as they had left them but it didnt seem as if anyone had stayed behind to watch the tunnel, not a smart move but then they must have figured: Who would enter from this path other than themselves?

The group spread out searching the cells and main area for usable items, or perhaps even a store room with their old things but this prison was truly devoid of anything, the drow must herd the transporting slaves here only right before moving them out into the tunnels, there was only the door leading to a stairwell that they cautiously ascended. Unlike the viewing landings, this stair well seemed to be especially for the drow to use, for while the staircase did have the landing areas, these were more rough tunnels, the elves fear going into the passages since there would be slaves secured at each level, unable to arm them, or even rescue them, they wanted to avoid risking a panicked alarm being raised.

It was at the third landing that the hidden drow area opened up, opposite the landing for the slaves was another door, this one had obviously been well maintained. From their view on the stairs they could see the back on profile of a guard lazing against a wall, every now and then the drow would look around but this was very infrequent, as if he had long surmised nobody would dare intrude in this section. As the elves prepared to act, Xing Lei scooted around the trio and walked towards the guard post with an easy stride, the elves stared blankly wondering what he was up to?

Walking right up ab.r.e.a.s.t of the guard, who stared down incredulously at the ballsy little kobold, Xing Lei gave one of his customary smiles before his hand jabbed out. Even as the drow pulled a nasty curved sword from the loop on his belt, Lei's fingers had begun jabbing at his weak points, the first strike stole the voice from the guards throat, the next the strength in his hands, the curved blade slipping from numbed fingers to be caught against the kobolds tail before striking the stone floor. The kobolds hands blurred jabbing points on the dark elf's body that made the drow slump powerlessly against the wall, his glowing red eyes widening in shock that he had been subdued by a kobold in no time at all.

Hurrying over the elves looked from kobold to drow and back again. Xing Lie ignored them testing the weight of the oddly shaped saber like weapon. It would do in a pinch, especially if it was anywhere near as enchanted as the other drow weapons were. A strangled gurgle of despair dragged Xing Lei from his thoughts on the weapon to glance over as one of the elves had grabbed the drow guards head, yanked it back and hacked open the helpless dark elf's throat. Watching the light leave the guards glaring gaze he could only shrug, their situation was a little too insecure to be leaving a liability behind them. Turning to the door, Xing Lei nodded to the elves and swung it wide open...