[rework] Minglings - chapter 27: Familiar faces

Jake circled again, staring at the small Antari Kobold town far below. It surprised him how close to the sea it seemed from up here. When they fled, it had appeared so far from the coast.

A good thing we ate first, he thought, licking some remaining blood from his lips. If he hadn't gone down to the coast first, he wouldn't have been able to think clearly and made mistakes. No matter how much his new form sometimes tried to force his hand, calm and collected was what he had to be.

Watching the bustling town, he felt conflicted. Should he be happy or sad that it seemed fine, with no lingering visible damage from the infighting that he and the others had been caught within?

"Brother hunt?" Tir's voice seemed distant as if through a fog, and Jake shook off his confused sadness.

"No, little sister, those are Kobolds. We don't hunt them. They can turn into Dragons like me."

"So we go see if they have food?" Ter shouted happily.

"I don't know. Some of them tried to harm my friends and me," Jake said, trying to locate Bolyr by his odd arm.

An angry hiss came from his back as both Tir and Ter seemed agitated by his words. "We fight them?" Ter, so far not one for direct conflict, was glaring down from his back towards the barely discernible Kobolds moving around.

"No. We will see who won, the good guys or the bad. There were some really nice Kobolds too, and they might need our help. Besides, we need someone to show us where the other island is."

Tir and Ter were easily placated, muttering excitedly as they hung over his sides to look down.

Jake started circling down, wondering if he should approach or scan from the sky and leave it at that.

He wasn't that far down when surprised shouting came from below. Like ants, the tiny Kobolds rushed about, eventually grouping in front of the town. He didn't see any raised bows yet and decided to go down to shouting distance.

As he got closer, he saw a few familiar faces and was relieved to find Bolyr standing at the front of the group with a wide smile.

Can he recognize me? He shook his head. Impossible. Flapping his wings fifty feet above the ground, he heard the Kobolds shout something that was lost in the explosive sounds of his wings.

Fool. You can't hear them like this, Jake chastised himself.

He didn't feel too bad, though. The sight of Bolyr, unharmed and in the front, had done wonders for his mood.

Looking around, he didn't find a single spot where he could land without them being able to reach him. Scanning for Vestr, he didn't see the old bastard anywhere, but Gria was standing next to Bolyr. He was shocked to see she was missing an arm. That doesn't look too good...

Trying to make up his mind, he finally decided on a course of action.

"Bolyr! Move away from the others so we can talk in private." As he roared above his flapping, Jake wondered if the Kobold would be surprised at hearing his name. He couldn't really have recognized him, right?

A hubbub happened below, with Kobolds shouting at him, then at each other. For a moment he didn't think they'd do as he asked, then the Kobolds began running back. A minute later, all the other Kobolds had moved into the village. Jake saw them standing on the walls and roofs, all staring at him.

Only Bolyr remained outside, and he moved even farther away from the unfinished wall. Jake waited until he was halfway to the jungle's edge, then felt secure that he could flee if the Kobolds charged. He descended, and the powerful wind caused Bolyr to lean forward, trying to keep his footing. When he touched down, he stared Bolyr almost straight in the eyes, again hammering home that his Dragon shape was not all that big yet.

Bolyr looked back without blinking, then smiled while at the same time seeming to be in pain. "Jake."

How the- Just because I called his name? Startled, Jake nodded, keeping a constant eye on the other Kobolds in the distance.

"Yes. How did you know it was me?"

Bolyr laughed, the twinkling in his eyes momentarily covering the pain. "Because there are no Dragons like you in this world anymore. Also, you know my name, and I have never met any sea dragon that could."

"Right," Jake said, frowning at the odd way Bolyr had distinguished between him being a Dragon and sea dragons.

Bolyr sighed, his frivolous expression gone again, and with a pained look, he averted his eyes. "I am very sorry for what happened. Vestr had planned to take control for a long time and killed all but one of the elders. He hid it from me, but I should have realized something was wrong. Are your friends alright?"

Jake shook his head. He wasn't willing to let it go without an explanation... if at all. "What happened to Vestr?"

"Gria killed him, but it was a hard-won victory." Bolyr rubbed his lower arm as he spoke, not seeming to realize he was. He was about to say something, then seemed to think better of it and sighed.

Was he holding back something? Wondering how far he could trust the other, Jake knew he had little choice unless he wanted to search for the other island randomly.

"I've lost the others on the way back to the first island when I changed. They should be back there somewhere, but I don't know how to find them."

Bolyr rubbed his jaw, an inquisitive look on his face as he stared at Jake. "How did you manage to find your way back here?"

"That isn't important. What is important is that you can help me to find the others. Will you?" Jake's voice shook a little as he asked, knowing that if the other didn't help voluntarily, he would jump and drag him along by force.

The older Kobold smiled and nodded. "I will help. We will do anything in our power to help you and wash away the shame that Vestr brought on us. If you want, I can come with you. Gria doesn't need my help, and I had to kill too many Antraci to stop Vestr. " Bolyr's voice trailed off, the painful look returning to his reptilian face. "The others don't understand."

"You can come, but we will leave right away. I need to find Mason and see if he is alright," Jake said. He rose on his hind legs, staring at the Kobolds gaping at him from the distant wall. Lyra, Bolyr's daughter, stood in the middle, next to Gria. She had a fresh scar, only a finger-width from her right eye.

"Go say goodbye to your daughter, then we leave."

Bolyr turned and stared at the distant Kobolds before exhaling. "No need. I killed one of her friends. She does not wish to speak with me. " He raised his yellow arm in a peculiar greeting before stepping forward. "I am ready. Let us go."

Even with all that had happened, Jake felt a pang of sympathy. He couldn't imagine how it must feel to be shunned by your own family. Still, he needed to find Mason first. He lowered his head. "Get on my back and keep your hands away from my wings. And don't hurt the two small ones. They are my Dragon siblings."

Bolyr's eyes widened, and he stepped forward quickly, his eyes almost rolling out of their sockets when he saw the two small serpents on Jake's back. Jake wondered what that was about, but Bolyr swallowed and carefully climbed on the spot behind Jake's wings and shoulders. His feet almost touched the ground, but Jake didn't care and jumped forward, wondering if he could even carry such a heavy load.

His powerful frame propelled them in the air, and he was almost as surprised as Bolyr, who let out a startled cry. A stream of energy from the center of his being flowed into his wings, powering him up effortlessly. He beat at the wind like they were mortal enemies, and a minute later, they were soaring forward.

"Where do we go?" Jake roared over his shoulder as he headed towards the coast.

"A bit more towards that black outcrop, then go straight," Bolyr's shouted, sounding giddy while looking around like a child.

Jake leveled out when he was a few hundred meters in the air, knowing he needed to conserve his strength. With Bolyr's added weight, he would not be able to fly for as long as before. He slowed until the wind calmly rushed around them, and it was almost tranquil without the ear-shattering flapping. He turned his long neck a bit so he could examine the Kobold.

"What do you know of my siblings?" he asked, staring at the two quiet little lizards that had yet to speak since Bolyr joined them on his back. They were around the length of Kobold's lower arm.

Bolyr was quiet for a while, smiling as he looked around. Then he focused on Jake.

"They are pseudo dragons. Usually, Awoken eat them to gain the strength needed to survive to the point of awakening. But, sometimes, the awoken dragon is more powerful than its kind and does not need cheap power. Legend says that those dragons who let their nestmates live eventually turn so powerful they are close to true Dragons."

Jake found the idea of Dragons waking up and eating baby lizards revolting, and he could feel Tir and Ter move skittishly.

"Don't worry, little ones. I would never eat you! And those Dragons who do should be ashamed!" he said.

Tir and Ter calmed down again, and Bolyr stretched a hand, leaving it close to Tir's head. She bent and sniffed his hand, appearing to like what she smelled. Moving close, she nestled against Bolyr's leg, purring like a cat, which surprised Jake.

Stroking her gently, Bolyr smiled widely. "There are many benefits for you and your friends in letting these pseudo dragons live. As they stick to you, they will become more intelligent and powerful, and although it might take many years, they can eventually grow into Dragons. You will have to guard them for a long time because their high Dragon blood makes them a prime target for any other recently Awoken. "

Ter finally overcame his fear and lay at Bolyr's other side, listening to the yellow-armed Kobold.

"Didn't Gria tell us that there were no real Dragons left?" Jake felt confused, wondering if he had heard wrong and why Bolyr kept changing the emphasis on the d.

Bolyr chuckled, and his voice lowered and slowed as he began speaking. "She is right and wrong. Although there are no more 'living' Dragons of old, those who awaken their dragon blood are part dragon, and if they can increase their purity, eventually they will lose the last vestiges of before and turn into true dragons."

"Has this ever happened?" Jake asked, wondering if there was any truth to the legend-like stories the Kobolds kept telling him. Besides, what was with the way he had said 'living'?

"Not yet, but on the mainland, dozens of awoken dragons are infinitely close. "

"How do you know all this? And why didn't Gria tell us this?"

"She does not know..." Bolyr gazed in the distance, a far-off look in his eyes. "Before we came here, her father was our leader and the last of the awoken. I was there when he died, and he shared his secrets with me. He made me swear only to tell them to those who took the first step to become a Dragon."

Bolyr was quiet for a while, seeming lost in thought. Jake was about to ask if he was okay when Bolyr snapped out of it. He grinned and padded Jake's muscled flank. "That would be you! I had hoped you would survive the ascension not just because you are a water dragon but also because you are a good person. It's about time that I tell you everything you need to know. "

While Jake and the little ones listened, Bolyr began speaking rapidly, almost as if he was happy to finally get it off his chest. Jake swallowed as he listened to the different ways to increase blood purity and what one should eat to grow in the right direction. Bolyr spoke of the mainland, of places to avoid, and areas that were beneficial until Jake felt his mind dazzle from all the impressions. He could barely keep track of all the names and locations, and his mind was spinning when Bolyr finally fell quiet.

As his imagination began painting pictures of grand cities and ancient citadels, Bolyr scraped his throat, his bearing suddenly changing.

"Of all I have told you, what comes next is the most important and the most secret. It is only known by the leaders of the tribes, and if they knew a non leader like me knows, I will be killed on sight."

Jake snapped wide awake from the severe tone. Gone was the storyteller's voice. Now, Bolyr sounded dead-serious.

"When the Dragons that Gria told you about cast their last spell, they used blood magic, causing their bodies to wither and die. But their minds and souls were still fine. Using a technique left behind by a long-forgotten race, they created a fake world, an alternate world. Unlike your old one, this one was purely one of spirit, and those whose minds didn't shatter from the casting sent their souls and beings inside. In this world, they sleep and wait for the first pure-blooded dragons to return to the outside world. When this happens, portals will open around the world, and all of the awoken who are almost dragon will feel a calling. They will be drawn to the portals and the world that lies behind them. Upon entering, the ancient Dragons will teach them all they need to know, and when they return, it will signal the return of the Kobolds! We will go back to our lands of old and retake what was stolen from us!" he almost snarled the last bit.

At first, Jake was nodding to the story, but when he heard Bolyrs barely contained hatred and anger at the end, he swallowed. Seriously? After so long, they would go back to wage more war? As Bolyr kept staring off into the distance, a dangerous twinkling in his eyes, Jake hoped not all of the Kobolds shared his sentiment. He also hoped that if he ended up going through a portal, the Dragons weren't this aggressive.

"That is the island that I found you!" Bolyr yelled, pointing at a distant smudge.

A desire to see Mason, alive and well, burned away Jake's growing fear. He looked forward, eager yet tired.

What had taken them days of traversing the dangerous seas had only taken an hour of strenuous flying. But even then, he was suddenly glad to see the end of the flight. His wings were sore from the added weight of the Kobold, and seeing the gently lapping waves below was starting to annoy him. He wanted to talk with Mason!

Another ten minutes to get there, rest and then to find them... I wonder where they are hiding? he thought, disgruntled.

The closer they got to the island, the lower he flew. He had no interest in being spotted by any Goblins or Orcs. Feeling the water spray on his belly and the bottom of the wings, he glared at the pearl white sand a hundred feet away.

A few laboursome flaps later, he plunged into the water a dozen meters from the shore, relishing in the energy that seeped into him from the water. Sputtering and coughing came as the weight fell from his back, and there was a loud splash. Tir and Ter's paws were still stuck on his frill, and he smirked. Bolyr had finally lost his balance.

He sighed as the water cooled his wings, and the ambient energy flow eased the aches and muscle cramps. Small blue specs rushed towards him, far more than he saw in the rest of the sea.

That's weird. Why-

"Someone is watching us from the woods," Bolyr whispered as he swam beside him, pointedly looking at Jake's tail.

Jake instantly forgot about the high concentration of blue energy, and it took all of his willpower to keep from looking. He was in no position to do any fighting right now.

"Any idea who or what it is?" he asked with a slightly dry mouth.

Bolyr shook his head and slapped at a wave surging towards him, splashing the water around. "No, but whoever it is, he or she isn't good at hiding. Let's go on land and hide in the woods. I am confident I can sneak up on our spy."

Jake nodded, and together they swam to the shore before walking onto the white sandy beach. Bolyr moved ahead, his head flicking around as he took in everything.

They crossed the narrow beach and jumped atop the foot-high elevated area. The edges were brittle, covered with withered yellow grass falling down the muddy and rocky side. Tall purple-leafed trees stood further back. They were spread out nearby but became denser and taller deeper in the jungle.

"We are being followed from the side. Head into the jungle and wait in a tree. I am going to lay an ambush," Bolyr said. He took a step forward before stopping and looking back at Jake.

After a moment, Jake realized the Kobold was waiting for him to agree, and he nodded. "Go ahead. Can you find us after?"

"Yes, but if we get separated, we can meet at this beach at sundown," Bolyr said with a grin that showed he didn't expect any trouble. Then turned and walked into the jungle.

Jake was glad Tir and Ter were quiet as he walked away in the other direction. With his powerful, agile body, moving through the jungle was a breeze, and he ran in until bushes and high grass began to cover the ground. With the trees close together, it was so dense there were a multitude of natural hiding places. He looked around for one that would give him a good sight of his surroundings. Examining the prickly purple leaves on some trees, he ignored those and climbed one of the tallest, blue-leafed trees he could find. Each leaf was the size of a large table and sturdy enough for him to sit on.

These would make for great hammocks, he thought as he lay down.

"Brother, we go find your friend soon?" Tir asked from his shoulder, staring around at her utterly foreign jungle. The island she was born on had different trees and smells, and Jake could almost feel how overwhelmed the small lizards were.

"Yes, as soon as Bolyr returns and I rest and hunt, we will fly up again and scout the island. If necessary, I can shout Mason's name from high in the air."

He felt Tir's head brush his neck, but she said nothing.

Ten minutes later, just when Jake was starting to get worried, he heard something run through the jungle creating an incredible racket. One of the bushes not too far from Jake's vantage point shook, and he rose. Holding his breath, he watched as Bolyr burst out, a large wound on his cheek, his head swiveling around as he scanned the area. From behind him came more rusting and shaking.

"Bolyr, over here!" Jake hissed loudly.

The Kobold jolted, then looked around wildly.

"Here!" Jake spoke louder this time, and Bolyr spotted him, a look of relief appearing on his face as he ran towards them.

As soon as he was below the tree, he began whispering. "Get ready to fly! We have trouble!"

He had barely finished speaking when two tall, insectoid human shapes burst from the bushes behind him. They moved oddly as if their legs and arms had extra joints. Spotting Bolyr, they made clicking sounds as they ran towards him. Bolyr didn't wait but scaled the tree like a professional alpine climber.

Jake climbed to the edge of the leaf, ready to take off. As soon as Bolyr climbed on his back, he jumped into the air. The leaf bobbed up and down. A few flaps later, he burst out from the canopy, feeling some of the hard-edged leaves scrape across his wings.

"What were those things?" Jake shot across his shoulder angrily. He felt the lack of energy, even with the slight boost he got from being in the sea, and having to fly again without getting a chance to hunt safely, pissed him off.

"Those are Insectoids! Usually solitary, horrifying creatures. When we used to find them on our tribe lands, we wiped them out. Two together is an unusual thing and a bad sign. They are dangerous by themselves. Some are poisonous even to us!"

Oh man, glad I didn't end up picking that race! Jake shivered in horror as he remembered the faces with mandibles and large multifaceted fly eyes.

Still, the fear of insect monsters could only do so much, and soon his hunger began to nag harder. He stopped ascending, leveling out, and circling a few times a hundred meters above the tallest trees. "I am going to scout a little for a good hunting ground. Look around for any sign of the others."

Twenty minutes later, Ter yelped. "Brother, look! Something is running over there!"

Looking around, Jake didn't spot anything and turned back, circling and scanning the almost impenetrable jungle.

"There! To the left!" Bolyr shouted as he patted Jake's left flank.

Jake finally saw something hop between the treetops. It looked like a Kobold, but an unfamiliar purple-black scaled one. Folding his wings in, he plummeted down, ignoring a high-pitched scream from Bolyr. Close to the treetops, he opened his wings, only then realizing he was weighing far more than normal with Bolyr on his back. With an immense effort, he barely managed to level out and avoid slamming into treetops.

He sheared over the trees and got an up and close look at a scared, distinctly feminine Kobold face that looked up with a wide-open mouth and horror-filled eyes. Angling up, he began flapping like crazy, causing them to hang still for a moment before he landed on a branch ten meters from the purple Kobold.

As soon as he stopped flying, he felt Bolyr's weight disappear, and a second later, the indigenous Kobold showed his climbing skills again as he leaped from branch to branch with the grace of a cat. The purple and -Jake now realized- wounded Kobold hadn't moved. She was keeping the dark branch in a death grip, a hopeless look on her face. Four thin, bleeding wounds ran along her jawline down her throat, disappearing inside something that resembled a ripped-up motorcycle jacket without sleeves. Her black and purple hair, still partially bound in a ponytail, was matted with leaves, twigs, and dirt.

Triangular purple eyes stared unblinking at Jake, barely registering Bolyr, who was far closer. When the Kobold said something, she started and seemed ready to bolt, grabbing another branch nearby. Bolyr shouted something else, but Jake could see from the look of confusion on her face that she had no idea what he was saying.

"He says that you don't have to be afraid. We are all Kobolds here and won't harm each other!" As soon as Jake began talking, the purple-eyed Kobold gawked at him, her slit eyes almost turning round, which was an accomplishment in itself.

Unsure if she understood, or was just stunned something like him could talk, Jake quickly continued.

"I am from Earth and arrived here weeks ago. We got lost in the jungle that appeared in the middle of our city." When he got no response again, Jake wondered if he should ask if she understood. .

"Are you Jake?" the Kobold asked in a soft, somewhat hazy voice.

Now it was his turn to stare in surprise. How did she know- Mason!

Jake began nodding fervently, his long frills dancing around. Tir and Ter released a squawk of indignation as they were almost dislodged. When Jake stopped, the purple Kobold had a slightly pained half-smile on her reptilian mouth.

"Yes, please tell me you know where Mason is!"

The female Kobold's smile withered, replaced by one of horror as if she remembered something.

"We need to help them! We ambushed a group of Goblins to try and save the prisoners, but those vile Goblins knew we were there! Please, we have to hurry! I barely got away, hoping to reach Willson and the others, but- Please, we have to hurry!"