A Tale of Two Kobolds, Chapter 5

  A Tale of Two Kobolds, Chapter 5

                                             By William W. Kelso

            Having agreed to continue on their way alone; since Kix was sure they would save time by cutting through the jungle, Griss went to let Robert know their plans.

            Robert had just gotten word from a Cavalry patrol passing through that the caravan Melchet was with was about a day's journey; maybe two, from the waystation, so he was also planning on leaving as soon as possible.  The patrol had stopped to rest their mounts and get a bite to eat, and had agreed to let his caravan accompany them as far as the next waystation.  That helped him make up his mind, the bandits had been bad so far this year, but the patrol would ensure his rather small caravans safety.  And it would also keep him ahead of the competition.  He and Verna were packing their bedrolls when he heard a scratching at the door, and opened it to find Griss and Kix.

            "Come in, come in, my little friends, Robert said, I'm glad to see you, how are you doing?"

            Griss hissed at Kix, and she said, "We're fine Robert, how's your arm?"

            "Oh, it twinges now and again, but otherwise it's good as new, that army sawbones knows his work."  Robert replied.

            "That's good, Kix said.  We came to tell you that Griss and I will be going on by ourselves from here.  We are not terribly far from the village, I know the way, and we'll save time by going through the Jungle."

            Robert looked at the two large lizards, and felt a little sad at the news.  He'd grown quite fond of them, and they'd proven to be good; and resourceful, traveling companions as well as friends.

            "We're moving on too, he replied, and we'll miss having you with us.  What of the other kobolds?"

            "They would like to travel with the caravan until you reach the desert, Kix said, if that's all right."

            "Course it is, Robert replied, be glad to have the little buggers around.  But you two be careful now, the jungle is not a safe place even for those who live there."

            Griss hissed and clacked at Kix again, and she said, "Griss wants to know if you'd be willing to stop at the village on your return trip.  He may have a load for you.  And if he is...successful in ending his curse, will want to travel back with you to Konigsholm."

"Well, sure, be glad too, Robert said, might even be able to do a bit of trading with the locals, both people and kobolds.  It will be a few months though, I will most likely be returning come autumn; or early Fall, so as to beat the snows."

            Since Griss and Kix didn't have much to pack; all they had were two small, but heavy packs, they helped Robert get the caravan organized, and explained the situation to the mountain kobolds.

            Krick gave each of them a rub with her snout, and said, "We'll miss you, and we can never repay you for giving us our freedom. If you are ever in the Desert Mountains you will be welcome, anytime."  One by one the other kobolds expressed their own gratitude and said their farewells, and then found their usual spots on the back of pack mules.  Far from just being large lizards catching a ride they were also guards as well, as more than one bandit had already found out.  Their fangs and powerful claws were not just for show, and despite their small size made deadly adversaries.

            Robert grinned fondly as the two kobolds hugged him around his waist and rubbed their snouts against his stomach, and crouching down he gave them both a hug at the same time.

            "Well now, enough of that I reckon, he finally said; a little gruffly, as he looked into their bright yellow eyes, I'll be seeing you two again in the Fall."  And then, standing back up, said, "What are YOU looking at??" to one of the other drovers, and started yelling orders for the caravan to move out.

            Griss followed Kix as they climbed the wall of the stockade, and they both perched on the top and watched as the caravan passed through the gate and moved down the road.  The other kobolds gave loud hissing goodbyes, and Robert and a few of the other humans waved, Verna blowing them a kiss, and they hissed and waved back.  They watched until the jungle swallowed the caravan, and Griss gave a sad sigh.

            "I'll miss Robert, and the others." He hissed.

            Kix nuzzled his neck, and said, "I will too, he's a good person."

            "Yes, Griss agreed, he is."

            "Well, Kix said, I guess it's time for us to head out too, no reason to hang around here any longer.  I'm ready, if you are."

            Griss eyed the jungle with something less then enthusiasm, and replied,            "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Truth was he wasn't looking forward to their jungle trip at all; having been born a human and transformed in a kobold by a vile transmogrification curse, he had never been in the jungle before, though it was the 'natural habitat' of his new species.  But Kix had, so he would let her lead, and do whatever she told him.  And he had also come to trust his new 'instincts' and just seemed to know some things already.  Such as how to climb, what was good to eat by the way it smelled, as well as other useful things, and even how to swim.  He still wasn't so sure about that ability though; there were too many hungry things in the water to suit him.

            Kix scampered along the top of the wall until they reached a point at an angle to the road, then climbed easily down the wall head first, ran across the cleared ground around the waystation, then up the nearest tree, Griss following close behind.

            Kix had explained to Griss it would be easier, faster, and safer to travel through the canopy.  Their species of kobold were arboreal, spending much of their time in the upper canopy of the jungle and rain forest, though they did return to the ground to hunt and perform other tasks.  And it felt so good to her to be back in the jungle where she belonged, she had been so miserable during her stay in the cold stark mountains.  But then again, if she hadn't been taken there by her second master she never would have met Griss, and fallen in love with him even before the curse was cast on him.  He had been kind and good to her, even giving her her freedom with nothing expected in return.  Just like that!

But she'd already known she loved him, had from the second she'd woken up next to him in his bed after she had nearly died from a fever, his body heat keeping her warm and safe.  But their relationship had been strictly that of friends, despite sharing the same bed.  She'd had mixed feeling at first after his horrible transformation, he had been in such pain, and then been so confused and horrified by what had happened to him.  Then a miracle had happened; totally unexpectedly, and they had become mates and she now carried their eggs in her womb, though he did not know yet.  If he returned to human form she did not want to hold that over him, she only wanted what would make him happy.

            Their progress was rather slow at first, Griss still having some aversion to heights as that had been a phobia of his as a human.  But they were made for climbing and living in trees, their slender lithe bodies, strong hind legs for leaping, and sharp claws for grasping and digging into bark making that obvious.  And Griss learned quickly to leap from branch to branch, to climb with ease, going down headfirst as easily as up, his sense of balance extraordinary.  And despite hanging upside down at times, or even running along the bottom of branches, he felt no vertigo or suffered from being upside down even for extended periods. They used their tails as well, but mainly for balance as they weren't prehensile enough to grip with though they did have a lot of control over them.  After a few hours practice he was almost as fast as Kix, and their progress increased steadily.

            In some places it was easy, the branches of trees interwoven so it was hard to tell where one branch ended and another started, the broad tops of the thicker branches often being actual trails used by other climbers.  But since this was the outer edges of the jungle they did have to leap on a regular basis to move from one tree to another.  But despite being scared to death the first few times Griss soon got used to what to him seemed to be rather spectacular leaps and aerobatics, but were evidently quite common for kobolds.  It was amazing just how good his sense of balance was, and his sharp claws never failed to find a good grip.

            If anyone had seen the two reptiles as they literally ran through the treetops they would naturally have assumed they were just animals as they were nude except for the small packs they wore, and those were not readily visible. They felt no modesty at being 'naked' as that was natural for them. Their tough hide and well padded feet made clothing unnecessary, and in this climate clothes were impractical, at least for apparently sexless reptiles.  Had they the soft unprotected skin and external genitalia of some mammals it would have been a different story.  And being coldblooded the heat and humidity felt wonderful; though it was not near as bad in the upper canopy as it was on the ground, but they did have to stop and cool off in a nice shady spot on occasion, their snouts open as they panted to help cool off.

            Griss quickly found out that they were not alone in the upper reaches of the jungle canopy.  They saw all manner of other reptiles, birds, insects, and mammals or other furred animals.  As a human he had never thought much about it, about the only animals he'd ever seen in the trees of his native land; mainly conifers, were squirrels and birds.  But the jungle was alive, literally, and all manner of animals and creatures used the trees as their highways.   More then once they made detours to give something big and nasty the right of way, once a cat like creature, and then a huge snake.  Another time Kix came to a sudden halt, causing Griss to slam into her unexpectedly and he almost fell off the branch, and as he kicked his hind legs trying to get a better grip as he hung on to the branch with his hands, she helped him back up with an apologetic hiss.

            "What the heck was that all about!?"  Griss hissed, panting heavily, he'd almost lost his balance and gone overboard, and it was a long way to the ground!

            "I'm sorry, Kix hissed and gave him a lick, but watch this."

            Now vines were not that unusual, and in fact they often used them to travel from one tree to another, but as Kix picked up a stick and poked at a tangle of vines hanging down and draped over the branch he was shocked to see the vines react and grab the stick!  They yanked it out of her hands and curled around it aggressively, but then seemed to realize it wasn't alive and dropped it.  The vines writhed for another minute or two, reaching out and feeling about; both kobolds backing up, then became still again.

            "What, Griss hissed, is THAT?"

            "Carnivorous plant, Kix hissed, the vines drag the prey up to a large flower farther up in the tree, and then it's swallowed alive.  It can take days for a meal to be digested, and they stay alive right up until the very end, you can even see them inside the stomach bulb.  Nasty."

            "Ugggh!" Griss hissed, nasty indeed!

            "See the hair or fuzz on the vines, Kix said, that's how you can recognize them from normal vines.  Those are sensitive feelers, they set the vines off.  If you're close enough to the flower you can smell it too, smells like rotten meat.  This is an old one, so the flower is much higher up in the tree.  On the younger ones the flowers don't have as many vines and they're not as long.  A full grown one can swallow even a horse, they are quite large."

            "Good Gods."  Griss said, looking at the now motionless vines.

            Fortunately they are rare, Kix said, and are the worst of the meat eating plants."

            "There are others?"  Griss hissed in dismay.

            "Oh yes, Kix said, but most prey only on insects or smaller animals, and we're safe from them.  Only one or two others get large enough to eat something as large as a kobold.  I'll show them to you."

            "Please do!"  Griss said, man...or rather, kobold-eating plants!  Ugh!

            As the light began to fade Kix found a suitable place to spend the night in a kind of hollow formed by several forking branches well up in a tall tree.  She gathered some dried moss for a bed, and using small vines wove several large thick rubbery leaves together to form a kind of lean-to as rain showers were fairly frequent.  They were fairly enjoyable during the day when you were moving as it helped cool you off and you got a drink, but when you were trying to sleep that was different.  Plus it got cooler at night, and cold rain water was miserable to try and sleep in.  She gave a happy hiss when Griss expressed his appreciation for her skill.

            "Kix, Griss said, it's amazing how fast you built this shelter!"  He hopped up and down on the moss, and added, "And this is really comfortable!"

            "It's just an overnight shelter, she replied, I'll show you how to weave the leaves together.  These types of leaves are common, and last a long time.  You can even make boats out of them."

            "You're amazing."  Griss hissed as he gently nuzzled her snout.

            Kix returned his nuzzle, hissing softly in affection. No, she thought, you're the amazing one.  She was tired, it had been a long time since she'd gotten so much exercise, but had he wanted to mate she would have been happily willing, but she could tell he was tired as well, so they settled for some nice snout and neck rubbing and licked one another gently, then settled down for the night.  They curled up in a tight little ball; snouts tucked against one another, and quickly fell asleep.  A brief shower later didn't wake them up, Kix's shelter keeping them nice and dry.

            Griss stood on a branch and stretched; jaws opened wide and tongue curling as he yawned.  He felt wonderful, he's been convinced he'd stay awake all night listening to the strange sounds of the jungle, but instead his mates scent filling his nostrils and the feel of her curled up tightly against him had made his sleep one of deep and utter contentment.  Funny, he thought, the jungle doesn't seem so scary anymore, he almost felt like he...belonged.

He walked over to some leaves, found one that had collected rain water during the night, and tilting it had a nice drink of clear cool water.  Kix had found some kind of grubs in a rotten section of a tree trunk, and though he hadn't exactly been thrilled with the idea of eating bugs he had to admit they'd been pretty tasty, and tasted kind of sweet.  He hadn't really hesitated to try them as he had at first with rats and raw fish, and attributed that to how he was adapting to his new body.  He'd pretty much almost forgotten what it was like to be human, and his new form felt more and more 'normal' as every day passed, and that kind of worried him.  What if he forgot he ever even was human??   But at least he retained his intelligence, and Kix was every bit as smart as he was.  He had learned from her; both before and now, that just because someone had hide and scales; instead of skin and hair, it didn't mean they were dumb animals.  The ratkin were the same way; and so far as he guessed the rest of the sentient races probably were as well.  Seeing things from the other side made a BIG difference.

Their 'breakfast' over it was time to move out.  Griss repacked their small packs just to make sure they were secure.  They didn't have much, just the coin and gems he'd brought with them, a promissory note for their part of the reward money for the captured bandits, and two small books he felt might come in handy, plus a small blank book and bottle of ink and quills.  He had a feeling he'd be needing them.  That was pretty much it, though Kix had a few pieces of jewelry she liked.  She had a tail band that Griss thought was incredibly sexy.  But no blankets, no clothes, no food.  They just didn't need them.  The jungle would provide.

A couple of hours later as they made their way through the canopy they stopped to take a break and a short nap in the high heat of the day.  They'd just gotten comfortable in a nice shady spot when Kix suddenly sat up and cocked her head, listening intently.  Griss knew that look, and remained silent.  Suddenly he heard something too, a faint high pitched squeaking squeal that was different from anything he'd head before, and with a loud hiss Kix jumped up and took off along the top of a nearby branch, Griss close behind.

"What is it?"  Griss asked as he caught up to her, but she didn't answer, just put on another burst of speed.

Kix stopped for a second, listening, then changing direction slightly she ran down a tree trunk to the ground, and searched for what she'd heard, and finally found it.

Griss almost ran into Kix when she stopped, but she paused only for a second, before running down a tree trunk to the ground, and he followed.  The area was fairly clear of ground cover; except for the type of plants that thrived in the gloom, due to the fact the thick canopy cut out much of the light, but there was still enough to easily see by.  He followed Kix as she pushed through a clump of bushes, and paused for a second at what he saw.  At first he wasn't sure what he was seeing, then gave a hiss of horror.

In the center of a small clearing was a large pile of twisting and writhing coils as a huge snake coiled itself around something, and all he could see of that something was a tail and the tip of a snout, but it was enough, and the scent told him as well, it was a kobold!  It gave a gasping squeaking hiss, and the coils visibly tightened.

Kix gave a loud hissing snarl, and grabbing a large stick she circled the large snake until she found its head, and then gave it a sold whack between the eyes.  The snake hissed angrily, and when it refused to release its dinner she gave it another harder whack; and Griss grabbed a stick of his own and was soon adding his own blows to hers.

"Do you want me to bite it, use my poison?"  Griss hissed.

"No, it's a brown ground snake, they're immune to your poison, Kix replied, keep hitting it, it will give up soon. It knows it can't win."

And Kix was right, the snake finally relinquished it's would be meal as the blows kept raining down on it; uncoiling to defend itself, then quickly slithered away with loud angry hisses when given the opportunity.

Griss gave the snake one last hard whack and nipped at its tail as it disappeared into some bushes, just to make sure it got the idea, and when he turned around Kix was crouched next to the apparently lifeless kobold lying on the ground.  As he moved closer it suddenly gave a loud wheezing breath, and lifted its head and looked around in a daze.

"She's just a hatchling, Kix said, what's she doing so far from her crèche??  Where are the guardians?"

Griss joined Kix, keeping an eye out for anymore snakes, and looked at the smaller kobold.  As Kix had said it was a female, he could tell from her size and the yellow bands running down her sides, they would fade entirely as she matured.   But he also realized she was a different species, very similar to him and Kix, but a little smaller.  If he remembered correctly she was a 'Lesser arboreal kobold'.

The little kobold took a few more gasping breaths, then seeing Kix she latched onto her chest tightly, hissing in fear.

"What are you doing out here all alone, little one?"  Kix hissed quietly as she nuzzled the distraught hatchling.

"I-I wanted to go hunting too, she replied, it's not fair, I'm old enough!"

Kix gave an amused, but admonishing, hiss, "You're too young, and a female, you should know better!  Only the males hunt larger prey, because they have their poison fangs."

"It's still not fair, the little kobold hissed, I'm a better hunter then any of them!"

"You're lucky my mate and I came along with we did, Kix said, it looks like you were the hunted this time.  How did you let a brown snake catch you, anyway?"

"It snuck up on me; the little female hissed angrily, it cheated!"

Kix and Griss both hissed in amusement, and Kix said, "Silly hatchling, that's how snakes hunt!  You should have been more careful.  What's your name, where's your clan?"

"I'm Pips, she replied, who are you?   I don't know you, you're bigger then my mother or father."

"I'm Kix, Kix replied, and this is Griss.  We're traveling to my own clan, but we can take you home on the way.  Do you know where you are?"

"Oh yes, we're not that far from my home tree.  I waited for awhile after the hunters left before I followed, but we're still close."

"Umm, Sssss, Kix, Griss hissed, I think the hunters have found us!"

Kix looked around and realized Griss was right, the hunters had approached so silently and stealthily that she hadn't heard them, and had materialized out of the surrounding bushes and trees like ghosts.  There were six of them; all camouflaged with different colors of paint all blurred together, and that and their natural coloring made them all but invisible, even close up.  They were armed mainly with small crossbows, short stabbing spears, and some sort of long sticks or staffs.  Their stances were neutral, but their spears were held at the ready.

With a menacing hiss Griss started to rise to his feet, but Kix grabbed his arm, and said, "No, don't move.  We need to let them make the next move."

Suddenly the hatchling let go of Kix, and running to one of the hunters she leaped into his arms, and he gave her a hug; causing her to hiss a little in pain as she was still sore from nearly being squeezed to death, and then he set her down and pushed her behind himself.

"Who are you?"  The hunter hissed.

"Father, they saved me from a ground snake!"  Pips hissed, pulling on his tail.

Almost instantly all the hunters relaxed, lowering their spears and standing up straighter, and the leader grounded his spear butt first, and cocking his head, asked,

"Is this true, did you save this foolish little one?"

"Yes, Kix replied as she and Griss stood up, we heard her call, and convinced the snake to let her go."

The leader looked at the two larger kobolds standing in front of him, and noted how the tip of the female's tail was curled around the males, and knew they were a mated pair.  If they had been raiders they would have both been male, but at present they had no quarrels with any other clans, so he was pretty sure they were not potential enemies. For that matter a raiding party would have been camouflaged, armed, much larger, and there would have most likely been no females.

"My thanks for saving my daughter, he said, we heard her call as well, but would have arrived too late.  I am Kirk, leader of this party.  You are welcome in our territory.  Please, follow me to our home tree and be my guests."

Griss nudged Kix's head, and asked quietly, "What do we do?"

"We accept his invitation, Kix replied, it would be rude not to."  She turned her attention back to Kirk, and said, "It would be our pleasure."

As they climbed back into the trees Griss took a closer look at their 'hosts'.  They were pretty much identical to him and Kix, but about a head shorter and a quarter lighter on the average.  He also noted the males crests seemed to be larger, the 'horns' on the ridges longer, and a few were also more brighter colored.  He was impressed by their camouflage, even fairly close they were hard to see unless they moved.  What he had thought were random smears were in fact carefully applied patterns and shaded to blend perfectly into the background.  And from what he could see of their weapons they were well made, not what he would expect from 'savage animals'.  He recognized the spears and bows, but the odd stick like tubes were a mystery.

After about an hour's travel Kix hissed, "We're getting close to their home tree, we just passed another sentry."

Griss blinked, and looked around, he hadn't seen anything!  "How can you even see them?"  He hissed.

"I didn't, she replied, one of the hunters signaled them to let them know we were welcome."

"Ah!"  Griss hissed; he'd have to get her to teach him about stuff like that.  So they had a sign language as well, fascinating!

Kirk suddenly stopped and gave a loud bark like sound followed by a hissing whistle, and then led them forward again, and everything changed.  One second they were in raw jungle, the next they entered what could only be described as a city in the treetops.

Griss paused and looked around in awe; that is until Kix poked him in the back and he started moving again.  They were traveling across a branch towards a huge tree nestled in the center of what he could only call a 'manicured' clearing.  The other plants and smaller trees had evidently been arranged and tended as well as any garden he'd ever seen, but they paled in comparison to the main tree.  The branches had been carefully and lovingly twined together to form shaded platforms, smaller branches woven into actual buildings of a sort.  But it had been done without pruning, hacking, or serious landscaping.   It was all...natural.  Most of the movement was along the tops of wider branches, but there were also bridges woven from living vines, and vines themselves.  It was incredible, and Kix had to keep poking him to keep him moving.

And evidently the word was out, visitors!  A little one saved!  A deed of valor!  New friends!  And as he craned his neck Griss could see hundreds of kobolds of all sizes and ages, their heads sticking through the sides of the 'building', or over the edges of branches, and many followed them on branches parallel to theirs.  Some dangled upside to get a better look at the visitors, while other hung from and/or ran up and down vines.

"Look at them all, Griss hissed, you'd think they'd never seen other kobolds like us before."

"This is a fairly good sized clan, Kix replied, their home tree is centuries old, and they probably don't get many visitors from other clans.  We're a treat, a good reason to celebrate and have fun."

They soon reached a large flat area at the junction where several of the trees huge branches forked, and it was evidently some sort of public forum as benches had been formed into the sides of the branches or made from vines and boards strung between them, and they were soon full of a large crowd of hissing & clicking kobolds eyeing their guests with intense interest, with more arriving every second.

Griss felt kind of self conscious as he and Kix were led out into the center of the platform by Kirk and the other hunters.  As several older kobolds approached it suddenly became quiet, and it was obvious the normally rambunctious lizards held the older ones in great reverence.  While earrings, tail bands, and other jewelry was fairly common the elders wore elaborate collars of gold & semi-precious stone, and their leader was so old his hide was almost entirely brown with only a narrow strip of green down his back, and he used a staff to help himself walk, and the others weren't much younger.  But his eyes were bright and clear, filled with a sharp intellect.

"Who are you?"  The Elder asked politely.

"I am Kix from the Green River Clan, and this is my mate, Griss."  Kix responded respectfully, crouching and bowing her head in respectful submission, and Griss followed her example.

"And your mates Clan...?"  The Elder prompted.

"He...it is a long, and strange, story."  Kix replied.

"Ah...good!  The Elder replied; I like long and strange stories.  You have saved one of our hatchlings, and are welcome.  Will you join us for dinner?"

"A great honor, Elder."  Kix said, echoed by Griss.

"Good!" The Elder said, and then he raised his staff, and said, "Let all make our guests feel welcome!"  And pandemonium broke out.

Griss had been to some pretty wild parties in his younger; and human, days, but they paled in comparison to the feast that followed the Elders proclamation.  They did indeed make their guests welcome.  Out of nowhere low tables appeared, and were soon heaped with all manner of delicacies, more food then he had ever seen in one place.  Much of it was chunks of raw or marinated meat in nice swallowable chunks, and there were cages of nice plump 'farm raised' rats and other small rodents.  But the most interesting were several varieties of fruit, and Kix squealed in delight as some bumpy green looking things heaped on a platter were placed on the table.

"Juice Berries, she hissed, my favorite!  I haven't had any in years!"

Griss gave them a cautious inspection and wasn't very impressed; they looked like lumpy green potatoes, and asked, "How do you eat these things?"

"You crush them in your jaws and swallow the juice", Kix said, and proceeded to demonstrate.  She snapped a fruit up in her jaws, crushed it, then tilted her head back and sucked on it.  A minute later she spit out the pulp & rind, and with an eager hiss grabbed another fruit.

Griss picked up one, gave it a sniff, and at Kix's urging he popped it in his mouth and bit down.  And a second later spit it out with a hiss of disgust. It was the sourest thing he'd ever tasted!  It made a lemon seem sweet.

"Sssss!  How can you eat that!?"  Griss asked, grabbing a mug of water and trying to rinse the taste out of his mouth.  "It's nasty!"

Kix blinked, and then gave a squeal of amusement, as did several other diners who had witnessed Griss's culinary experiment.

"They're good!"   Kix insisted, chomping down on another one.

"Must be an acquired taste, Griss hissed, phooey, yuck!  Nasty!!"

"Here, try this one."  Kix said, indicating another bowl of some sort of fruit.

Cocking his head, Griss eyed the new fruit skeptically, and said, "I think I'll wait until later."  Which got more sniggers out of Kix and other kobolds.

Griss had to admit the banquet was impressive, and the hundreds of feasting kobolds were certainly enjoying themselves.  If they eat like this all the time I'm surprised they're all not fatter then a pig, he thought.  Then it occurred to him, he'd never seen a fat kobold before.  He couldn't help but wonder if it was their energetic life style, or maybe their metabolisms that kept them so lean; or perhaps a combination of both.  It would bear some looking into.

As it grew dark some youngsters brought around lanterns to provide light as the feast showed no signs of ending.  Griss examined them curiously, and there were two different types.  To his surprise the dimmer ones contained what looked like a lump of mold or fungus growing on a stick in the center, and it gave off a fairly good and steady light, while the others contained what looked like more conventional oil burning wicks.  The lanterns provided more than sufficient light, and some larger ones were lowered from higher branches.  Youngsters and hatchlings gathered around them to snap up the insects drawn to the light.

"What is this?"  Kix asked the kobold sitting next him, indicating a lantern with the fungus or mold in it.

"That?  The kobold said in surprise, it's just glow mold, doesn't your Clan use it?"

"Um, no, Griss replied, it's very ingenious.  How does it work, how do you get it to glow?"

"Well, it just does naturally, the kobold replied, so long as you keep it damp it keeps glowing, and will keep growing, but very slowly.  A well maintained one can last for years.  It's one of the jobs of the youngsters, to keep the mold damp so it won't die.  It grows on the jungle floor in dark damp places."

As the feasting finally died down, everybody well stuffed; satisfied hisses filing the air, the entertainment arrived.  Griss watched in amazement; and delight, as groups of kobolds painted with different colors of luminescent paint performed intricate dances and aerobatics, or combinations of both.  They wheeled and dipped, leaping and bobbing their heads and lashing their tails as they weaved between one another in perfect coordination, but it was all done in quiet with occasional bark like choruses or squeals.  The rest watched intently, giving loud hisses of appreciation, eyes glowing from reflected lantern light.  Griss found it strangely eerie and wonderful at the same time.  He doubted many humans had seen a display like this.  Some of the entertainment troupes seemed to be all females or males of different ages, but others were mixed.  It was all quite impressive and overwhelming to someone who had never seen anything like it before, and Griss expressed his admiration to his hosts, and they hissed appreciatively at the praise.

As the party wound down and tired and sleepy kobolds began to leave, or just feel asleep where they were, Griss found himself dozing off and on.  He hadn't eaten such a variety of food; or as much, since his change.  He was positively stuffed, his belly protruding noticeably, as was Kix.  As things wound down a female kobold approached them hesitatingly, and when the Elder nodded, she rubbed each of their snouts with hers, and said,

"Thank you for saving my little one, my brave friends."

"She is strong and adventuresome; Kix hissed back, she will make an excellent hunter some day."

"It was our pleasure, I am glad we were able to help her."  Griss said.

The female bobbed her head again, gave another hiss of thanks, and faded back into the still large crowd of kobolds.

"And now, the Elder hissed, that we have all eaten and enjoyed ourselves, it is time to hear your stories."

Griss let Kix do most of the talking, adding his own information to fill gaps or areas she wasn't sure about.  They looked at Griss in surprise when Kix told them he used to be a human, and despite intense scrutiny they finally concluded that he 'looked pretty much like any other kobold' to them.   The kobolds were suitably impressed, and gave angry hisses when they heard about the vile magicks Melchet had inflicted on Griss.  They also hissed in amusement when Kix told them Griss's human name.  They had heard of Cuthbert, and expressed sadness to hear he was dead, and got a kick out of the bandits & escape story.  They were fascinated by Kix's description of the cold and barren mountains, and a few expressed skepticism at the idea of frozen or 'hard' water, but when an Elder admitted to having seen some of the stuff when he was younger they hissed in amazement.  Hard water, who'd have thought!  But the cold sounded horrible.

It was quite late by the time the Elders were satisfied, at least for now, and Griss was almost falling asleep on his feet, and Kix kept having to poke him to keep him awake.  With a hiss of amusement after Griss almost keeled over snout first into a bowl of Juice Berries, the Elder finally said, "Friends, I think it best we let our guests get some sleep before they pass out on us.  We have been selfish; we can listen to more of their tales later."  To which the others concurred.

The male whose hatchling they saved came forward, and asked, "Elders, if          I might ask, I would be honored if our guests would spend the night in my family's home."

The Elders looked at Kix and Griss, and Kix said, "We would be delighted to accept Kirk's hospitality."

As the Elders left all the kobolds still awake stood up and bowed respectfully, and the party was officially over.  Well, that pretty much clenched it, so they followed Kirk as they left the large platform, and he lighted their way with a lantern, though they hardly needed it as this high up a fair amount of moonlight filtered through the canopy.

They climbed down a little lower and entered one of the 'buildings'.  It almost reminded Griss of a honey comb in some ways.  There was a central 'public' area with eating tables, and the inside walls of the structure had numerous cubby holes of various sizes were the kobolds slept.  It was constructed entirely of mostly living plants, but some 'dead' wood was also used.  It was airy and cool, perfect for the hot and humid climate.  To his surprise all the occupants were from one extended family, his host being the 'senior' or 'alpha' male.  And as it turned out he had three 'wives', and Griss soon lost count of the children.  There were also several other adult males and females, some mated, some not yet.  They were related either as brothers or sisters, half brothers or sisters, or had 'married' into the family.

As they were introduced to the members of Kirk's family, at least the adults, Griss tried to remember all their names, but it was impossible.  Kix disappeared with some of the other females after awhile, evidently to discuss 'girl' stuff, and Griss joined Kirk at a table in the center of the public area.  Kirk wasn't very talkative, but his questions were intelligent and inquisitive, and Griss enjoyed their talk.  A few other older males joined them, and they had a nice little get together.  Despite being sleepy he managed to stay awake as he waited for Kix to return.

"So you do not have a clan of your own?  Kirk asked, how sad.  If you like            I would be willing to sponsor you for adoption by my clan. We can always use another strong male."

Griss was flattered, and replied, "A most generous offer, but I would need to talk it over with my mate.  I'm sure she wants me to join her clan though."

"I thought as much, but had to ask, Kirk said, but you will always be a Friend of the Clan, and welcome."

As they talked Griss was surprised, and a little embarrassed, when some females brought them some drinks of some sort of sweet tasting juice.  What embarrassed him was the way a couple of them brushed against him, their tails rubbing against his in a very...enticing manner, and he froze.  As one bent over to refill his cup she let her snout rub against his neck in a rather nice; disturbing, way and he felt a stir of interest.  She smelled...very nice.  But fortunately Kix arrived to collect him a short time later before it got out of hand, and he gratefully followed her to a 'sleeping niche' the females had prepared for them.

The niche wasn't that large, but was very comfortable as it was lined with some sort of dried moss that was very soft and springy, and it was covered with colorful blankets that reminded him of small quilts.  He examined the structure of the niche, and realized it was made from woven vines, which were still alive.  And despite being a rather small space it was nice and airy, the air flowing through the vines, but not the water from frequent showers.  There was no door, but a raised 'lip' gave them privacy.  As he curled up next to Kix she gave his snout a lick, and asked,

"Well, what do you think of our hosts?"

"They're amazing; Griss hissed softly, I haven't had so much fun in years.  Are they always this...rowdy?"

"Oh yes, this is pretty normal for most clans, Kix replied, we all like to have a good time.  But we work hard too, so any excuse to celebrate is welcomed."

"Um, Kix, Griss said, something happened that kind of caught me by...surprise.  I wasn't sure how to, er, respond.  Some of the females, well, they kind of, er..., what I mean is, I think they were interested in, um..."

"Mating with you?"  Kix said, hissing in amusement at his unease.

"Er, Ssss, yesss", Griss said.

"Well, I can tell from your scent you didn't take them up on their offers."  Kix said.

"Of course I didn't!  Griss said in a shocked voice, you're my mate!  I...I don't want any other!"

Kix gave him a slow sensual lick, secretly pleased at his loyalty to her, and then said, "Did you like any of them?"

"What?"  Griss hissed, sitting up, "Well, yes, but I couldn't...wouldn't do that, it would be wrong!"  Then he leaned over and rubbed his snout against her snout and neck, and said, "You're my mate, and I love you."

Kix closed her eyes and gave a soft hiss of affection, then said, "If you want to mate with some of them I wouldn't mind, it would be rude to refuse all of them."

"WHAT!"  Griss said, sitting up again, his snout open in shock.

"Shhh, be quieter, Kix said, people are trying to sleep!"

Leaning over Griss hissed, "What do you mean, you wouldn't mind?!"

Kix gave his snout a playful nip, and said, "When members from one clan visit another it is considered 'polite' for adults from the visiting clan to mate with members of the host clan.  It helps to...build bonds, and also to keep the clans...I don't know the word, healthier??  Sometimes if a clan remains too isolated some young are born...not right.  And it's also lots of fun, and very enjoyable."

"Inbreeding, that's what you mean", Griss replied somewhat absentmindedly.  Remember, he told himself, you're not human anymore!  And as a matter of fact a couple of the females HAD been quite...interesting.

"Yes, that's the word!"  Kix hissed in delight, she always liked to learn new words or phrases.

Yes, Griss thought, he might just take them up on some of their offers, but not tonight.  Lying back down next to Kix he gently rubbed his snout against hers, his tongue flicking over her lips, then into her mouth as she opened it, her tongue finding its way into his.  No, not tonight.

Kix rolled over onto her back, and looked up as Griss straddled her.  They did not mate in this position very often, but it did have its...benefits.  She hissed in pleasure as he mounted her, his hardness sliding easily into her eager sex, and as they mated he gently nipped and bit at her throat and snout, his tongue licking over her smooth hide, and she gave soft hisses and squeals of pleasure as they moved together, so much pleasure.  As they neared their release she locked her jaws with his, clutching at him, her legs wrapped around his waist, and as they orgasmed they both squealed in ecstasy, their cries muffled by one another's mouths.  She decided she was quite happy that he hadn't accepted any of the other female's offers, quite happy indeed.

Griss shuddered in ecstasy as his aching erection spurted his seed deep into his mate's body, his cry of passion as loud as hers, but muffled.  He waited for a minute before slowly pulling out of her, and then they curled up close to one another, snouts pressed close together as they slowly fell asleep, Griss's arms around his love.  As he slowly sank into a deep restful sleep he was aware of soft cries of passion coming from other niches, and if he could have he would have smiled.  No, he thought, being a kobold isn't that bad at all.

Griss woke up the following morning to find several hatchlings heads resting on the edge of their niche, bright yellow eyes watching him with intent interest, and two more hanging upside down at the top of the niche.

"Did you really save Pips?"  One squeaked, "Was it a big snake?"  Another hissed.  "Did you kill it?"  Came another inquiry.

"Well, yes, we..."  Griss started to reply, but a sudden loud bark from Kirk sent the youngsters scurrying away with disappointed sounding hisses.

Griss stuck his head over the edge of the niche, and Kirk said, "Sorry about that, they can be pretty annoying sometimes."

"Oh, I don't mind, Griss said, they're just curious."

"What's going on?"  Kix asked.

"So you're finally awake, Griss hissed, I thought you were going to sleep all day!"

"It's not THAT late!"  Kix hissed reproachfully.  Besides, she thought, you kept me awake half the night!

"I'm going to check the sentries, want to come?  Kirk asked; I'll show you around."

"Yes, that sounds great, Griss said, you want to come Kix?"

"No, she replied, that's a male thing; I've got some things to do here.  You go right ahead, and have fun.  And if you meet a nice female, well, I really don't mind."

Griss gave her an affectionate nuzzle, and said, "After last night I don't know if I'd even be able to accept their invitations!"

Kix gave a squeal of amusement as Griss climbed down to where Kirk was waiting for him, and watched fondly as the two males scampered out of the nest and disappeared.  He could be so sweet!

Griss was impressed with the clan's security arrangements.  The sentry posts were situated so there was no way an enemy or predator could approach without being seen, and each sentry was in view of one or more other sentries. It would be extremely difficult to kill one without others noticing right away.  And they were practically invisible, even up close he just couldn't see them.

"This is impressive, Griss said, but most of the sentries I've seen are in trees, don't you have more on the ground?"

"Well, we avoid the ground as that's were most of the predators that hunt us live, Kirk replied, but we have other defenses.  Follow me."

Griss perched on a branch and stared at a dense mass of tangled vines that stretched as far as he could see from one side to another, the edges curving around out of sight.

"What IS it?"  He asked.

Kirk replied, "They're called tangle vines, if you touch them they react by wrapping around you, and they won't let go.  That is, unless you know the correct code."

"Code?"  Griss asked, intrigued.

"Watch this", Kirk said.  He hopped out of the tree, and brushed a hand against one of the vines, and as he'd said it quickly wrapped around his wrist.  Then he tapped it lightly with his fingers in an intricate pattern, and the vine loosened and let him go!

Griss sat up straighter, hissing in amazement.  "How did you DO that!?"  He asked.

"We train the vines when they're young, Kirk said, some are hundreds of years old now, and pass the code onto to their seedlings.  If we have to we can pass through them as once they recognize the code they'll let you through.  Otherwise they grip you until someone comes along, or you die from hunger and thirst.  When that happens the rotting bodies fertilize them, and we spread our own food leftovers and droppings throughout the vines.  That way we both the clan and the vines benefit, and they completely circle the home tree.  Nothing can get through them."

"Incredible, absolutely incredible!"  Griss hissed in appreciation, which seemed to please Kirk.

"Well, all the older home trees have tangle vine defenses, he said, they're our main defense against invaders or larger predators.  But we still loose hatchlings; the jungle is a dangerous place.  I can never repay you for saving Pips; she's one of my favorites."

"How many children do you have?"  Griss asked curiously.

"Hmm, Kirk pondered, by my life mates I guess maybe fifty so far, by other females I'm not sure."

Griss blinked, wow!

"How many hatchlings do you and you life mates have?"  Kirk asked.

"Um, none so far, and I only have one life mate."  Griss replied.

"How strange, Kirk said, you're certainly mature enough to have sired several clutches by now.  But, oh, I forget, you haven't been a kobold for very long.  That still seems so strange, you seem perfectly normal to me."

YOU think it's strange, Griss thought, but didn't say it out loud.  "I like being like this."  He finally said.

"Well, I would hope so!  Kirk hissed in amusement.  Then he became more serious, and said, "Several of my older daughters have expressed an...interest in you.         I would be honored if you find them to be...acceptable mates."

Remember, Griss reminded himself, you're NOT human anymore.  He wasn't quite sure how to answer a 'request' that would have shocked a human, but finally said, "I'm sure they're lovely, and I'll certainly give them, er, serious consideration."

Evidently it was the right thing to say, because Kirk beamed, and said, "I'm sure they'll give you much pleasure!  They are all big and strong."

I think, Griss thought to himself as he followed Kirk back up into the safety of the trees; that I'm going to be a very busy little kobold, part of him looking forward to it very much.

Kix examined a sleeping quilt one of the other females was working on, and gave a hiss of admiration.  The pattern was complicated, and perfectly executed so far.  "You're very skilled!"  She hissed.

The female, named Tika, dipped her head in pleased embarrassment, and said, "My mother does much better work, but I'm to be made a master weaver soon.  My apprenticeship is almost up."

"Well, Kix said; if your work is this good it's about time."

Kix was thrilled to be back among her own kind, even though the kobolds of this clan were a little smaller then she was.  It brought back so many memories, and she was even more anxious to reach her own home.

"Would you like to try?"  Tik asked, indicating the loom.

"Oh, no!  Kix replied; I'm afraid I never learned to weave.  I'd just ruin it."  In fact she realized she hadn't learned any really useful skills; at least those useful for a kobold, unless you counted cooking, and since kobolds rarely ate cooked food that skill would not exactly be in great demand.  Overall she felt rather intimidated by the industrious females around her, even the older hatchlings were helping out by fetching things and keeping an eye on their younger relatives.  It made her feel slightly useless, and depressed.

            As they returned to the home tree Griss asked Kirk a question that had been on the tip of his tongue for some time.

            "Kirk, I'm familiar with spears and bows of course, but what is that odd stick you've been carrying around, the one with the curved thing on one end?  I noticed the other hunters have them too."

            "This?" Kirk replied, holding up the long stick.

            "Yes, Griss said, is it a staff?"

            "No, Kirk said, we don't use staffs much, except for knocking fruit out of trees, we're too small.  This is a popstick."

            "A what-stick?"  Griss hissed, not sure he'd heard right.

            "A popstick, Kirk repeated, it's a weapon too.  Watch."

            Griss moved closer, and watched as Kirk took what looked like a small nut of some kind out of a pouch, slid back a cleverly made sleeve towards one end of the stick, then he placed the curved end against his upper arm, cocked his head, and then there was a soft 'POP'.

            "That's it?"  Griss asked, rather disappointed.

            "Look."  Kirk said, and pointed at a cluster of large nuts or fruits that was slowly swinging back and forth despite there being no wind.  Griss scampered across a branch and looked at the fruit.  He recognized them; they had very thick and hard rinds and were inedible; at least by kobolds.  At first he didn't understand what Kirk wanted him to look at, but then he saw a straw with a bit of red fluff on the end sticking out of one of the nuts.  He yanked the fruit loose, and as he did Kirk said,

            "Watch out for the tip, its sharp."

            Griss realized Kirk was right, a very sharp needle like point was sticking out of the other side of the fruit, and he realized what he'd thought was a straw was in fact a long needle pointed thorn, it had gone right through the tough fruit!

            "But...but how, Griss hissed, I didn't see a string, or sling, or any way to throw it!"

            "It went through the stick, it's hollow, Kirk said.  Here, look."

            Griss moved closer and watched closer this time as Kirk slid back the sleeve again.  Next he reached into what Griss had thought was a bag, but was actually a small quiver, and removed another thorn.  It was several inches long, had red fluff on one end, and the tip glistened like it was wet.

            "It's poisoned with my own poison, Kirk said, but it won't hurt us, we're immune.  It kills just about anything else though."

            Next he took another of the small nuts out of their bag, and Griss could see they looked slick and rubbery.

            "These are bubble bladders, Kirk explained, they come from a common water plant that chokes a lot of the waterways; they keep the plant from sinking."

            Kirk put the bladder in the tube behind the thorn, then slid the sleeve shut and gave it a twist, and Griss saw it was slotted to give a tighter seal.

            Kirk pointed the stick at another cluster of fruit, and pointed at a small button sticking out of the side of the stick next to the sleeve.  "This pushes a small thorn against the bladder, and 'POP'."

            Griss couldn't even see the thorn leave the end of the stick it was moving so fast, and almost at the same time he heard the pop another thorn had impaled another one of the large fruits.

            "That's incredible!  Griss exclaimed, I've never heard of another weapon like it.  Those thorns are sharp enough to go right through leather or even mail."

            "Or tough hide or scales, Kirk said, we use them mainly on larger animals we don't want to get too close to.  But they are one reason humans and other sentient races tend to leave us alone.  They're not terribly accurate though, so it helps to be as close as possible."

            Griss took the 'popstick' as Kirk handed it to him, and examined it carefully.  The workmanship was superb, the wood polished, the stick perfectly straight, and it was also amazingly lightweight.  The sleeve mechanism was simple and ingenious; designed to provide an airtight seal when closed, and it was incredibly easy to use.

            "What kind of wood is this, Griss asked; I've never seen anything like it before."

            "It's from a large reed that grows along the swampier creeks and in bogs, Kirk said.  The full grown ones are useless, too brittle, but we take green ones and hollow them out; which is simple as they already have hollow sections, then slide a rod into them to keep them straight as they cure.  Once they're ready we smooth the exterior and oil it, then a craftsman carves out the loading chamber and fits the cover.  Once that's done, it's ready to use.  Each hunter makes his own darts, it's very easy.  Some of the older hatchlings use smaller versions to hunt swifter prey that is hard to catch or sneak up on."

            "It's simply incredible, Griss said again as he admitted the popstick.  So simple, and so deadly!  I never would have thought of that in a thousand years!"  Reluctantly he handed the weapon back to Kirk, his assessment of kobold military ability going up about ten notches.  Even a well armored man would be vulnerable to the deadly darts no matter how well he was protected.  He gave a little shudder, he new quite well what effect kobold poison had on humans.

            When they arrived back at the home tree it was already early evening, so Griss thanked Kirk for his showing him around, and he went to find Kix.  She was in a kind of work area where females were busily working looms and making cups and plates from some sort of gourds that were soft when new, but could be molded into shapes they kept as they hardened.  He'd wondered where their plates and cups had come from, and had thought they were carved wood at first.

            Kix was happy to see him, and she jumped up and came to meet him, and they exchanged snout rubs, and then went to their niche in Kirk's home to take a short nap before dinner.  Or tried too, but Griss kept rambling on about all the amazing things he'd see that day, but finally he noticed Kix seemed kind of quiet.  Usually she was the more talkative one.

            Sensing she was upset Griss shut up, and giving her a gentle nuzzle, asked,

            "What's wrong?  Did I say something to upset you?"

            Seeing the genuine concern in his eyes Kix gave a soft hiss, and nuzzled him back.  "No, it's not anything you said.  Do you...do you think I'm a good mate?"

            If Kix had announced she was really a dragon that had been changed into a kobold Griss couldn't have been more surprised.  He rolled upright, and taking her hands in his he gave her an affectionate lick, and said,

            "You're the best mate in the world, you ARE my world, I love you more then I've ever loved anything.  What makes you ask a question like that?"

            Kix licked him back, and hissed, "It's just that I don't have any useful skills,          I can't weave, I can't make anything, I don't know much about medicines or herbs, I'm just not good for much.  And I'm too old to learn."

            Griss put his hand under her snout and lifted it so she was snout to snout with him, and gave her a long slow lick.  "I don't care, he hissed, all I know is that you're my mate, now and forever, and that's all I want.  You're smart, and funny, and beautiful, and I don't know how you put up with me.  You're perfect."  Then he gave her a hug.

            Kix hissed contentedly as she rested her snout on his neck and back, and she knew she was the luckiest kobold in the whole world.

            Griss was happy to see that Kix had cheered up considerably as dinner time neared, and when Kirk called for them to join his family they both were eager and hungry.  Griss was amazed, especially after all the food he'd eaten the night before, but his stomach growled in demand.  As a human he'd been rather portly most of his life, but now he was as lean and lithe at the other kobolds, and he found he liked that very much.

            Dinner wasn't as elaborate or fancy as the night before, but there were ample amounts for everybody from the adults to the smallest hatchlings.  Griss was a little surprised to find the sight of females; and males, regurgitating food for the smaller hatchlings didn't bother him at all.  He knew at one time he would have thought it disgusting, but now it seemed rather...loving.  The adults made sure each youngster received a fair share, and it seemed the duty was not limited to just their parents.  Later Kix explained to him that all the adults took part in caring for hatchlings, whether they were their own or not, or even if they hadn't had any young yet.

            There were hisses of dismay later as Griss and Kix announced they would be leaving the next day.  They'd talked it over during nap time, and agreed they had to move on if they were to beat Melchet to the village.  They both wanted to stay, but also promised they would come back for visits, which seemed to help placate their hosts.  After dinner was over the adults traded stories and talked about various subjects while the younger ones respectfully listened, and learned.  Griss rubbed the belly of a younger hatchling that had crawled into his lap, the little one hissing happily in its sleep.  Kix watched him while he did, and rubbed her belly.  She wasn't showing much yet, but would be all too soon.  She'd seen how he behaved with hatchlings, and knew he'd make a good father.  He was patient, and didn't treat them as annoyances.  He would give them the same attention he gave an adult, and would even play with them a little bit, and he had quickly become a favorite of the youngsters and always had several following him around.

            As they were served the after dinner fruit juice that seemed to be the norm one of the younger adult females brushed against him, her tail caressing his, and at first he tried to ignore it when he saw Kix watching, but after she gave him a faint nod he excused himself and followed the female to a more secluded niche, Kirk beaming in delight.  Wouldn't do to be rude, he thought.

            Later as Griss joined Kix in their niche he tried to be as quiet as possible, but she stirred, and said,

            "Three, I'm impressed."

            Griss lay down next to her and nuzzled the back of her neck, still at little unsure of her response, considering what he'd been doing for the last couple of hours.  And she was right, he'd mated three willing females, and he knew she knew from their scents on his hide.

            "Well, how was it?"  Kix asked.

            Griss decided it was best to be honest.  "It was...enjoyable, he said as he nuzzled the back of her neck again, but it wasn't like with us.  That's something entirely different."

            Satisfied with his answer, Kix sighed and went back to sleep, her mate holding her close.

                                                The End