Ves’ra was happy when she left the mages guild that evening. It had been a frustrating week - the ‘teacher’ definitely knew what he was teaching, but she had to interrupt him every few minutes because he would get off target again. Even the elven clerk that followed her couldn't ruin her mood.

Wait.

The elven clerk that followed her?

That hadn't happened before. Beings shadowing oneself wouldn't normally want the best for anyone. Violence was forbidden in the city - or she’d have already shown him what she thought of the ‘teacher’ she had to endure. Well, perhaps he would attack her, she’d be allowed to defend herself then.

Her wish didn't come into being, he followed her until she reached her inn - though he was so incompetent at it she wondered if he was even trying. Perhaps he’d try something later - he had to know she was a mage and would probably wait for her to sleep before acting.

It would be best to prepare for that, so she practically inhaled her meal and went to her room. She took out all the daggers she purchased over the week, strapping them in easy to reach places. She decided she wouldn't try to fight in the middle of the inn - the innkeeper had been kind to her and didn't begrudge her for her unique diet.

She could as well sleep she decided - it would definitely be less suspicious than being awake and not struggling.

Ves’ra woke violently as someone ripped her arms on her back, binding them together with a strong rope. She put up a token resistance - but there was no way for her to free herself from the rope.

“Who are you? What do you want?” She asked.

“Shut up.”

“I don't have anything valuable.”

“We’ll shut you up if you don't!”

“Fine, just don't hurt me please.” With her duties after being koboldnapped done Ves’ra watched interested as the men tied her up - not bothering to search her at all - and then left the inn through her window, locking it after leaving.

They held to back alleys as she was slowly transported to the outer quarters of the city. She could spot a flickering flame every now and then, but a quick glare by one of the thugs ‘shut’ her up before she could yell for help.

She was sure none of the thugs was a mage, so she started gathering water from the air, storing it in fur of her clothes. That was uncomfortable, but nearly impossible to spot by eyesight. While being at it she added water into the ropes too - it would make her escape inevitable.

They took about an hour to arrive at their destination - an old looking building, the first she had seen in the city. The thugs entered the building through a side door and secured her to a wooden chair. All but two of them left the room afterwards, as the remaining two started guarding the door.

The elf that followed her this evening came in soon after, looking completely out of it.

“You?” She asked. “What do you want with me? What did I do?” The elf shook his head.

“You don't even get it do you? You're sitting on a literal goldmine and don't even notice!”

“Why did you need me then? I'm not sure how I could help you dig up the ground.”

“DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!”

“Not really. How would I? We only talked once, after which you gave me a useless and rude teacher.”

“Your village, what is its secret? Tell me!”

“My village? There is no secret to be found. What do you mean?”

“Every fucking one of you is a mage, you told me yourself! I want to know how you do it.”

“And you kidnapped me for that? I would have told you about the second hatching if you asked me.”

“You know the secret? Tell me!” He yelled.

“There is no secret. The shaman tells us what to expect - we’ll find ourselves in our second egg - and then we just have to get out like we did with the first. If we manage than we are a full member of our tribe.”

“That's it? No potion, spell, anything? No, you must be lying! Yes that's it, don't you dare lie to me you savage. I saw through you!”

Ves’ra had enough of the inane ramblings of the mad idiot in front of her, so she froze the water in the ropes binding her. They shattered with only little force, startling the two guards into action. Ves’ra summoned her magic again, roasting the elf in front of her with a bolt of lightning. She ran at the two guards after that, taking out two of her daggers in the process.

She was on the first before he had a chance to process her attack, plunging both daggers in his chest.

She had to jump back after, barely avoiding the fist of the second man. Just as she was about to jump forwards again she heard footsteps from the other side of the door, so she stepped back. The man saw that as her being intimidated by his bulk and stepped forwards, intend on driving his advantage.

The ones behind the door kicked it open, directly into her assailant. The man fell over, out of commission for now. The last three of her kidnappers entered through the now broken door, slowly pressuring her in a corner.

She would lose like that. Ves’ra threw one of her daggers at the farthest opponent and took the second in her mouth, dropping on her four limbs and exploding towards one of the man. She passed the one nearest to her in the process, giving him a good slap with her tail.

She must have hit something important as the man fell to the ground, arms between his legs.

Ves’ra had no chance to wonder about that as she came into range with her target, jumping at his face with a last jump. The man was not prepared for that, and fell to the ground. She landed atop his chest, plugging her dagger down with all her strength.

The third man had just dodged her dagger and was at a loss at what to do - pausing for a moment. That was the last problem he had, as it gave her enough time to finish her next spell.

Water immediately started flowing out of her clothes, rapidly cooling into ice. The lance of ice pierced his chest, making the man fall to the ground as life left him.

Ves’ra stood up, blood still pumping through her veins as she looked at the carnage around her. Three of her attackers were still alive - the elf, the man hit by the door and the one her tail hit.

She killed the two thugs first, they were obviously hired and would have nothing interesting to tell her. Once that grim work was done she turned towards the elf - he was just coming back to himself and obviously didn't like what he saw.

Ves’ra used her magic to secure him, completely immobilising everything except his mouth with a thin layer of ice.

“Well, let's talk shall we?” She said with a grin. The thugs had come from somewhere and she wasn't one to leave enemies behind her - and the elf was her only connection to them. It would be a bloody night.