King of The Kobolds: Prologue part 1: Wait Until The Mourning
#1 of Chaotic Time wizard series
While on an adventure in search to destroy a gnoll paladin by the name of Venri'is, Ragnorak settles in a cave for the night and stumbles upon a clutch of kobold eggs.
Ragnorak ran through loose mud, nearly loosing his footing every few steps. The rain became a heavy downpour of precipitation within minutes.
"I'd best get out of this weather..."
He grumbled lowly.
Despite being a skilled tracker, Ragnorak knew when to make the right call.
"His tracks will probably wash away...But I'd rather find the trail after this blows over rather than getting lost..."
He sighed and pulled the hood of his cloak further over his face.
Ragnorak continued running through mud, scouting around for an area he could rest at.
"Stupid clearing..."
He grunted in frustration.
The surrounding was an impossible to climb mountain on both sides of the canyon. The dirt path was the only means of travel, but due to the rain the path had become a slick hazard. It was already bad enough the gnoll was half a day ahead of him and now it would pushed back to a day.
Ragnorak continued onwards though the passage still in search for a place to stop. He noticed a large opening within the sides of the inscalable mountain that was elevated at least a foot and a half off the ground.
"There..."
He ran over towards the cave and jumped in.
Once inside, Ragnorak removed his gear and settled in towards the middle of the cave. He set a small fire with some materials he carried. A sigh escaped his scaled maw.
"So close...but he'll be mine."
He leaned back onto the cave's rough interior wall. Ragnorak sat with crossed legs and a grimace plastered on his face. His eyes focused intensely at the fire, watching the kindles and embers float about. His mind went adrift as the embers began to bring vivid memories of his childhood.
A few moments passed, the downpour outside unrelenting and not subsiding in the slightest bit. Ragnorak stared at the fire, mesmerized by the colors and the intensity it harboured.
A faint growl emitted from deeper in the cave that interrupted his trance. Ragnorak jerked upwards and raised up to his feet. From his bag he grabbed a small knife. Slowly he made his way to the back. His reptilian eyes narrowed and he growled lowly. In a deep, throaty, draconic bellow he made his presence known.
"Who goes?"
The growl continued, seeming to not care about his menacing tone. Ragnorak moved in faster, listening to the growl. As he approached the low growl he saw the silhouette of a small figure wrenching on the floor.
"The hell?"
His vision started becoming clearer as he immersed in the darkness. The closer he stepped to the figure he began to make out what it was.
"A kobold?"
The kobold on the ground clawed at the ground desperately, growling in anger and pain. Upon closer inspection the kobold was female and bore a large protrusion in her abdominal region. She grunted looking up at the tall lizardman before her. She growled out to him.
"Ko... bold..."
Ragnorak kneeled down to her and rested her chin under his finger. He raised her head so she was facing him.
"You're pregnant."
The kobold nodded slightly, cringing in pain. She hissed out feeling a contraction. The female gave him a pleading look.
"Please...help..."
He stared blankly at the writhing female for a short moment. He thought it over and nodded.
"Get this out of me..."
She screeched out feeling another contraction. Ragnorak turned her over on her back and prepared for delivery, receiving multiple protests from the female.
"This egg is huge for a kobold..." He thought.
"Won't...work..."
The female looked up at him, holding her belly. Her cringes and growls becoming louder the longer she carried the egg.
"This...egg..."
She couldn't complete her sentences from the agonizing pain she was enduring. Ragnorak looked down into his hand and saw the knife that he carried. She tapped him with her leg to get his attention. He looked up to see tears in her eyes and a look of devastation on her face.
"Use it...please..."
His eyes widened at her request. Although he knew this was the only other option, he wanted to be sure she knew clearly what she was risking.
"You'll forfeit your life."
She shook her head, tears falling down her face. A deep breath in to calm herself and upon her exhale she replied.
"I know...It needs-"
She screamed out feeling the egg try to eject itself from her body. Ragnorak knew what he had to do and gripped his knife. He recited a mental countdown to prepare himself.
"5.....4....3...2..1."
He pushed the tip of the blade into the right side of her abdomen. Once the incision was made he quickly yet carefully pulled the knife to the left, cutting through scales, muscle and other tissue. The scaled flesh retracted around the egg as it became visible. A cream coloured enamel was coated in a thin layer of blood. He pulled out the egg and laid it by her side.
As the knife entered her, the kobold hissed out in extreme pain. There was a sense of relief during the moment of the egg removal for her as well. Her claws rested atop the torn flesh on her abdomen. Her breathing pattern slowed and became shallow at an alarming rate.
Ragnorak watched her struggle slowly come to an end in silence. He looked to the egg and closed his eyes.
The female reached out and gripped one of his fingers. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She gave him a weak smile and whispered.
"Thank you...."
He shook his head.
"Do not thank me for this... I-"
"Shh... it needed to happen."
The kobold pointed to a cluster of 12 other eggs. Ragnorak turned to see them with wide eyes. The eggs all were buried half way in the ground. He turned back to the kobold when he felt her grip loosen on his finger. She closed her eyes and let out one final sigh. Her body slowly faded away in a matter of seconds. By the time a minute passed all she left behind were 13 eggs and her cloak.
"She was a mage..."
Ragnorak picked up the small cloak and hung it on the wall. He grabbed the large egg and buried a divot for the egg to fit into and place the round unborn lizard in it.
Ragnorak walked back to his bag and took out a ceremonial candle. He lit the candle with the fire and slowly walked back to the eggs. The light passed over each egg before he focused on the cloak. He held the small fire underneath the cloak and allowed the flame to caress the material's hem. Slowly the blaze grew into a bluish green wall of beauty. Ragnorak watched as the flames danced around, flickering out ash and embers that wafted around. The cloak became anew, curling and slowly becoming dust, flames consuming an old form so it could unleash it's raw power and potential, each ember bright and giving off a magical glow. In minutes the cloak became a memory, to be forgotten and replaced by more joyous memories, the dust was all that remained now. Ragnorak bowed his head and walked back to his area.
As Ragnorak walked back the magical dust swirled around along with faint whispers of a heavenly voice. The magical dust blew onto the eggs causing them to briefly glow bluish green. As things settled down, Rangorak laid against the cave wall and sighed trying to bring himself to sleep.
It took about half an hour for him to rest and once he did he would see to his journey in the morn. Little to his knowledge he would be meet a few unexpected guests.