The Broken Knife

Kaz went in howling. He returned to the den, found the main entrance, and waited until a large group of gatherers was entering, then ran after them, baying and barking as loudly as he could. On his shoulder, Li let out tiny, hissing roars that translated to squeaks somewhere between his brain and his ears.

The two guards at the den entrance, and the two watching over the returning pups, all turned toward him, drawing their weapons, and Kaz thinned the ki keeping his channels intact, letting more leak out into his muscles as he ducked and rolled, calling out, “Lianhua! Raff! Gaoda! Chi Yincang!”

Around him, the males looked at each other and three of them hesitated, while a deep growl began to roll out of the broad chest of the fourth, a deep brown kobold with the longest fur Kaz had ever seen. Most of the pups scampered away, yipping and whining, and Kaz was sorry he’d frightened them so badly. A few of the older pups fell in behind the guards, and though they didn’t have weapons, the female’s hands began to glow. He could see their ki gathering, and knew that if any of them were able to cast a ki bolt, he would need to be even more careful of those than the brutal clubs the warriors carried. If one hit him, it could unbalance his ki and reduce him to a limp puddle of fur on the floor.

For good or ill, everyone else backed off as the hairy male surged toward Kaz, and his yells were interrupted by a yelp as some of the copper teeth scraped along his arm. Strangely, they did little damage other than cutting off a few clumps of blue fur, but he could feel the sharp edges trying to gouge deep into his flesh.

“Lianhua!” Kaz howled again, the human female’s name becoming a drawn-out lament as the brown male’s club impacted his side, throwing him deeper into the den, tumbling head over tail. Again, though the blow definitely hurt, no blood soaked his fur when he rolled and staggered to his feet, and his guts remained inside his skin.

This was not going as well as he’d hoped, and though many kobolds had gathered now, none of them looked like they were planning to run for help anytime soon. There were even a few females, who mostly looked amused to see the powerful warrior chasing an unknown kobold around like a pup harassing a lone baby fuergar.

Still, Kaz continued to call out, again and again, as the male chased him. It was only after Kaz took another blow to the chest, bowling him over, that he realized Li was no longer on his shoulder. When he had lost her, he wasn’t sure, but he suspected it was after the first or second strike. Frantically, he looked around, finding the glowing tendril of ki that led to the dragon.

“Li!” Kaz yelled, diving toward the trail as the club whistled over his head again. This brought him closer to the huts, away from the open area near the entrance, and a few of the females lost their looks of amusement. They raised their hands, and Kaz felt despair as he watched their ki gather. Unlike the young female pups, these adults knew exactly what they were doing, and it was only a matter of moments until he was bombarded with ki.

Then something hard grasped him around the middle, lifting him high up over the heads of the watching crowd, who yipped in surprise. The brown-furred warrior stumbled and nearly fell as his target was snatched away, and Kaz echoed his surprise as he began to thrash desperately.

The thing holding him might as well have been an iron bar for all that it gave way, and Kaz craned his head, trying to see what it was. All he could see was black, and it took a moment to realize that the rippling surface was fabric, not shadow, and therefore what gripped him must be an arm. Specifically, Chi Yincang’s arm.

In one of his impossibly long, high leaps, the human bounded toward a particularly large hut, and, without a word, dropped Kaz in front of it before jumping straight up into the air and vanishing. To Kaz’s surprise, though his eyes told him the human had disappeared, his other sight was now able to track a dim, vaguely humanoid patch of ki, black and white in equal parts, as it came to rest atop the tall hut.

The bone and leather door of the hut swung open, and there, framed in the dimness beyond, stood Lianhua, with a half-fuergar, half-dragon perched on her shoulder. She stared at Kaz, eyes slowly widening, until liquid welled up in them and she began to cry. The next thing Kaz knew, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, and his body froze, having no idea how to respond.

“Kaz,” Lianhua sobbed, her cheek pressed against his ears, “Pilla sent a messenger to the Stoneborn, trying to trade for you, and they said some kind of monster dragged you off over a week ago. A washi or something.”

“Woshi,” Kaz corrected without thinking, and Lianhua chuckled damply.

“Yes,” she agreed. “Gaoda’s been trying to get me to go on without you, but none of the Copperstrikers have ever actually been in the Deep, so they can’t guide us beyond the first few mid-levels. They don’t really seem to explore much, except right around their dens, so-”

She broke off, laughing again as she swiped tears and damp strands of fur from her cheek. “I’m sorry. I ramble when I’m happy. And I’m really, really happy to see you.”

Kaz’s tail wagged gently as he reached up to scratch Li, who had transferred to his shoulder at some point during the embrace. “Most kobolds only know the areas near their den. I’ve always been a little… odd.” He glanced toward the dragon, and pressed one hand against his belly, feeling a deep ache from where the brown male’s club had struck him. He winced as he fingered the area, trying to figure out how bad the injury was.

Lianhua saw this, and stepped to the side, revealing the smallest adult female kobold Kaz had ever seen. The Copperstrikers in general were short, but muscular, but this female seemed to have gotten their lack of height combined with an unusually slim frame. She stood a full head and shoulders shorter than Kaz, and Lianhua dwarfed her. Her fur, like that of the warrior who had been attacking Kaz, was unusually long, and the deep orange-brown of pure copper ore. Her brown eyes were bright and curious.

“Pilla,” Lianhua said, “this is Kaz, the kobold we were looking for. I think he may be hurt, though.”

Pilla’s long ears twitched, and she tilted her head to the side. “I’ll have my healer look at him.”

Kaz blinked and stepped back, holding up his hands. “No need. It’s just some bruising. I-”

There was a commotion behind him, and Kaz turned to see the brown-furred warrior come barreling out from between two huts. His red eyes blazed with fury, and he still held his weapon. When he saw Kaz, his paws scrabbled on the stone floor as he skidded to a halt and lifted his club again, clearly ready and willing to renew his attack.

“Golik!” Pilla barked, her voice surprisingly commanding for such a tiny female. The male halted in response, though his eyes never left Kaz. Seeing this, Pilla continued, “Kaz is our guest. Even I heard him calling for the humans. Why didn’t you bring him here?”

Golik’s lip drew back, but it was another female voice that answered. “How could he have known, sister? Surely it’s the job of any warrior to slay a strange kobold who enters our den?”

Kaz turned toward the voice, seeing a female as broad as Pilla was slender. Muscles slid beneath long brown fur only a shade or two lighter than Golik’s. If Kaz were to guess, he’d say the two were related, perhaps even brother and sister from the same litter.

Pilla’s ears lowered slightly, but her voice didn’t shift. “It’s not a male’s place to decide. Besides, how many strange blue-furred pups do you think are likely to wander into our den calling for four humans who also happen to be looking for a blue pup?”

“I just saw a stranger, as Litz said,” Golik finally growled, deep voice rumbling angrily. “No one else seemed willing to handle it, so I did.”

“Did it occur to you,” Pilla asked, “that the others might know something you didn’t?”

“No,” the male grunted simply, and Kaz saw Pilla’s ears twitch as Litz smirked.

Pilla looked at Kaz. “Are you hurt?”

Kaz lowered his tail and ears, now aware that he was speaking to not just a female, but the chief of one of the strongest tribes in the mid-levels. “I’m fine,” he told her, raising his hand to show that no blood stained it or his fur. There were a few carmine drops beginning to crust in shallow cuts on his arm, so he quickly tucked it behind him.

He thought Pilla looked relieved, but she just nodded and gestured dismissively at Golik. “You have done your job, then. Go back to your position.”

Golik hesitated, glancing at Litz, who dropped her chin minutely. With a half-hearted bow, the male turned and stalked away, his club still gripped in his hand.

Pilla’s brown eyes watched him until he vanished between the huts before turning to Litz. “Our brother is as dutiful as ever, sister.” She emphasized their shared possession of the male, and Litz’s lip curled slightly.

“My birth-brother is, indeed, an excellent male,” she agreed smoothly.

Pilla’s eyes narrowed. “I have been thinking about a trade between us and the Stoneborn, or perhaps another tribe more accustomed to the ways of the upper levels. I need a mate, and I’m certain I could get a powerful one in exchange for such a strong, obedient warrior.”

A long canine appeared as Litz’s lip peeled back. “Our chief should, indeed, have a vigorous mate, but Golik will someday lead our warriors. I would suggest Bek as a trade, instead. He’s older, but no male survives to his age without gaining great wisdom.”

“I’m glad you agree that Bek is wise, sister,” Pilla said, sounding as if she’d won their battle of words. “Since he, too, thinks Golik would be the best candidate for such a trade.”

Litz’s ears flattened slightly, but she said, “Perhaps we should make the decision when the time comes. The chief of the other tribe will have her own opinions.”

“True.” Pilla nodded, glancing past Litz. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping with our next meal?”

A soft growl rumbled from Litz’s chest. “I’m certain there are other females who can-”

“But they’re all busy with other things,” Pilla said. “The fires need to be maintained, and who better than such a powerful female? Could there be any task more important than making sure the tribe is fed? Return to your place, sister.”

With that, the chief turned her back on Litz, though a subtle tension indicated that she was still very aware of the other female. Litz’s orange gaze threatened to burn a hole between Pilla’s shoulder blades, but she finally turned away and stalked off, much as her brother had.

Pilla’s ears twitched at the sound of Litz’s claws clicking against the stone, and she smiled at Lianhua. “I’m sorry that Golik apparently forgot what he was told only a week ago. He is strong, but he’s never been the most intelligent of kobolds.”

Lianhua nodded solemnly, her gaze flickering to the right, though Kaz couldn’t tell what she was looking at. “I understand. I have family members like that as well.”

The Copperstriker chief huffed a little laugh. “I see. This is something our two species have in common then.”

Nodding toward Kaz, she went on, “Does this mean your time with our tribe is over?”

Lianhua nodded. “We only have a limited amount of time to complete our task, and you’ve already told me everything you know of the ruins to be found in the mid-levels.”

“Which isn’t much, I’m afraid,” Pilla nodded. “I and the other females have told you all the stories we know, but that’s all they are: stories. The mid-levels are too dangerous to go wandering about unnecessarily.”

“I understand. I’m just grateful I had this opportunity to learn more about your people, and hear your stories.” Lianhua folded her hands together and bowed slightly from the waist. “Only Song Yue has written much about you, and it was in passing, mixed into a treatise about the ores and gems that can be found in the mountain. I hope that someday I can return here, and do a much more thorough investigation into your culture.”

Pilla gave her own small bow, and Kaz wondered if Lianhua had any idea of the honor the chief was giving her. Chiefs deferred to no one, for fear of undermining their own position. Though Kaz could already see that Pilla was an unusual sort of chief.

“I hope that if you do return, you will visit us again. Speaking to you has been very… enlightening,” Pilla told the human female, and the two exchanged a smile that Kaz could only see as conspiratorial.