The flight back took far longer than Jake expected. The sunrise was reflected in the sparkling water around the island when he finally returned. Angling down, he was worried. Had the others gotten out in time? Did they manage to save the captured Kobolds? Barely capable of flapping another wing, he knew there wasn't anything he could do about it now. He needed to eat and sleep for a week. From this high, he saw a school of fish that was arriving from upriver.

The others won't be back for half a day, he thought as he slowly glided towards the surface. He furled his painful wings when he felt the cool water on his paws, splashing in the water. The rush of energy alleviated some of the soreness in his muscles. Happy at the prospect of keeping his wings folded for a while, he swam forward.

Silvery grey fish, the size of his tail, swam close to the muddy bottom. The rumble of his stomach reverberated through the water, and they shot away.

Shit! He propelled himself forward.

Ten minutes later, he had caught three of them, eating them in a few bites. Partially satiated, but too tired to continue, he slowly swam to the surface. Crawling out, he stared into the face of a startled Kobold.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..." he muttered, wondering who the hell this was. He didn't know everyone, but they all knew his name. Not something he thought he'd ever get annoyed by.

"Yeah, well. I wasn't scared!" the Kobold stuttered, probably not believing his own words. He was one of the few yellow Kobolds Jake had seen, slim and lightly built.

With a nod, Jake was about to climb up when he thought of something. "Listen, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure... yeah, I can do that!" With forced bravado, the Kobold rose his head and puffed out his chest.

What the hell is up with this guy? Jake shook his head and forced a smile.

"Mellisa and Tergin should be back in a few hours. I need to rest, but tell them to come to find me right away!"

The Kobold's shoulders slumped, but his head bobbed up and down like a piston. "Ok, sir. I will wait for them until they get back!"

Jake grunted, internally shivering at the other's slimy tone. Sir? Mason will laugh his ass off. With a surge of energy born from a desire to get away, he climbed up the tree. Reaching the top, he wrapped himself around the tree, his torso resting on a branch. He fell asleep before his eyelids fully closed.

--

"Why should we go with you?"

Melissa groaned. Was this guy an idiot? They'd just freed him, and saved his life. She glared at the burly Kobold. He was fidgeting with a stick, and she noticed he was missing fingers from the right one.

"You’re Daniel, right? You don't have to come with us at all!" Sniffing, she looked around at the slightly more than two hundred Kobolds around her. Most were malnourished and covered in bruises and blood.

They were at the border of the jungle, still standing on the logged area and time was running out. The monster was crushing Gobtown, while Jake hovered above. Seeing him brought a smile to her face. She shook her head, no time for that now. Most Goblins had fled, but some of them were on the other side of the logged area. Small specs, they wouldn't stay so for long. She needed to get the Kobolds out of here before the Goblins decided to capture them!

Tergin and two dozen other Kobolds from the island were standing halfway in the jungle, ready to get back.

"None of you have to come with us. But we are creating a safe place for Kobolds, away from the Goblins," she finally said, shaking her head in disgust. She had expected them to jump at the chance to come with her. Many did, although reluctantly, there were a few who seemed against it, and she couldn't imagine why.

Daniel frowned, shaking his head in disgust. "No need to get all prickly. The last time we went with another Kobold, she changed into some grey-skinned monster that handed us over to the Goblins."

Melissa shivered as she realized what was going on. "A fiend! Did he tell you his name?"

“A he? It was a she! Are you telling me there are more of those things around?”

A warning shout came from the forest and Melissa turned around. Tergin pointed at the other side of the logged area, at a host of Goblins running their way.

"Shit. Listen, we've had a run-in with a Fiend too, but there's no time left to explain. Either follow us or stay here. Your choice!" Melissa turned around and motioned the others.

"Let's go! We need to get back to the rendezvous point." She prayed everyone would follow. They needed more people if they were going to defend themselves against Goblins, Insectoids, and Fiends.

Her prayers seemed to be answered, as everyone ended up following them back to the edge of the bog. Away from the immediate danger, she and Tergin were standing together with the others.

"Everyone takes a group with them. Make sure you keep an eye on them all and take the fastest way back to base. Do you all remember the route?"

Two dozen heads nodded, and she sighed in relief. Turning to the huddled together group of freed Kobolds, she felt awkward. She wasn't used to being in charge, and she wished Jake had let someone else do it.

"Everyone, we are going to split up in groups of eight or nine. Every group will have a guide if you have friends or family hold hands, so we know who to keep together."

"Wha- Why would we split up? That will leave us more vulnerable!" Daniel stepped back, gripping the stick he was still carrying. It cracked dangerously, splinters sticking out.

Melissa took a few deep breaths. She wanted nothing more than to get back and not have to explain everything all the time.

"No! It's safer this way. You know how dangerous it is in the jungle. A large group would draw too much attention." Seeing him open his mouth, she made a cutting gesture. "Enough! If you don't want to come, or don't agree, just stay here. We don't have time for this." She turned to the scouts.

"Get a group and head out!" Last-minute, she recalled something Jake had asked, another weight on her shoulders. "Remember to keep an eye out for Jake's siblings." They nodded in response, but from their looks she knew they had as little hope as her.

It didn't take as long as she feared for groups to form. After ten minutes, she watched the final group disappear into the jungle.

Turning to the nine Kobolds that remained, she scowled when she saw Daniel. Of course, he has to be in my group.

She motioned for them to follow her and headed towards the nearest tree. "Let's go! I hope all of you can climb."

--

"This is all your fault!" Screaming in rage, Peltmans continued kicking the silent form on the ground. Transparent wings and green limbs lay scattered around the white sand, while thick green blood clung to the furious Orc's hands. A soft voice interrupted his rant.

"Boss, we've found most of the women. Snake-eyes got them to safety before that monster arrived." Another Orc, slightly smaller and with darker skin, stood further down the beach.

Peltmans stared at the Orc that didn't look back but was staring at its shuffling feet.

"Damnit! Are you an Orc or a baby? And you dare call yourself Orcslayer? Look me in the eye when you speak to me!" Stomping forward, he felt his anger surge up when the other one backed up.

"Did you find Whipper?"

"No, Boss. Nobody saw him get out of the town."

Peltmans struck him across the jaw, knocking him to the ground. "Useless! All of you! Go to the others and search the jungle. Find the Goblins before they get eaten."

Anthony, the Orcslayer, scowled before looking up and nodding. "Yes!" He scrambled up and ran away when something hit him in the back.

"That's, yes Boss, you spineless coward!"

"Yes, Boss!" Anthony the Orcslayer snarled without stopping.

Peltmans growled deep in his throat as he saw the other Orc runoff. "I should kill him." Turning to the ruins of his master plan, he saw the giant crocodile monster stomp off in the distance. "Finally, it leaves! Now, where is that idiot nephew of mine."

--

Whipper shivered as he huddled in the corner of a ruined wooden shack. The roaring and screaming had stopped a while ago, but he was too afraid to go out. The air through the cracks was going dark and cloudy, and the wind was slowly picking up.

A breeze entered the shack, carrying the scent of fresh blood. It was tinged with something that caused him to stop shivering. He sniffed, and his eyes widened. Drool dripped from his mouth, and all the fear left him in one fell swoop.

Something about that blood, the smell, made him want to rush forward. It smelled of power, and a deeply buried instinct triggered. Climbing out of the shack, across the rubble of wood and stone, he followed his nose.

He barely noticed the destruction around him or the crushed bodies. Climbing forward, he scrambled across the ruins of a series of cabins swept together by a monstrous force.

He was close now, so close! As he sniffed, the rotten, putrid smell of a sewer mixed with the blood. How had he not noticed it before? No matter! Jumping across a tangle of beams, he landed in a warm sticky goo.

"Ah, shit..." He gagged, almost throwing up. He stood knee-deep in an enormous pile of crap. It was warm, still steaming in places, and this close, he barely smelled the blood. But he knew it was there, tugging at him.

Whipper shoved his disgust down and trudged through the shit. He told himself it was just hot mud as he tried to find what was drawing him. The shit rose to his belly when he bumped into something. The smell of blood was strong, and he saw a little golden red liquid atop the brown-green mush.

Without thinking, he stuck his hand inside and rutted around until he found something hard. Dragging it out was accompanied by a sucking sound, and then he stared at a piece of a limb. It was bloody and raw, with more golden-red blood dripping out of it. The size of his arm, there was a patch of deep red scales on one side.

Whipper looked around. He was all alone in the rubble, the heavy thudding of the leaving behemoth his only company. His mouth widened in an ugly grin. Without another thought for the consequences, he bit into the meat, ignoring the warmth and slime.

Swallowing, it was like knocking back a glass of liquor, and he coughed. His instincts kicked into overdrive, telling him to eat it all, lest someone steal it! With large bites, he began eating the meat, feeling his belly bulge, and heat up. The dimly lit surroundings suddenly blacked out, and he couldn't see. It was as if someone had turned off the light.

Whipper raised his hand, but before it reached his face, he slumped. Without a sound, his body disappeared below the thick layer of shit.