The Immortal Kobold

Eyes turned to the side as a short woman stepped seemingly from the shadows, her furry feet padded softly as she came to stand behind Umbersilk. The halfling didn't even come to the yuan-ti's waist but still the looming serpent man slithered to make room for the latest arrival. Calissa stuck her thumbs in her belt grinning at Xing Lei, completely at ease. "Been a while lizard lips, Blackheart didn't rough you up too bad did he?"

Xing Lei chuckled holding up his hand, an orcs decapitated head appeared, the kobolds fingers clinging to the still bloody spinal column that hung from the ugly head like a horrific tail. Glancing to Blackhearts face, frozen in a grisly mask of unresolvable regret the kobold grinned, "Not at all, but as you can see my treatment of him was not so gentle."

Calissa swallowed and stepped back glancing to Selrissessa, "You said he decapitated Blackheart."

The pure blood yuan-ti sighed sadly and shook her head, "No, I told you he ripped off the orcs head, you chose to believe he used a blade. He did not. The only weapon was a single hand."

Calissa frowned and shook her head, "River, does this change things?"

Another form stepped from a shadow to the opposite side, the beautiful River Sage walked forward with her hands tucked in the wide sleeves. "The kobold is strong, unquestioning. But he is still a bug before my mystic arts." Turning to regard Xing Lei she blinked realizing he was gone, the next second River Sage herself collided heavily with one of the study walls, a mouth full of blood escaped her lips as she stared hard at the kobold that stood where she originally was.

"River Sage, my 'master', I hereby formally resign from the Heavenly Rose Monestary and your tutelage."

Xing Lei chuckled lightly as the slapped elementalist pushed herself up trying to reclaim the imposing stature she held back in the dead lands, yet this time Xing Lei stood unmoved. He had been convinced she had been a cultivator the first time they met, her aura was very deceiving. Yet after the fact, learning she was a mage who specialized in the elemental natures of the universe, he no longer feared her.

Calissa frowned looking to the yuan-ti who had yet to move either, "Prince Umbersilk, it would seem I need to negotiate the dealing of our wayward disciple with your esteemed self."

Umbersilk gave that hissing laughter his large hand lifted showing three fingers, Calissa c.o.c.ked her head her face puzzled, "Our prior agreement. Three lots returned to us."

Calissa grit her teeth then nodded, "I will have to trouble his esteemed majesty then and the Heavenly Rose will be grateful for two of the former five lots."

Xing Lei stood casually watching the pair bargain and haggle over the end spoils of the elven civil war as if it was already over. As he had said, there was no escaping this elf against elf conflict. But wether it would benefit anyone else remained to be seen. To these factions it would seem they were the mantis stalking the cicada. Xing Lei however was already focusing on the oriole. The yuan-ti, the monks... neither side had taken his words to Selrissessa seriously. The civil war was spurred by the yuan-ti while the whore monks wanted to nibble the crumbs, but a further threat stalked these groups.

Meeting Umbersilks gaze the kobold grinned, "Ready when you are Prince. Osilliaice, get Al.u.s.triea to safety."

The lizardess grabbed her friend by the shoulder yanking her away, Sorina and Dale screamed and moved to run though before they got far though they had slumped to the ground, Fredregard stood to the side a pair of hand crossbows in his meaty fists, "Sorry kids, yer just in the wrong place at the wrong time." The lizardess and elf were by far luckier as Osilliaice hurtled through a window tucking Al.u.s.triea in close to protect her body.

Umbersilk glanced to Calissa who shook her head, Xing Lei chuckled, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

River Sage snarled, her voice nasally with her broken nose, "Speak in common you rats spawned lizard!"

Xing Lei shook his head, glancing to 'Fredregard' he gave an easy smile, "Does the invite of House Luen still stand open?"

The dwarf blinked and laughed, "Indeed it does! Indeed it does at that, I was to escort you and those women of yours to a proper escort but ye threw that chamber pot into the wind elemental didn't ya?"

Xing Lei chuckled, "Too many cooks for this feast, time to cut away the chaff..." As Xing Lei hurled himself at Umbersilk, the dwarf rearmed his crossbows and began taking shots at the monks. River Sage and Calissa knocked over a large couch neatly avoiding a pair of dangerous barbed quarrels. The two women looked to each other in confusion before looking to a corner of the room where Selrissessa was squat down, she was hastily casting defensive spells over herself, casting worried looks to where the main event was taking place.

Kobold and yuan-ti met in the middle of the room with fists flying, the impact as fist met fist was like a black powder canon imploding, the shockwaves as the three foot Xing Lei met head on with the almost eight foot Prince Umbersilk lashed out into the room itself. Despite his size advantage, each small fist that intercepted his thick hands was seen to have no disadvantage. The kobold, who should have been smashed flying, stood evenly with the abomination. Laughing with abandon Xing Lei countered Umbersilks force with his own and each impact shook the building.

Calissa and River Sage quickly learned why the pure blood had layered defenses, the shockwaves rolled over the serpent woman and shattered her initial layers. Ignoring the discomfort she kept casting cause those shockwaves kept coming. The former two were not as lucky, thrown back by the force both felt blood gushing from their ears and noses. Fredregard had scooped up his charges and jumped out the window as well leaving the monks to suffer as the two titans in the center of the room collided.

Umbersilk hissed in annoyance as his latest assault met naught but the metal like fists of the whelpling before him. Slithering back his body shuddered and a second set of thick inhuman arms erupted from his sides under the original set. Darting back in four fists met Xing Lei's two and for the first time saw the kobold pushed back under the assault. Not to be outdone the kobolds speed rose and a sturdy spear seemed to appear from nowhere.

Yuan-ti and kobold collided again, fists and weapon intercepting each other as Xing Lei looked into Umbersilk's yellow eyes, those serpentine orbs still seemed unconcerned even as Selrissessa fled from ground zero, the pure blood grabbed both monks by the scruff of their robes as she cast a fearful glance back, the majority of her concern was for her husband but she still felt a twinge of regret that their paths had met cross purposes with the kobold's. Sighing to herself she dragged the bleeding women from the mansion that was threatening to collapse around them.

In the room itself Xing Lei stood opposite Umbersilk, the yuan-ti abomination was pressing against that spear, his secondary fists being intercepted by kicks launch by the kobold. Their stalemate dragged on as the building shook. Pushing away Umbersilk looked at his scaled fists then the kobold, "This is getting us nowhere whelpling."

Xing Lei casually leaned on his spear, the mirth in his own reptilian eyes told of just how little he concerned himself with his foes insights, "Well what do you propose?"

"We both withdraw."

Xing Lei chuckled and kicked his spear up into a wide sweep, the weapon slicing through the air and a throat. A body slipped from invisibility, the lithe man clutched his torn throat trying to stem the flow of his life through the gaping wound. Much like Selrissessa, this man had serpentine accents likely denoting a pure blood. Xing Lei chuckled and spun away as weapons appeared from the very air slashing at the darting kobold as more yuan-ti began to appear with each failed strike.

Umbersilk crossed both sets of arms and watched as his assassins started to hem Xing Lei in, "You are good whelpling thus you must die here today." Glancing to his forces the yuan-ti gave a load hiss, "Bring me his flesh."

"Gonna have to take a number ya over grown garden snake, the reptile gotta meeting with me boss!" A gruff but jovial voice came from the side. Fredregard was perched on the sil of the broken window, showing off an expertise that most dwarves would never accomplish. Grinning through his neat beard he tossed a hand out, the closest yuan-ti jumped out of the way as light bombs, smoke bombs, caltrops, fireworks and all manner of scented, stinging pepper bombs all exploded in the close confines of the melee. "Time to go lizard, the boss don't like to be kept waiting if ya like keeping all yer fingers and toes!"

Jumping back out the window before the explosion of lights, dust, flames and scents reached him a short reptilian form was hot on the dwarf's heels, the cries of pained yuan-ti erupted from the room behind as the assassins were met with a chaotic maelstrom of sights and sounds. The only one making no noise was Umbersilk, his crossed arms and angry eyes stared at the broken window, this whole operation had grated on his scales. Between his fifth concubine taking the fore and him presenting as a mere half blood to just now her cowardice resulting in the targets escape. He would punish Selrissessa later. For now recover his allies and start the blood war, with Al.u.s.triea out of reach he'd have to use secondary targets amongst his allies in the church and merchant factions. Their deaths would have smaller ripples but it was enough if he planted Silvertree arms it should rule up the three opposing factions enough.

Turning and slithering out Umbersilk frowned at the bleeding women from the Heavenly Rose, the River Sage in particular had disappointed him but they were not this people. A meaty fist struck out, muscled fingers catching Selrissessa around her graceful throat. "You failed to help kill the kobold. You failed in keeping the target contained. Your cowardice has cost me much. Consider our marriage annulled. Report to the spy division as a regular agent. Fail me again and I will make your flesh my own."

Squeezing the womans throat she resisted only slightly, a demigods hand was not to be sullied by her scrambling to survive after all. Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked with sorrow upon Umbersilk. As she started to choke Umbersilk released her. "Correction, I give you to the Heavenly Rose, you are theirs now. If she returns to my sight, humans, her flesh will be made mine."

Slithering away the serpent woman looked to Calissa and River Sage and bowed softly, "Mistresses, Selrissessa greets her owners." Tears continued unabated down her cheeks at having been discarded by her love, but the prince's will was absolute.

Calissa nodded looking after the departing form of Umbersilk, "What did he mean by that threat? He used it on Xing Lei too."

Selrissessa didn't raise her head but a shudder coursed through her body, "In our empire the highest shame is to be consumed by one of our own. For outsiders it is the highest honor, thus should he ever decide to offer his highest reward, reject and settle for less. It means he seems your power worthy of becoming his own by consuming you whole."

Calissa and the bloodied River Sage nodded to each other, knowing that ahead of time was very important, becoming a snakes dinner didn't sit high on their lists of things to experience. "Come along Lady Cobra, our part in this war will be minor, better your former owner not see you again."

Selrissessa nodded, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks as she turned to follow her new Mistresses from the elven mansion. Part of her wanted to look back but her choices had removed further ones so she walked on, head lowered and wept softly to herself.