The Immortal Kobold

Xing Lei looked to Blackheart with a curious gaze, "If this is an example of your sense of humor, as a guest let me advise that it was not funny."

Blackheart chuckled, pulling out a small pipe and a packet of pipe weed, packing the pipe he held it to Lady Cobra who lit it with a flame from her finger. Taking a slow puff of the fragrant smoke the orc shook his head, "No joke kobold. She sold yer a.s.s to me in order to free herself. A sect master caught by pirates? Her little band of crusaders would never live it down, so we set her random high and she offered us a bounty I could hardly turn down. The services of Kobolicus, a favor personally from her and a thousand gold to never mention we had her short stumpy arse in chains. Not a bad haul."

Xing Lei softly chuckled to which Blackheart smiled, "There's a good shorty, so overcome with mirth at ditching those monks and whores, ye'll come to know serving under my flag is by far more rewarding, ye don't even note the slave collar after awhile, me lass here seems to have gotten use to hers."

Xing Lei leveled a withering stare on the orc, "Blackheart you misunderstand, I am not mirthful of my freedom from the Heavenly Rose, rather I laugh at the audacity you, a mere pirate king, thinks he can enslave me. It really is too laughable you see."

Al-Hasan'Drel snarled from the side, most would not understand what he was saying but Xing Lei caught every word, "You dare defy our Master? You reject his great gift of taking you in? I shall sacrifice you to the gods for your blasphemy!"

Blackheart blinked, one second Kobolicus had been rejecting his claim of ownership when next a blurred shape rushed to the side, skidding around his loyal brain washed panther folk, two feet kicked the knees out from under Al-Hasan'Drel before two hands grabbed the panther like head and twisted. With a sickening crack the panther visage no longer faced forward, rather as his c.h.e.s.t slammed forward onto the floor that snarling visage was staring up to the ceiling.

To the other side Lady Cobra tried to weave into her casting but a similar blur appeared behind her, a startled scream ripped from her mouth having seen the brutal death of her fellow slave, but rather than joining him she felt firm fingers prodding her body from behind, all strength left her limbs as she too slumped forward with a whimper, tears of fright lined her hazy eyes as she felt the spectre of death reaching for her, yet did not snatch her fragile life.

Blackheart was gawking, the blur solidified in front of him with a lifted foot raised and kicking him hard in the c.h.e.s.t, back over his throne he was sent, the seat falling back as the orc himself was sent heels over head to the floor behind. Rubbing his fractured sternum Blackheart snarled and tried to rise when a scaled hand grabbed his hair and slammed his head back against the wall, "Still think you have what it takes to 'own' me orc?"

Blackheart snarled, his base orc instincts kicking in to the sheer violence of the situation, he made to curse in Xing Lei's face when a gurgled scream was tore from his throat, he didn't realize what had happened but from where Lady Cobra lay she was witness to the brutality of Kobolicus. The kobold had struck like a scorpion, reaching into the orcs open maw... and ripped out his wagging tongue.

Tossing aside the grisly trophy Xing Lei stared into Blackhearts pained gaze, a clawed hand snapped down atop the orcs head, those claws digging into his scalp and skull with force that denied that this was a kobold in front of him. Those beady pained eyes grew unfocused as the pressure increased on his brain when Xing Lei simply yanked hard. Lady Cobra whimpered, tears and snot escaping her as she watched the little kobold grab her Masters head like he had the orcs tongue, and pulled. Blackheart might not have realized in those last few moments what happened, but she had and what she saw promptly saw her dress staining as her bladder evacuated itself.

For in Xing Leis hand he held Blackhearts head, only now it along with the spinal column had been ripped forcefully from the orcs muscled, hardy body by a being that wasn't half his size.

Dragging his grisly prize across the floor he dropped it before Lady Cobras eyes and reached over, his fingers striking her acupuncture points to unlock her body. Shivering as she felt strength return to her limbs her yellowish green skin tinged darkly as she felt the mess covering her face and staining her dress below, trying to kneel up she looked to Xing Lei and took a shuddering breath, "What does Master wish of this unworthy female?"

Xing Lei dragged over his seat and sat in front of her looking into her snake like eyes, "How much control of the auction do you have?"

Lady Cobra bowed before him and softly whispered, "Almost complete Master, this ones ex owner left much of its workings up to her."

Xing Lei thought a moment checking the auction, as he had surmised the booth was an enclosed space, silent and cut off from the noise without, it looked like the elven auctioneer was onto the fifth mundane lot, a series of tools from a mixed source. Shaking his head he looked to Lady Cobra, "I know this is also a slave auction later, what persons of note are in the lots."

Lady Cobra bowed her head and whispered, "There's ten lots of slaves to be sold. Two sets of elves, male and female respectively, displacements from their civil war. Four lots of humans, again two each of males and females, refugees escaping the elven geas placed on the old Ironhand lands. Lastly are the four specials. Lady Sorina Ironhand, last living heir to their kingdom, it was she you saw me and Al-Hasan'Drel escorting earlier. Fredregard Rocksmasher, a dwarven smith that was on the transport with Sorina. Dale Glenn, a human cleric, same situation but valued for his divine access. Lastly is the prize of the auction Umber, my bodyguard, I suspect Blackheart meant to auction us off together."

Xing Lei sat in thought, glancing out the window the first of the elven slaves were herded out onto the stage, the five females wore barely enough to be considered modest but more than enough to show off their lithe bodies. Looking to Lady Cobra he nodded, "Guide me to the cells..." Frowning slightly he pulled an extra robe he had for Al.u.s.triea when hers usually ended up shredded, out of his ring and handed it over, "... after you make yourself presentable."

A short time later the pair had left the auction and descended into the actual warehouse, large cells kept the prisoners seperate but together. Lady Cobra was quick to guide her charge to the four individual cells. Sorina, Fredregard and Dale all look warily at the kobold while Umber only had eyes for Lady Cobra. Nudging her the kobold kept watch for the handlers, "Free them."

As much as he was watching for the handlers Xing Lei was keeping an eye on Lady Cobra, while she seemed intimidated in the booth she quickly reclaimed her easy going personality. In particular he noted her bodyguard, Umber was close to seven feet tall and had a powerful build torso wise, above the shoulders was a completely inhuman snake head which was shared with a thick tail below the waist that replaced his legs. Umbers eyes seemed to follow his movements with an intelligence that denied whom was the bodyguard of whom.

Still after Umber was free Lady Cobra moved to free the other three, Sorina and Dale swiftly jumped into each others arms much to the dwarf's grumbling, seems the trio were companions with the human pair being an actual couple. Glancing to them he hissed softly, "Touching reunions later, we need to get out of the port. Glancing to Umber he looked into the snake mans eyes, "Will you be joining us?"

Lady Cobra balked then looked to Umber who had gathered her close, much like Sorina and Dale the tale between those two was more complex than initially stated. "We will go with small one." Umbers voice was a mixture of hissing that Xing Lei instantly translated, the serpentine noise did unnerve the other three somewhat. Nodding his head back his own voice a hiss much like Umbers, "Then we go together."

Both Umber and Lady Cobra looked shocked when the kobold spoke back in their native tongue, both relaxing visibly, "You are a servitor sent by the God-priests to aid us?" Umber asked quietly.

Still Xing Lei shook his head, "Just a kobold with a knack for languages. Come on we can talk once we're a safe distance."

The other three were growing more nervous as the reptilian trio had begun hissing at each other, when Xing Lei walked over Fredregard stomped to the fore, "Alright listen here, we need to thank you for a timely rescue but we need to get back home, if you lot are done with your secret dealings we'll split ways here and escape on our own."

Xing Lei shook his head, "We leave together, I know my way around the ports back alleys, I can get us out, it's the elf forest choking the lands beyond causing trouble to us all, getting lost or separated is all too easy and theres half a dozen powers looking for you the special products."

Fredregard frowned not liking being in the monstrous beings care any longer than he had to, sighing he looked around, "M'lady, Dale, button it up you two we need to follow this fellow."

Nodding he turned back to Umber and Cobra and blinked, Xing Lei had originally been afraid Umbers bulk and Cobras beauty might catch undue attention but in the place where those two had stood now coiled a pair of pythons. The larger was a dark green very much akin to Umbers scales, the other was half its size and was a yellowish green, a silver collar held tight just behind its head, it looked like Yuan-ti were shapeshifters, least it made them easier to hide.

Leading the five fugitives out of the warehouse he was quick to lead them down often ignored alleys, the stench of refuse and waste was great making poor Sorina and Dale lose what little they had been given to eat, but while the stench was oppressive it also made sure the pirates stuck clear. The two pythons slithered behind, though neither made so much as a hiss, glancing back he could see both snakes trembling, it confused him at first but then he recalled the unique nature of snake tongues, little wonder they were refusing to even risk fl.i.c.k.i.n.g their tongues on accident.

In silence they slipped through the port, though the harbor soon went up on it's own, warning bells and angry shouts blared across the former quiet. Brute squads were roaming in great number, apparently the auction had discovered that the High Captain had been brutally murdered along with one of his second. The other was missing, but was presumed to be in league with the killer since the prize lots of the auction were also stolen away. Handover had quickly assumed control as the next ranking captain and was leading a half hearted search, in truth the man was trying desperately to gain control of the pirates while dealing with the angry guests, if he wasn't careful those groups would string HIM up should the killer of Blackheart not be found promptly.

The fleeing group was moving slower now that the pirates were tearing apart the shanty town with their search, as much as Sorina, Dale and Fredregard felt I'll at ease without weapons, they had to admit their escort was capable, several times a gang of thugs had blocked their way and each time the kobold rushed forward scattering the lot with a few well placed strikes, few were killed but some did not escape his heavy fists.

Breaking out into the forests the six stuck close together as the sounds of the enraged port faded behind them.