Monster May Day 5 and 6: Kobold and Dragonborn
#44 of Writing Prompts
This one is a bit of a mixed bag, I made it as part of some short stories I'm making for monster may. At the same time, there was a writing corner prompt that had caught my attention, so I decided to fuse the two. The prompt was "Out of everyone I could end up being stuck with, why did it have to be you?", Critics and comments are welcome.
Draken breathed a ring of fire to the air as he read the letter once more, anger made his blood boil while his claws scratched the wood of his desk. Smoke shot out of his nose as he bit back a growl but he was too late to stop his tail from beating the stone floor. He let the letter fall to his desk and stared at the only resource assigned for his mission. The small lizard in front of him was so scrawny he looked like a toothpick, his red scales so pale he could as well have been white and the cracks running through their surfaces betrayed the kobold had at least one disease, maybe more.
The dragonborn stood to his full height, more than twice the size of the smaller lizard, and closed the distance between the two with heavy steps. The dragonborn lifted the kobold's muzzle with a sharp silver claw, his forked tongue tasting fear, excitement and happiness in the air. Gold orbs met his crimson ones, conflicting emotions clashed in that field of yellow and that twisted Draken's lips into a grin.
"So tell me young one, why did you ask to work with me?" Draken said with a raspy voice, fire licking his lips. "It's a well known fact that none of my pawns last more than a year."
"I'm different." replied the kobold with a high pitched voice, her tail smacking the floor in defiance.
"You think you're the only one who said that."
"No, but they weren't me."
"They were also healthier and bigger and more experienced." Draken let go of her muzzle and snorted, turning around, her act meant nothing when he could taste her fear."Why do you think you will survive were they couldn't?"
"Because they won't expect me. They'll underestimate me, just like you." her last word said, the kobold launched through the air; a long ragged knife appeared in her hands and a hiss left her throat as the edge drew closer to the dragonborn's back.
A wall of fire erupted in front of her before a sudden force sent the kobold crashing against the wall. She fell to her side, clutching her stomach while her lungs burned for air. The dragonborn looked at her from the distance, an azure fire resting in his clawed hands.
"A nice attempt but your scent betrayed you." the dragonborn walked closer to the prone kobold, his eyes shinning a deep red. "You just attacked a high ranked official, your life is forfeit and you accomplished nothing."
"Heh, are you sure? what if you catch my disease or if I explode now?" the kobold said with a rough voice.
"Then, you'd have removed only one cog in the machine. One that will be replaced by this time tomorrow."
"Enough time for another to shake the status quo."
The dragonborn's forked tongue tasted the air once more and a smile appeared on his face, twisted and cruel.
"So you fancy yourself a liberator or a revolutionary."
"No, but I know how this all works. Just like you."
Draken's tail smashes the ground, fire licking his muzzle before he made his way back to his seat, his claws scratching the desk once more.
"You got potential, sure, with some work you may even get to be a good one." the dragonborn let out another ring of fire, his eyes glaring holes into the kobold's crumpled form. "But we'll need to do something about that mouth of yours, it'll get you in trouble."
"So is that a yes to my application?"
"It's a maybe. I'll send you over to Raega, if she says you're good enough, you'll get your mission. If you fail, we'll let you rot with the other bodies."
"You won't regret it, sir."
"I better don't, the last thing I need is a useless piece." A stream of smoke shot from the dragonborn's nose, dark and thick. "Now leave before I decided charred kobold is my next meal."
"Yes sir." The kobold said with a low bow, her own tail smacking the ground.
"And Andrea," the dragonborn said before the kobold stepped through the door, "next time you do something like that, you'll be a tail-less disgrace."
"Understood sir."
"Good, that fear is good, it'll keep you alive." The dragonborn said after his forked tongue tasted the air, his malevolent smirk returning to his face. "Good luck recruit."