The Kobolds surrounding Tess started and reacted as one. Baring their teeth, they swiveled around and looked at the jungle.

Just below the treeline, partially covered by the slowly growing shadows cast by the enormous trees, stood three Kobolds. The first thing the group noticed was that they weren't wearing ripped and torn clothing like them, but were decked out in leather armor. Two of them were holding bows that were almost as tall as they were, a well-filled quiver poking out behind their shoulder.

Slightly to the side, perhaps so as not to block their shot, was a tall wide-shouldered and yellow-scaled Kobold. Unlike the others, he was wearing thick metal-studded leather armor. Only his left arm wasn't covered, leaving bare a muscular blue scaled arm. In his hand, he held a gleaming scimitar its curved blade ending in a wicked point.

Looking at them, Jake immediately noticed a host of small differences compared to himself and his friends. The most obvious one was that these Kobolds had faces that were much more reptilian, with longer snouts and more curved eyes. There was also something different about the proportion of their muscles and the length of their limbs. Looking at Mason quickly and then back at the Kobolds, he realized there were tiny remnants of human features in his friend's face and stature that were missing in the other Kobolds.

”Looking at your reaction I take it they aren't with you?” Tess whispered. She had managed to maneuver herself slightly and was now partially behind Mason.

“They don't even look like us… And look at their armor and weapons. It fits them perfectly. These guys didn't just change into Kobolds they look like they were born like this. I think we’ve just found the locals...” Mason grunted, shuffling a bit on his feet.

"Are you sure? To me, they look just like you." Tess muttered.

Nobody answered her.

As the two groups stood eyeing each other, the shadows grew longer, and soon the first tips reached the river.

“Are we just going to stand here like this? Perhaps we should go and talk to them?” Jake muttered.

The indigenousness Kobolds seemed to have come to the same conclusion because before anybody could follow up on Jake’s words, they began moving forward.

The tallest one appeared to be the leader, and he used a hand gesture to command the other two to hold their place before walking forward. He stopped halfway and raised one arm.

“The hell? I guess he wants to talk, but what's with the arm?” Mason grunted in confusion.

Sandra sighed before slowly walking forward. “The arm is a warning if he drops it, his friends will start shooting. Spread out a bit, and if he attacks me, take out the archers first.”

Mason was about to follow her when Jake grabbed his arm, shaking his head. “Don't. She seems to know what she is doing, and this way you won't have to fight that big lug if he becomes unfriendly. ”

Sandra's three Kobold allies began spreading out while keeping their eyes on the archers below the treeline.

Ignoring them, Jake turned to Tess, who was still holding Emma’s hand. “Listen up, if anything happens, hide.” She nodded with a serious look on her face.

Then he turned to Emma, beckoning her over. “Stay close to me. If it comes to a fight, Mason and I will rush towards the archers. Stay behind us, so you don't get shot.”

Mason looked at his friend, his eyebrows raised before a grin surfaced on his face.

As Emma nodded and was about to move towards him, Tess grabbed her shoulder, shaking her head in dismay as she glared at Jake. “You can't be serious! How can you make a little girl like her fight?”

Jake had no time to respond because Emma slapped the hand from her shoulder before darting next to Jake. Then she looked back at Tess an annoyed look on her face. “I can take care of myself! And even if I couldn't, I am safer with them than with you!”

Not waiting for a reply, Emma walked next to Mason, and after a moment's thought, grabbed his hand.

Jake shrugged and looked at the Fiend. “Listen, I know what you must be thinking. But times have changed, and before we met you, we had to deal with shit. She is more than capable of taking care of herself, and she needs the practice.”

The fiend stared at him, and he met her gaze as level as he could. After a minute, she sighed sadly. Nodding, she turned her gaze from Jake and watched Sandra, who was almost at the indigenous Kobold who was still waiting with his arm raised.

Jake moved next to Mason and Emma, wondering what would happen.

“Damnit, I should be there, not her!” His friend hissed, as he looked at Sandra stepping towards the other Kobold.

“You are just curious and don't want to wait for her to tell us what they are and want!” Jake shot back before snickering.

Mason snorted.

--

Standing in front of the yellow Kobold, Sandra noticed something eerie. Every time she looked at his weird blue arm, part of her was feeling a sort of deference towards the other Kobold. Annoyed, she suppressed the feeling to bow down and looked into the blue lizard eyes.

“Rias raggel egforag rias derial ragfo?” In a deep, somewhat ragged voice, the Kobold appeared to ask her something, his voice loud enough for the party behind her to hear.

Confused, Sandra shook her head. “I don't know what that means, can you understand me?”

The Kobolds eyes narrowed, and he uttered another mouth full of gibberish.

“Rag derial rias derialgel gel ragragforias rageggelrag?” The Kobold bellowed.

Getting the feeling things weren't going the right way, Sandra slowly shook her head again. This time the Kobold let out a single word, and although she still didn't understand, she guessed it was a curse.

After being silent for a while, the Kobold spoke again, but this time in another language. Understanding that he was trying to find a common language, Sandra shook her head again. Astonishing her the Kobold continued spewing out questions in at least a dozen different languages, until, appearing sorely out of patience the Kobold uttered something in a growling, guttural language. From the tone, and the glare, Sandra knew right away that it was something of an ultimatum.

Getting ready for anything she shook her head, getting the distinct feeling this wasn't going to end well. A snarl began forming on the Kobolds face, and tensions mounted. Just when it seemed it wasn't going to end well, he focused his gaze on something behind her, and at the same time, Sandra heard someone walk towards them.

The tall Kobold stepped back a bit his hand still in the air.

Cursing softly, Sandra wished she could look over her shoulder. “Don't come any closer! It isn't going well, and he might attack!”

“How would you know? You don't even understand what he is saying! ” Snapped Mason as he stepped next to her closely followed by Jake. They both had their hands on their head and were looking at the archers.

Following their gaze, Sandra saw one of them was now aiming an arrow at the two Kobolds.

Her military background kicked in, and she quickly scanned where the other Kobolds were before examining Mason and Jake. She immediately noticed that were Mason seemed relaxed, Jake’s face contorted and contracted as if he was in a great deal of pain.