Chapter 171: A Tricky Situation

"You heard me... The guardian beast was killed by the Halflings. That is the kind of monsters you are dealing with," Kong’gong repeated, his voice carrying none of the humor from earlier.

Ka’z staggered backward, his mind racing as he desperately tried to make sense of everything he had just heard. For the past several months, he had been building toward a very specific goal. If he wanted Vaal’kor to claim ownership of the entire southern region, he had already calculated that he would need roughly three years to prepare his warriors, strengthen their cores, develop their magic and eventually challenge the guardian beasts occupying the regional hills. It was an ambitious plan, but one he had considered achievable.

Now, however, he was learning that the future he dreamed of building was something the Halflings had already achieved in the past. They had apparently possessed enough power to kill a guardian beast defending their own region, and they had done it specifically to protect humans entering the Evergreen Forest.

Ka’z’s legs eventually gave out beneath him, and he fell onto his backside. He remained there, staring into the darkness ahead of him with a distant expression while the information continued colliding inside his mind.

Every new piece of information made the race more difficult to understand, and Ka’z found himself desperately trying to reconcile the Halflings described in the Red Scripture with the monsters Kong’gong was describing.

Kong’gong didn’t rush him. The old kobold simply picked up his cup and drank half its contents while waiting patiently for Ka’z to organize his thoughts. He understood that there were moments when information needed to be allowed to settle before another question could be answered.

After several moments, Ka’z finally spoke. "Okay, so what do we do about a race that is constantly helping the people who are a threat to our existence?"

Kong’gong shrugged. "Nothing. As we are now, there is really nothing we can do about them."

Ka’z stared at him for several seconds before slowly falling onto his back. His body landed against the stone floor, and he gazed toward the ceiling while countless thoughts rampaged through his mind.

For the first time since beginning his plans, he was looking at an obstacle he could not simply overcome by training harder, gathering more warriors or developing stronger magic. The northern region was not merely another territory waiting to be conquered. It was controlled by a race powerful enough to kill the very guardian beast that was supposed to protect it, and that race was actively cooperating with the humans Ka’z feared.

"That’s why I recommend putting aside your problems with our people and teaching them as you initially planned," Kong’gong said. "We need everyone if we wish to even hope to win against these people."

Ka’z’s expression hardened.

He quickly sat upright, his crimson eyes carrying a cold gleam as he looked toward Kong’gong. "No."

He shook his head firmly. "These people are too short sighted and disorderly. Teaching them will not save anyone. It will only give everyone the right to reinforce their shallow views and destroy whatever I’m creating simply because they don’t agree with it."

Ka’z placed both hands against his knees and leaned forward. "We have barely over twenty trained warriors under us. I will focus my attention on them and make them an elite force rather than train an entire people and gain a disorganized bunch who all think their opinions supersede the welfare of the clan."

Kong’gong raised both hands in surrender. "If that’s what you think, very well then. I just want you to understand that this threat is not like Ashmork, which we could handle alone. There is a reason even Grash was not stupid enough to travel north. So whatever you plan to do, do it fast."

Ka’z slowly nodded. He saw no reason to argue about it any further. Kong’gong had made his position clear, and Ka’z had already made his decision. If the northern threat was truly as powerful as his teacher claimed, then there was even more reason to prepare carefully rather than waste time trying to force an entire population to learn magic.

"What about the Gnolls?" Ka’z asked.

Kong’gong raised a brow at the sudden change of subject. "The Gnolls are quite kind people who take family seriously. I’ve had a few encounters with them, and they were all pleasant. As long as you are not perceived as a threat and you don’t enter their territory, they will more or less leave you alone."

Ka’z slowly nodded. Luthor had spoken about the Gnolls only vaguely, leaving very little useful information about their society. That made Kong’gong’s experience particularly valuable.

"So what do you think about them? Can I pull them over?"

Kong’gong nodded and shook his head at the same time. "Honestly, I believe it completely depends on the condition you find yourself in. They are not an unreasonable people. All I know is that if they realize joining us is the only way they can truly survive, I believe they will do so."

Ka’z nodded slowly. He leaned back against the wall and allowed the silence to return. His mind wandered through everything they had discussed. The Halflings. Lanthor. The Gnolls. Ashmork. Vaal’kor. The guardian beasts. The military camp. His three year plan. Every piece of information seemed connected to another problem waiting somewhere beyond the borders of the settlement.

Eventually, Ka’z pushed himself to his feet. The uncertainty that had clouded his face earlier had been replaced by a quiet resolve.

Kong’gong chuckled. "You look like you are planning to do something drastic."

"Only after I set up our military camp and pass down all the knowledge I have accumulated to our warriors," Ka’z admitted with a small smile.

"You plan to travel again?"

Ka’z nodded.

"North or West?" Kong’gong asked.

"I’m not sure yet. It honestly depends on what I deem necessary at the time. For now, I need to sober up and think about all of this."

Kong’gong nodded in understanding. "Don’t think too much or you will age faster than your friends."

Ka’z stared at him for a moment before bursting into loud laughter. The absurdity of the joke coming from an old blind kobold was enough to break the tension that had settled over him. "That’s a terrible joke."

Kong’gong laughed as well, and for a brief moment the weight of the northern region disappeared from Ka’z’s mind.

Ka’z eventually straightened himself and gave his teacher a respectful bow. "Thank you for your time. I’ll see you again tomorrow."

Kong’gong smiled. "And I’ll still be here, waiting for you."

Ka’z turned and walked toward the entrance. He disappeared into the passageway, but several seconds after his footsteps faded, the stone wall behind Kong’gong shifted quietly.

Two figures stepped out from the hidden passage.

O’nil and Tong’a emerged with deeply worried expressions, both of them looking considerably older than they had before entering the chamber. They had heard everything.

Kong’gong didn’t turn immediately. He simply continued staring toward the entrance Ka’z had disappeared through before finally glancing over his shoulder.

"On this case, I stand with that child," Kong’gong said coldly. "You two pushed him to react the way he did, so you two must make efforts to make amends."

Tong’a released a tired sigh. "I honestly didn’t know there was so much more."

O’nil nodded slowly. "If we understood there was so much weighing him down, we wouldn’t have made such hasty decisions."

"And how would you know when you disregarded him despite everything he has done and made decisions that would affect him without consultation?" Kong’gong rebuked. His voice remained controlled, but there was unmistakable disappointment behind it. "Maybe it’s because he’s only three and is in his youthful era, but I need you to understand that child is the child of prophecy, and he has proven himself to be just as knowledgeable as any of us if not more. In my opinion, he is more qualified than anyone else in this clan to become Chief but he remains humble. Until you stop looking at him as a child, mistakes like this will keep repeating themselves."

Neither Tong’a nor O’nil answered. They had no defense.

Meanwhile, Ka’z stood just beyond the wall beside the entrance, listening to the entire conversation with a small smile. He had known the two older kobolds were hiding behind the wall through his Divine Perception, but he had deliberately said nothing. He had wanted to hear Kong’gong’s honest assessment of the situation without anyone changing their words because he was present.

Now he had his answer.

Ka’z turned away from the chamber and began walking toward the cave entrance, his thoughts wandering through everything he had discussed with Kong’gong. The Halflings remained the greatest concern. He couldn’t stop thinking about the dead guardian beast and what that revelation meant for his plans. If the Halflings could kill a guardian beast, then the three year plan he had created for conquering the southern region might not be nearly as ambitious as he had believed. It might only be the beginning.

He was so deeply lost in thought that he barely noticed his surroundings as he walked through the familiar passages. By the time he realized what he was doing, he had already left the cave, crossed the settlement and reached his home.

Knock! Knock!

Ka’z knocked on the front door.

It opened almost immediately, and Za’r’s expectant smile was the first thing he saw. She had clearly been waiting for him, but the smile disappeared almost instantly when she noticed the worried expression on his face.

"Are you okay?"

Ka’z nodded and forced a small smile. "Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?" He chuckled before walking inside.

His living room was sizable enough for everyone to move around comfortably, with a fireplace built into one wall, several rocking chairs arranged around it and a dining table large enough to seat five people. Wolf fur had been placed on sections of the floor as makeshift mats, giving the room a warmer appearance than the stone and wooden structures elsewhere in the settlement. It wasn’t perfect, and Ka’z knew it would eventually be replaced with something better, but for now it was comfortable enough to call home.

He took a quick bath to wash away the sweat and grime accumulated during the day’s work and returned to the living room wearing clean clothes. Waiting for him on the dining table was a bowl of rice accompanied by beef stew, still warm from the fire.

Za’r watched him expectantly.

Ka’z glanced at the food before shaking his head. "I’m sorry, I’m not really hungry tonight."

Za’r froze.

After everything they had done in the fields that day, after the amount of physical work Ka’z had forced himself through, she had expected him to attack the food the moment he returned. Instead, he was already walking toward the rocking chair.

Ka’z sat down and began rocking back and forth, his gaze fixed on the flames dancing inside the fireplace. His body was finally resting, but his mind was still somewhere else.

Several seconds passed then Za’r walked directly in front of him.

Before Ka’z could ask what she was doing, she climbed onto the rocking chair and settled herself across his lap, forcing him to look directly at her. She studied his face with a firm expression, searching his eyes for the answer he had refused to give her.

"Did any of those old men bully you?" she asked.

A laugh escaped Ka’z, followed by another until he was shaking his head.

"No, no... It’s not that, I swear." Ka’z laughed out loud.

Za’r smiled when she saw the tension finally leave his face.

"That’s the smile I love to see," she said softly.