Chương 20: Tiny warlock’s conquest

Piur sat upon a throne-like chair that was far too large for him. His tiny feet barely reached the edge, and his body sank awkwardly into the oversized seat, but he had insisted on sitting there anyway. A prophet of Joshua Steel needed a throne, after all. Below him, seven hundred of his brethren had taken control of Viscount Garandiel Jakkhul's entire city and manor, assisted by two lesser dragons. Piur's orders had been very clear: take the city while causing as little damage as possible.

Soldiers were to be knocked unconscious or, at worst, wounded. Those who were known to be genuinely evil, however, had received either the axe or dragon fire. The viscount himself had received the worst punishment. He had been stripped and chained to the outer wall of the city gate, left there for everyone to see. The humans of Ravenfell were in complete terror. They had heard rumors about the sudden emergence of large numbers of kobolds in the surrounding region, but nobody had taken them seriously.

Kobolds were laughably weak, after all. A few hundred of them should have been nothing to worry about. Then seven hundred had arrived, and they had brought two house-sized copper dragons with them. Now the streets were filled with armed kobolds, captured soldiers, confused civilians, and the occasional flicker of copper scales as one of the dragons moved between the buildings. Despite the overwhelming show of force, the kobolds had surprisingly followed Piur's orders.

Shops had not been looted, homes had not been burned, and the civilians had largely been left alone. Piur stood up on his oversized throne and spread his tiny arms wide.

"Be happy, humies! You are now under the great and majestic order of our god Joshua Steel! Rejoice and celebrate! The cruel lord is no longer!" His high, squeaky voice echoed across Ravenfell using the enchanted balcony, carrying clearly into every corner of the city. Somewhere below, kobolds cheered.

"PRAISE JOSHUA STEEL! PRAISE THE DRAGON GOD!" Soon the cries spread through the streets, growing louder as hundreds of kobolds began chanting the name of their god. Piur grinned proudly from his enormous chair. Everything was going exactly according to plan. - - - - - - - - - - - - In the Kingdom of Vancott, there had never been an issue quite like the one now being presented before the king's court. A literal kobold army had somehow gathered together and managed to take over a Viscount-level city.

Not only that, but there had been several sightings of two lesser copper dragons. The situation certainly sounded impressive, but after the initial shock wore off, the nobles reached a much simpler conclusion. They needed to send an army, or, what was considerably less expensive, send a bunch of adventurers to deal with the problem. Kobolds were roughly on the same level as goblins, if a little less annoying, and the two copper dragons were supposedly only C-rank threats.

After some discussion, it was decided to send couriers to all the nearby cities and post a large number of C-rank missions to deal with the occupation. The promise of several bounties quickly spread through the adventurer community. Wren had just arrived at the guild building, looking for a party to join, when a messenger rushed in with the official notice. After a short discussion with the manager, sixteen kobold extermination quests and two copper dragon hunts were posted on the board.

Adventuring teams immediately began calling out for temporary members, and Wren soon found himself joining a D-rank party.

"So, how far is this city?" he asked as they left the guild.

"You don't know Ravenfell?" the shieldbearer asked, looking at him strangely.

"It's only six days on foot from here."

"Sorry. Maps were not something I studied lately." Wren shrugged.

"Well, we better get a move on if we want to get a piece of the bounty," their mage advised. She was a woman with an unnaturally spiky haircut. Her hair was blond, but under the sunlight it looked almost bright yellow.

"I am Wren. Just Wren." He nodded toward the mage as they walked along the main road.

"Upella Noku." She shook his hand.

"You are a bit young to be a warlock, no?"

"I might be, but my spells don't run dry no matter how much I use them." Wren gave her a smirk. The entire party stopped.

"You… you are just like that famous warlock! Gaix Tahinor!" the druid beside the shieldbearer suddenly exclaimed.

"Well, yeah. I met him. He saved my life in the north, and I decided to become a warlock of the same patron." Wren admitted it casually, though he couldn't hide the small smile of pride that appeared on his face.

"Damn… that was a smart call." The man in full plate leaned against his shield as they continued walking.

"Apparently, there had been a gag order on the name of that entity. Even though I am a warrior, I learned about it because it was the talk of the town in the capital." Wren suddenly felt even more amazing. His patron god was apparently so epic that even the Arch Magister had likely had something to do with keeping his name quiet. - - - - - - - - - - - Gaix had just exited the guild building. He had a long and annoying week behind him, just like his teammates.

It had started with getting out of the dungeon, getting their equipment repaired, searching for the culprit, almost dying… again, and finally being questioned by the strongest man alive.

"I need a vacation." He sat down on a nearby fence.

"Didn't our god ask us to deliver him the one responsible for all this?" Bastion asked, his ears flattening.

"Oh… shit. You are right. Well, that is going to be an interesting talk." Gaix sighed.

"How about we wait for the ruling and then ask? I would rather have something in my belly first."

"Anything but seafood." Bastion immediately perked up, his tail wagging.

"I heard they use slimes in soup here." Gaix smirked.

"I wonder how they make them into edible food."

"You just want to skip meat because it's expensive here." Bastion frowned but followed him anyway. The ruling over Karatt and his deeds came surprisingly fast. Ten years of forced labor in a prison camp. For a dragonkin, that was similar to only two human years, which made the entire team extremely pissed. Of course, that was not all, as Karatt's weapon and armor were being sold, with the money going to the party.

"Sir… Cobalt?" Gaix lifted a hand.

"Yes?" Dorian looked down at him from his seat.

"I have a slight problem. My patron god wished to punish the one behind all this. Is there any way to solve this issue?" Gaix asked, trying not to impose on the hero.

"Hmm… you are a warlock, then." The man nodded before looking toward Karatt, whose scales were practically turning white in real time.

"And who would this patron god be? I am pretty knowledgeable despite my class."

"He is a dragon god, Lord Cobalt, and his name is Joshua Steel. I could try to reach out to him."

"Never heard of him. If your god cares enough to manifest in this courtroom, I will allow the debate." Dorian slowly nodded. Gaix immediately pulled out his small brass bowl and let a single drop of blood fall into it before praying to Joshua Steel. Suddenly, a cloud formed in the room, and within it appeared the outline of a dragon with glowing blue eyes. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"I see that the issue has been resolved, more or less." The deep and resonant voice of Joshua echoed through the courtroom.

"Is that dragonkin the one?"

"Yes, he is. I ruled that he would work in a labor camp at a prison for ten years for the attempted murder of an entire team." Dorian Cobalt nodded.

"Do you oppose my decision?"

"Sounds way too soft." Joshua's voice carried a hint of amusement.

"I will take him off your hands, but not for free. Here…" A massive sword suddenly emerged from the cloud. It dropped point-first into the stone floor with a tremendous clang, its glowing ridges pulsing with blue light. Wherever the blade touched the stone, tiny crystals began sparkling across the surface.

"I leave this sword as an exchange." Joshua's eyes shifted toward the trembling dragonkin.

"Hmm… so your name is Karatt." The dragon in the cloud smiled.

"That ten years of punishment will be better served here." Karatt barely had time to whimper before an unseen force seized him. He was dragged screaming into the cloud, his claws scraping desperately against the stone floor as he was pulled away. Within seconds, both the dragonkin and the cloud were gone, leaving only the massive sword embedded in the courtroom floor. A profound silence settled over the room. Gaix stared at the empty space for a moment before slowly looking toward Dorian.

"I… suppose that solves the problem." Dorian looked at the sword, then at the spot where Karatt had disappeared.

"Well this wans't much of a debate but... I suppose it does." Sighed the hero as even he could do nothing against a godlike entity. It was Karatt's fault to make an enemy with a backer who actually cared this much. - - - - - - - - - - - Joshua kept Karatt in suspended time and took his car out into the city. Two hours later, he returned with the boot filled with all kinds of things.

There was an annoyingly sparse spot in the living room, practically aching for something to be placed there, so he spat into his palms and got to work.

"Dad, I am home." Luna walked through the door and accepted Felix's help as he came over to take her bag and coat.

"I am in the living room," Joshua called out.

"Remember when you said you wanted to have a pet of your own?" Josh asked as he stepped aside, allowing Luna to see what he had made. A terrarium now stood in the otherwise empty space, complete with a nice little log, some greenery, and even a tiny pool. Inside, a small red lizard rested beneath the warmth of a lamp.

"His name is Karatt, and you can have him for ten years." Josh smiled. Luna rushed over to take a closer look, her face immediately lighting up at the sight of the little lizard.

"I love him… Wait, why the time limit?"

"After that, he goes back to his own world." Josh laughed, but said nothing more as he walked toward his gaming room.

"Don't forget to feed him." - - - - - - - - - - - Piur's message reached far beyond Ravenfell. News of the tiny kobold prophet and his mysterious dragon god spread. For kobolds who had never managed to serve a dragon, the story was almost impossible to ignore. A real dragon god existed somewhere in the world, and one of his chosen prophets was gathering followers. Before long, kobolds from distant settlements began making their way toward Piur.

Some traveled for weeks, carrying whatever few possessions they owned, while others simply abandoned their old homes after hearing that a true dragon god had finally taken notice of their kind. To many of them, Piur was no longer just another kobold. He was the prophet of the greatest being their race had ever heard of. Eventually, the news reached Ebraxius. He was the mightiest of all dragons, a colossal creature whose magical power dwarfed that of nearly every other living being in the realm.

For centuries, he had gathered strength, defeated rivals, and accumulated knowledge, and he proudly called himself the God of Dragons. It was not merely a title to him. For the last hundred years, Ebraxius had been attempting to break through the final barrier separating him from true godhood. Now some vermin was calling another creature a dragon god. Ebraxius was not pleased. He knew of the patron gods. He knew the names of the beings who offered blessings to mortals, and none of them were dragons.

There was no dragon god among them, at least none he had ever heard of. Therefore, in his mind, the explanation was obvious… this Joshua Steel was a false god, and his little kobold prophet was spreading lies. Ebraxius' mountain was a monument to his own greatness. Gold covered entire sections of the cavern floor, while gemstones glittered from piles so enormous that some of them had become part of the landscape. Every piece of treasure had a story behind it.

Most had belonged to dragons or powerful creatures he had defeated over the centuries, their hoards becoming his after their deaths. As his enormous body moved through the halls, the golden scales of his belly brushing against piles of treasure, Ebraxius paused to admire his hoard. Normally the sight was enough to soothe him. Today, however, even mountains of gold could not calm the fury boiling inside him. It had been almost a hundred years since he had last flown.

His wings had become stiff from disuse, and the muscles beneath them had weakened far more than he would ever admit. Ebraxius stretched them slowly, wincing as old joints cracked and the massive membranes trembled. Then he pushed himself from the ground. The first attempt nearly sent him crashing back onto the treasure. His unused muscles burned with every powerful beat of his wings, but instead of irritating him, the pain only fed his anger.

Soon the great dragon was climbing above his mountain, his shadow sweeping across the surrounding forest as he turned westward.

"No one can call himself a dragon god but me!" His roar shook the eastern woods. Birds erupted from the trees, animals fled into the undergrowth, and even distant dragons lifted their heads at the sound. Ebraxius continued west, his massive wings beating harder as the Kingdom of Vancott drew closer. Somewhere within it was the little kobold who had dared to proclaim another dragon a god, and Ebraxius intended to teach him exactly how wrong he was.

- - - - - - - - - - - Wren and his party were only a day away from Ravenfell. The city was already visible in the distance as the sun began to set, its walls becoming dark silhouettes against the fading orange sky. Theirs was not the only fire burning along the road, either. Dozens of adventurers had gathered around campsites, many of them eager to collect the crown's money by bringing back kobold ears as proof of their kills.

Wren had not come across any particularly high-ranked parties among them, however, leaving him wondering who would actually be brave enough to tackle the two copper dragons. While copper dragons were the weakest of their kind, they were still dragons. Their ability to breathe fire alone made them dangerous, and their physical strength was nothing to underestimate.

"So, what is the plan?" Wren asked. By now, he knew the names of all the others, so when Ortak, the shieldbearer, turned toward the group, Wren eagerly waited for his battle plan. This was not the first plan he had heard and certainly would not be the last, but his previous dungeon runs had involved only small numbers of enemies. This was different. They were approaching what could easily turn into an open war, and they would have to fight alongside dozens of other adventuring teams.

The plan was actually surprisingly similar to a dungeon run, except that they would have to coordinate with the other parties. No stray shots were allowed, as they could easily hit members of another team, and everyone was given an enchanted whistle. They were cheap and disposable, lasting only half a day, but once someone placed a blood seal on one, only those connected to the same party would hear its sound.

This allowed adventurers to signal one another if they became separated without filling the entire battlefield with an unbearable noise.

"I wonder why I have never heard about these whistles." Wren examined his own after receiving it. It was made from plain wood and looked almost too simple to be useful.

"They are mainly used by the army. Of course, the Adventurer's Guild has its own version as well." Upella shrugged.

"Get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we will likely see a fight." Ortak rolled out his sleeping mat beside the fire.

"Right." Wren nodded and did the same, settling down, his head full of what tomorrow would bring. Morning came with the sound of hundreds of boots, clattering armor, and shouted orders. The road outside Ravenfell had transformed overnight into a gathering point for adventurers from across the surrounding region. Campfires were being stamped out, bedrolls packed away, weapons checked, and supplies distributed as the various parties assembled beneath the city walls.

The crown had promised good money for the liberation of Ravenfell, and judging by the number of adventurers present, that promise had been more than enough. Wren stood with his party among the growing crowd, tightening the straps of his equipment while watching the city ahead. Banners bearing the royal crest had been planted along the road, while guild representatives moved between the groups, organizing everyone into assigned sections. There was no grand army coming from the capital.

Instead, the kingdom had effectively gathered an army made almost entirely of people who were willing to kill monsters for money. Eventually, the orders reached Wren's group. They were assigned to the western wall, alongside seven other adventuring parties. The area quickly became crowded as the groups gathered behind the siege line, checking their weapons one final time and discussing how they would approach the walls.

A few archers climbed onto temporary platforms while mages prepared spells, and shieldbearers formed the front line in case the defenders attempted a sortie. Wren looked toward Ravenfell. From this distance, the city appeared almost peaceful. There were no fires. No bodies hung from the walls. No obvious signs of destruction could be seen. In fact, aside from the armed kobolds occasionally walking along the battlements, the whole place looked remarkably intact. That bothered him.

"If they really conquered the entire city, why does it look so… normal?" Wren muttered. Then a small figure appeared on top of the western wall. It climbed onto the battlement, raised a gnarled staff over its head and looked down at the hundreds of adventurers gathered below.

"You may never take this city!" the kobold shouted. Its high-pitched voice was magically amplified, carrying clearly across the entire battlefield.

"It has been conquered in the name of the glorious Joshua Steel, our god!" Wren froze and his shoulders slowly dropped. The realization hit him like a hammer.

"Oh… shit."