Chapter 115

The ‘Numbers’ stood on a hill a few miles away from ‘Blood Tree’, watching Primaris set. They were due to meet the others once night fell, the rendezvous with the Kobold chieftain set for when the Black moon was directly overhead.

The sky was orange and purple, a beautiful sight to behold, while behind them, the Blood Tree itself was terrifying and majestic. It covered the sky with its red leaves and black branches, the tree rising hundreds of feet into the air.

Its presence had drained the life from every other plant around it, resulting in a flat, dusty land devoid of anything, except the holes and tunnels the Kobolds had dug, their settlement sheltered under the Tree’s protection.

‘One’ could feel the presence of something large, and incredibly powerful, dwelling in the Blood Tree’s foliage. A resting force, safe as long as it was left undisturbed. Perhaps it was the Dragon ancestor of the Kobolds, its presence a reminder of their heritage.

Whatever it was, the groups had no intention of bothering it. They would simply retrieve the package and return to Ur, mission accomplished. They had already run into enough problems on this journey.

‘One’ sighed, watching the last vestiges of light fade from the horizon. The others were gathered around her, although only ‘Two’ was willing to break the silence.

“How bad?” He said, leaning close and whispering into her ear. The other groups, led by ‘Elf’ and ‘Dragon’ were too far from them to hear. They hadn’t come through the journey unscathed, all bore the signs of wear on their equipment, and wounds that even potions and spells couldn’t fully heal. They needed rest, but they would find none until they were safe behind the tall walls of Ur.

“Terrible. My magic is completely unstable. It has only gotten worse are Night approaches.” ‘One’ whispered, turning her gaze away from the setting sun and looking at her companion.

“We’ve prepared for this. We’ll rely on our artifacts and items until this passes.” ‘Two’ reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder gently. ‘One’ nodded in agreement, leaning into him, and resting her head against his chest.

“How much longer do we wait? The others have all gathered, only ‘Azure’ remains unaccounted for.” ‘Two’ asked.

“We are due to meet the Kobolds in a few hours. He has until the Black Moon rises to reach us, otherwise, he is on his own.” ‘One’ stated, not willing to wait for their wayward companion. Although a Rank 10 would be valuable on the return journey, she was unwilling to risk the others waiting for him.

Time passed, and the Primaris disappeared over the horizon. The sky darkened and the stars shone overhead. Slowly, a black shape rose to the west, darker than Night, a void in the sky above. The Black Moon rose, and the chaotic mana of the Wilds surged.

The humans gathered on the hilltop felt their own mana respond, growing crazed and untamed. The mages were unable to externalize their magic, while the warriors had difficulty controlling their mana to enhance their physical strength.

“It’s time.” ‘One’ called out, gathering the others, and preparing to march out to meet the Kobolds. Just as they were about to leave, they felt a disruption in the mana around them. Something powerful was approaching.

On guard, they gathered together, drawing weapons and readying themselves for battle. From the shadows, a figure materialized, stepping out of the darkness as if he had been a part of it. Wielding a white sword, the group found themselves face to face with ‘Azure’, his blue, Dragon Turtle mask shining in the light of their torches.

The young man was uninjured, his armor and clothing pristine. He walked with calm assurance, unworried about the people in front of him, with their weapons drawn. Azure sheathed his blade as he stepped forward into the light.

‘One’ noticed that he was wearing new armor, black leather and silver chainmail that was clearly of Elven make. It shimmered with power, the enchantments distorting the air around him with its mana. She was instantly curious about the item.

They had been separated for weeks, had he stumbled upon something in the Wilds?

“You’re late.” ‘One’ said, taking the lead in greeting their wayward peer.

“I apologize. I had something to take care of. Are we ready to meet the Kobolds?” Azure replied, while the others put away their weapons.

Azure could see the greedy looks following him from ‘Elf’ and the others from his group. Ignoring them, Wil walked towards ‘One’, the only person he was on friendly terms with, aside from ‘Dragon.’

“We were just about to leave for the meeting. Do you need a moment to rest?” She asked. They were in a hurry but could spare a few minutes if they needed to. Seeing Azure shake his head, she led the others forward. She didn’t bother asking Azure where he had been. If he hadn’t offered an explanation, she doubted pushing him for one would work.

The Night was quiet as the twelve humans made their way to the meeting point. This close to the Kobold settlement, few beasts or creatures dared invade their territory. Combined with the desolate landscape created by the Blood Tree, it meant that they had little to draw their attention away from the tedium of their walking.

‘One’ led the way, with her team flanked around her. The others spread out, keeping an eye out for a Kobold ambush. Although ‘Gold’ had assured them of their cooperation, they wouldn’t leave their lives in his hands. She had the Kobold talisman, the necklace holding a beast’s fang, wrapped around her neck, permanently visible to avoid any misunderstandings.

At the edge of the Blood Tree’s overhanging branches, the group of humans stopped, their path forward blocked by Kobolds.

There were hundreds of them, each only a few feet tall, and only Rank 1 or 2. But Azure and the others could feel that there were thousands more nearby, most likely hiding underground, ready to strike at the first sign of betrayal.

On a small ridge, a Kobold stepped forward from its brethren. Taller than the others, nearly three feet tall, it wore beast hides covered in roughly hewn jewels and sparkling baubles. On its head it wore the skull of a beast as a helmet, the Kobolds face exposed between its jaws.

“The chieftain.” ‘Dragon’ said quietly, his voice breaking the silence from the group, so low that the Kobolds would not hear.

“Looks like Gold was right.” ‘Elf’ said, relaxing as the Kobold Chieftain stepped forward. The small creature stopped a half dozen steps away, obviously waiting for something. ‘One’ walked forward to meet him, pulling the talisman from around her neck and holding it out to the Chieftain.

The Chieftain snatched the item, holding it up to the torchlight shining down on him from his companions behind him. With a short bark, it called to the others behind, gesturing for something. In moments, an older Kobold walked out from the crowd, its body covered in thick robes. A shaman.

The shaman walked up to the chieftain, taking the small talisman, and muttering an incantation over it. Tossing the item to the ground, there was a flash of light and a surge of mana, before an iron bound wooden chest rested where the talisman had been.

“Gods Bones! Did you know we were carrying that around the whole time?” ‘Elf’ asked the others, while the Chieftain bent over the chest, lifting the lid to reveal a pile of glittering gold coins, artifacts, and other magical items.

Ignoring ‘Elf’, ‘One’ waited patiently for the inspection to be completed. In moments, the satisfied chieftain closed the lid of the chest, gesturing for a pair of Kobolds to bring it away. Another shouted bark in the Kobold’s language had a large crate carried forward, this time it took nearly a half dozen of the creatures to carry it.

The crate was black, made of some kind of hardwood that Azure didn’t recognize at first, until he compared it to the Blood Tree in the distance. The wood of the Blood Tree had been covered in magical runes, complicated wards that protected it from damage, as well as sealed whatever was inside in some kind of stasis field, if he could read them correctly.

Placing the crate heavily on the ground, the Kobolds retreated. In moments the humans stood alone, the small creatures disappearing beneath the ground.

“I’m not carrying that.” ‘Elf’ said, his fellows ‘Triplets’ nodding their heads at his words. Azure shook his head at the man, losing patience with him.

“I’ll take care of it.” he said, pulling out the emerald from his bag. The group quickly made it back to where they had left their horses, all but Azure, whose horse had fled. Not bothering to walk, Azure leapt onto the giant Elemental’s shoulder, sitting comfortably while the creature carried the crate.

With that, the dozen humans made their way back to Ur.