The Immortal Kobold

The trip through House Luen was a winding affair, Xing Lei almost lost count of the number of levitation tubes and back hallways the slave girl guided him through. It seemed, much like Al.u.s.triea's presence, his own was an open secret as there was probably a more direct route to reach this main hall. Still he followed in silence noting that this drow house was quite expansive, from the few times they walked along sky bridges or winding ledges he could see several large hosts of troops training and doing drills. In the distance he could also vaguely make out a city, the various other houses and shops all glowed much as this one did in a series of mystical pink, purple and red auras.

This mystical light kept illumination to a b.a.r.e minimum, drow preferred the dark but slaves like the girl lacked the ability to see heat so a b.a.r.e minimum was kept for these house workers to do as they were required. As they entered a thick spire he noted security had gotten tighter. Guards occupied every hall with at least one mage or priestess at each check point. None of whom treated either he or the slave with any importance, which greatly relieved her, Xing Lei was sure.

Bowing before a large pair of double doors the girl knelt down and lightly flicked a bell beside the entry with her finger, the chime was barely audible but still the doors slowly swung inwards and a tall drow woman strode out to stand before the two. She looked down with scorn at the girl and kobold but her gaze focused on the slave. "Darthiir you are late, you have kept us waiting."

The girl shivered and bowed her forehead smacking against the floor as she trembled in silence, Xing Lei noted she neither apologized nor begged mercy, she merely assumed what to him looked like a ready position to be beaten.

The drow warrior spit upon the girls hair and turned to Xing Lei, "Pellanistra speaks highly of your skill. I look forward to seeing you disappoint our Matron Mother, your hide will make a fine sash. Come with me."

Turning the woman walked back to the doors and slipped inside, her plate armor having not made a single whisper in her every movement. Xing Lei nodded and followed after, leaving the trembling slave girl where she knelt.

Inside the hall the splendor of House Luen was on full display. Finely wrought columns framed a long walk towards a throne of darkest onyx. Upon this throne sat a short elven woman who reclined upon it in a most undignified way. Arranged to her left was three drow males, one of whom Xing Lei recognized as Calimar, the House Wizard. To the matrons right was four women, the armored one who fetched him stood closest to the Matron, while Pellanistra stood two places to the right of her.

Casually standing before the Matron mother and her seven children Xing Lei had to admit it was an interesting setup, especially when his eyes caught a fifth figure on the matrons right, masking itself in shadow. Looking over these individuals he looked to the matron mothers narrowing eyes, from her flushing facial features Xing Lei could well imagine guests were expected to show subservience before the arranged might of the House.

Xing Lei almost smirked. Looking evenly into the matrons angry gaze he casually crossed his arms and waited meeting that gaze with casual indifference. The armored drow female grit her teeth, the whole room could hear her grinding them in agitation, while the matron was getting angry, this first daughter was obviously livid, yet something made her hold her explosive tongue. Still Xing Lei noted she was soon going to lose her cool and rage regardless of decorum.

Xing Lei sighed and rolled it into a mock yawn, looking evenly into the matrons eyes, "I've been called to help with something and I've no mood for a staring contest. Your house is impressive Matron Mother but I'd rather get this all over with sooner than later."

Pellanistra was almost in fits laughter, as was the younger sister to her right, the first and second daughter were practically spitting blood they were that angry, their red eyes flashing dangerously as a wicked mace appeared in the hand of the first daughter and a serpent headed whip appeared in the hands of the second. To the left the three sons were all pinching their lips and relaxed, they found the bluntness of the kobold amusing but dared not display such before their sisters.

The Matron Mother herself had adjusted her sitting posture, leaning forward and gripping the armrests of her throne, her nails digging into the stone as her own gaze promised death a thousand ways a thousand times over.

Xing Lei stood unmoving, uninterested in this little display of power. Drow were worthy enough to be compared with cultivators in his eyes, but in they were nowhere near the same. Still even he was shocked when both first and second daughter moved like cobras through the gloom. Both had cultivated [The Shadowstalker Nine Paths]. As his eyes followed the shadowy after images he had to admit the two had cause for their rash arrogance. The warrior sister followed the first path [Slayer of Dark] to the second rank, a good choice for those on a martial path as it reduced the heaviness of equipment and sped up ones attacks.

The other sister was on the fifth path [Shadows Embrace] but on the third rank, though it seemed she was trying to suppress her display to the first. The fifth path favored monks who used speed and flexible weapons like wh.i.p.s and chains, it mainly focused on domain control, making the area around the practitioner a kill zone. Smirking to himself, Xing Lei walked forward. While it was true that body cultivation wasn't a match for spirit techniques that was only true when the attacks were infused with qi, both sisters however were restraining this release thus while the techniques were impressively executed they both were like a toothless, clawless beast. Looked dangerous but had no real way to hurt you if push came to shove.

Thus as the two laid into Xing Lei he casually put his hands behind his back and calmly walked through the overlapping danger zones of both women. With practiced ease he slipped under the swing of the mace and with a side step the serpent whip bit nothing but air. Now between them he looked at both warily and used small movements to dance between them. The oldest was swinging her mace in powerful arcs, the dark lightning that crawled over the flanged head boomed when they hit the floor or a pillar. As for the whip, while the serpent bit and spit its fangs found no home even in Xing Lei's robe. Yet for all the effort they used the kobold stood where he stopped, barely moving his feet and only then when they were specifically targetted.

As the two drow backed off the Matron Mother raised her hand to stop her daughters. The armored one snapped a hateful gaze on Pellanistra, "Matron Mother we should punish fourth sister for leaking House secrets to this outsider."

The older drow looked upon Pellanistra, "Well daughter what caused you to gift this secret manual to a kobold of all things?"

Pellanistra finally laughed for real holding her belly, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Matron Mother I gifted this manual to the House to become our ultimate weapon, you all assumed I took it from an ancient ruin... and I allowed this misconception."

The Matron Mothers eyes snapped back to Xing Lei and widened, "You are saying..."

Pellanistra nodded simply with an evil grin, "First and second sister just attacked the master who wrote the manual for me. Punish him? Good luck sisters, I'll be sure to offer rites at your funerals if you manage to get his all."

Xing Lei looked on simply not even breathing hard, such was the importance of body tempering, spirit cultivation greatly increased your abilities for some truly devastating attacks but if your body was not conditioned properly you could only use the associated movements in short bursts. Sustained offensives against an opponent who knew the techniques better than yourself? He'd tire you to death and laugh over your corpse.

The two sisters backed off warily still unconvinced when Xing Lei looked back and forth, "Is it my turn?" His gaze shifted to Pellanistra and her Matron, the latter gave a slight nod as the former looked on happily whispering so only he and her matron could hear..."Crush them."

Rolling his shoulders he inclined his head... and vanished. The armored sister cried out, "Sorcery!" Before a foot kicked the back of her knee sending her into a partial kneel, out of instinct she swung her mace at the spot behind when she felt a hand stop the momentum of her mace almost as if it had struck a steel wall. The next thing she knew she was hurtling forward on one knee, her armor scraping sparks under the forced momentum before she intimately kissed one of the columns with enough force to send cracks through the stone. The other drow in the room all winced, especially when the first sister slumped back on the floor unconcious, her face bloodied.

While Pellanistra looked on with anticipation one of her brothers was studying the movements intrigued, slowly he pantomimed Xing Lei's strike then frowned and tried again. The Matron glanced at her son, "You have learned something?"

The drow came to his senses and nodded briskly, "Matron Mother if I'm not mistaken he just used the eigth path, a palm strike that uses enhanced speed to amplify the strike, but to go from standing to striking such a short distance and strike First sister down in two moves... I can't fathom it."

Xing Lei chuckled from where he stood behind Calimar, standing there as if he had always been there, "You are using an item to enhance your speed, such is a crutch. My speed is all my own, I reached my top speed the first step I took." Saying a few words he vanished again and the second sister started weaving her whip around herself to defend against the incoming strike, yet one moment the serpent danced around her body the next it stopped dead, the venomous head pinched between kobold claws.

"Surrounding yourself in your domain was a good thought, but you have not attained true speed with it, I can enter and exit your field or halt it dead with one move. I suggest gritting your teeth." Xing Lei said in a mournful way, the woman shrieked and went to try the next move from the path when she felt a firm reptilian heel connect with her chin. She briefly saw the ceiling of the chamber before slumping to the ground unconcious. As Xing Lei was about to step back the Matron mother stood up and screamed, her voice modulating as her scream shifted into a sonic attack. The ninth path, [Dark Seductress], was often used by p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es and courtesans to 'deal' with rowdy young Masters. Yet now she attempted such on him.

As the almost visible waves washed over his position he vanished again. The others looked around, some even drew weapons as they saw him appear behind the risen matron mother, standing easily on her throne with two fingers poised to strike, "Pellanistra I must commend your family for practicing the manual I gave you so well, though I pity the males that sacrificed their yang energy to empower her vocal qi. Ah well, the thing about the ninth path is that it makes the body extra s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to those sorts of attacks that most would not do."

Xing Lei struck down not with force but a slow c.a.r.e.s.s that locked up the Matrons body, her eyes rolled back as lightning swept through her body directly into the hidden garden between her t.h.i.g.hs. An embarrassing amount of fluid escaped down her t.h.i.g.h, puddling beneath her slightly parted legs as she achieved a climax that could only be described as mind shattering. Slumping down, the darkness of unconsciousness engulfed her before her still twitching body lost further control adding to the mess. Before even a drop touched Xing Lei he stood where he originally did. Looking to Pellanistra he chuckled, "When they're truly ready to talk send for me again. Alright if the slave girl outside guides me back?"

Without waiting the kobold turned and strode out of the hall leaving the three most powerful females in the house unconcious, Pellanistra was all smiles and Calimar was intrigued. The second son wanted to chase after but abandoning his mother and sisters like this would only encourage him to be punished. Stepping outside and closing the doors Xing Lei patted the trembling slaves head, "Its alright girl, guide me back."

Trembling the slave girl shook her head casting a fearful look at the main hall doors, without the families leave for leaving her post she could well imagine her skin being flayed off and what was left of her fed to the spiders. Shuddering she stayed knelt where she was shivering in terror at the thought of displeasing her owners. Xing Lei shrugged helplessly, considering the state he left those three in they would take their anger out on the nearest convenient target, in this case the blameless slave girl, but since she refused his aid he walked off using the path she guided him in with, putting the thought of the slave girl no one would ever see again from his mind.