The Immortal Kobold

Xing Lei sat back crossing his arms over his c.h.e.s.t, the battle in the hall had erupted fully. The knights, who could no longer suffer the insult to their lord had launched a strike against the drow forces. Now the armored humans and dark elves were in full swing of trying to kill each other. King Ironhand had retreated behind his forces while the female drow had waded right into the thick of the human forces, she was once again swinging that cudgel and her rod with impunity. Every human struck screamed in agony as either the dark eldritch energy or the power of lightning coursed through their bodies.

Xing Lei really didn't see the humans winning, the drow warriors were easily dealing with the kings knights with the help of their leader who was only building momentum with every injury and death she personally caused. Still, the human side was managing to whittle down the drow forces, often using the sacrifice of one to land a fatal blow. Thankfully, King Ironhand had thought to be escorted by almost two and a half times the number of drow, expecting his demand for aid to go south, he had the numbers advantage if the drow had them beat on sheer skill and bloodl.u.s.t.

Creeping into the hall as both sides were considerably weakened, the kobold began picking at the edges. The wounded that had fallen to one side or the other were the first to be finished off followed by the holy monks that were healing them, these healers Xing Lei merely incapacitated as dealing with holy sects often proved too troublesome to bother with unless you could wipe the faith out to an acolyte. From there he began ambushing either side, the ones who slew a foe and had for that brief moment relaxed their guard. As the two sides squared off they finally took note of the third party who had just finished off one of the wounded drow before staring at the two groups. "Don't mind me, feel free to continue killing each other off."

King Ironhands face was an amazing shade of puce, his eyes stared death at the kobold while his great gusting breathing made his thick gray mustache flap. The female drow watched him with a much more relaxed gaze, over three quarters of her group was dead around the hall, the latest of which laid at the kobolds feet, yet rather than looking worried or angry, she had a more contemplative gaze when she regarded Xing Lei, as if he was no threat, rather he was a piece of the game she was playing. He really could not understand these dark elves, they seemed to hold no common bonds, even those that worked together only did so as long as someone superior was present, and even then, any exposed weakness was immediately taken advantage of not only by enemies but their supposed allies.

Was there really a race that so embodied cultivators and their sects? He'd have to look further into this drow race later, compared to these other mortal races, dark elves seemed to stay always one trump card ahead, yet with such they still did not rule. Looking to the woman he casually swept his gaze over her forces, "Leaving the party?"

She nodded simply making a dismissive gesture, "Our foul surface cousins are coming in force, better to pull back and live to raid another day. Ironhands forces will mask our departure adequately. Between the darthiir slaves we took off his hand, and our due of the profits, I stand to return home in glory." Smiling over at Xing Lei, her red eyes narrowed as she gave a seductive purr, "You should leave with us, the elves have no love of your kind after all, and back in our city an able gladiatorial champion can have untold wealth especially if backed by a House... say House Luen, we'd certainly welcome such a strong warrior into our ranks."

Xing Lei smirked, he'd be welcome he was sure and disposed of at their convenience if he ever achieved anything resembling true strength, "I imagine this deal comes with a trial?"

"Naturally. Yours will be relatively simple. Bring me the fool human kings head and you shall be inducted into House Luens martial forces forthwith."

Xing Lei chuckled, he could well expect this task, it lost her nothing regardless of the outcome, if he succeeded perhaps they gained an ally, if not they still had numbers to deal with him, especially if any of the humans had been spared. Glancing to the King he spoke up, "What, no deals from his highness?"

King Ironhand snorted, waving his hand to his knights, "Kill all the inhumans. Kobold or drow, all die this day."

Xing Lei shook his head, the old king was surely muddleheaded, forcing him and the drow together was essentially dooming the knights. The drow had already proven their martial superiority with the recent skirmish, as for Xing Lei, hadn't his wins as Kobolicus proven superior numbers was of no benefit against him? Just where was this old man getting his confidence? The answer however was simpler, under the shocked gazes of drow and kobold, as the knights advanced, King Ironhand turned and fled back the way Xing Lei had entered. Glancing to the woman who had dropped her face into her palm he chuckled, as the fighting renewed both he and she stood back letting her troops handle the knights.

Glancing over he extended his hand her way, "When you captured me I was wearing a brass ring, I'll have it returned."

Lifting her head with narrowed eyes she looked at his extended hand and casually dropped her hand to her rod, "And if I refuse?"

"Then we fight again, and this time I'm well rested and at full strength. It's a simple exchange, my ring and I walk away, I really have no interest in this race war."

Looking him over in thought she sighed, dropping her hand to a pouch rather than her rod she held a brass ring up between her onyx digits, "What is so special about this ring? I had an ally inspect it, the magic, if we call it such, is powerful, but even our spells slipped off it as if it were an ordinary ring."

Xing Lei chuckled, "A friend once associated that trinket to what you all would consider a bag of holding, one of exceptional quality. Just it's a power that doesnt fully exist in your realm, the raw energy is there, just the method to cultivate it in yourselves doesn't exist. Here's a better deal, give my ring back to me and I'll give you a means to cultivate that energy."

The woman frowned looking at the ordinary ring weighing this new knowledge as people died around them, for a second hesitancy rose in her crimson pupils before tossing it his way, "You will inform me of the risks of this magic as well."

Chuckled the kobold nodded, catching his ring and slipping it on. Focusing his will he checked and made sure it was the ring in question before nodding, "Alright, scroll and quill, I'll write it down along with my insights on the first two levels, beyond that you are on your own."

Smiling she waved her hands guiding Xing Lei towards the drow exit, leading her temporary ally to a quieter area while the drow males and Ironhands knights continued to fight, no longer the concern of either leader. Leading Xing Lei back through the tunnels to a more lavish living area, it would seem the drow leader did not do without, fetching a scroll case and an ink and quill from a side c.h.e.s.t she placed them on a plain desk in the center of the room before reclining on a cushion filled couch.

Xing Lei moved over picking up the quilt and began to write, while he wouldn't give the drow a supreme cultivation technique there were a couple he found in his last life to get some dark seekers started on the path, he didn't even need to add gimmicks or traps that would force the user to rebound, just maintaining this cultivation method would prove challenging. For an elven race that shunned the light [The Shadowstalker Nine Paths] should keep them occupied. It wasn't a difficult cultivation method in truth, it just tended to amplify ones weaknesses to light, for dark seekers it was said to be the ultimate in cultivation... as long as you never went under the sun again, thus it took a very special kind of individual to forsake sunlight for life.

Scroll after scroll he slowly filled, the first five were the cultivation path itself, the next three were his own insights and potential shortcuts that could grant one power faster at the cost of end result or expected talent, after all cheap, easy power never was without price. Rolling up the scrolls after letting them dry he handed them back across to the drow leader who had not taken her eyes off him, her calculating gaze had been studying this little kobolds motions and could find no falsehood or signs it was putting on an act to stall for time, it honestly seemed to be recording something, what, she couldn't tell, even with scrolls in hand the rune work was unlike anything she had seen, her mage ally would be tickled with the opportunity to decipher this script. "Very well, our deal is complete, are you sure you won't take my initial offer? House Luen would most welcome an individual of your calibre to our fold, and perhaps with enough merits we could get you out of that base form."

Xing Lei chuckled and shook his head, "Simple as it is, I rather have come to like it, people underestimate me far too much as I am, to become human or maybe even drow would just relinquish that advantage."

The woman smirked and shrugged, tucking the scrolls into a tube, "You think like one of us. A pity. Very well, should you ever make it to Cheth Rrhinn, seek out House Luen and ask to see me, Pellanistra Luen, third daughter of the house. I shall be sure to welcome you properly." Securing the tube to her belt she winked and stepped through what looked to be a solid wall, the stone rippling like water as her body passed through its surface before vanishing. Walking over to touch the stone himself Xing Lei could confirm it wasn't an illusion but some sort of spell, nodding in satisfaction he pulled a simple robe from within his ring and backtracked, if the elves were indeed invading he needed to see if Al.u.s.triea and his mate were leading the charge.

Making his way back to the hall the battle had long since stopped, the bodies of knights and drow were scattered where they fell, while Xing Lei paid the knights little mind he went around stripping the drow of their enspelled gear, he found it fascinating how many enhanced items these dark elves carried, from weapons to armor he could feel them thick with strange energy, but even more so was the unused trump cards some carried. Between dimly glowing orbs to those interesting little hand crossbows, Xing Lei found a literal treasure trove lingering on the corpses. As to who won? He expected the drow, humans would not have easily ignored these treasures that the drow used so casually.

Back up through the Night Parade he went, this time he visited the cells and viewing chambers freeing an angry mob of demi-human slaves who were all too thankful to learn of weapons below and their oppressing city likely under attack above, when Xing Lei emerged from the building the noble quarter was already on fire, gangs of demi humans using this building as a headquarters began ranging outward, several had already begun attacking the outer wall gatehouse. News of an elven army camped beyond had filtered back and the whole capital was being swept up in the chaos.

Ignoring it all Xing Lei strolled casually through the streets, the war between human and inhuman didn't concern him, rather he was headed towards the castle of Ironhand, it was time for some revenge and open banditry. The best way to end an adventure.