Chapter 185: Saddle Project Completed
Ka’z walked down the streets of Vaal’kor Village with a deep frown etched across his face, his hands resting loosely at his sides while his mind raced through everything that had happened that morning.
He honestly could not understand why Tong’a and O’nil had suddenly decided to do something like this and, more importantly, why they had chosen to carry it out in such a dramatic manner. They had not discussed it with him. They had simply stood before the entire village, announced their resignation and handed the leadership over to him and his friends before walking away.
It wasn’t that he hated the decision. In fact, a part of him understood why the older generation had reached that conclusion. What bothered him was the way they had done it. It made the entire situation feel as though they had been pushed out rather than voluntarily stepping aside, and that realization left Ka’z with an uncomfortable sense of guilt.
"Brother Ka’z! Brother Ka’z!" A distant voice immediately caught his attention.
Ka’z lifted his head and turned toward the sound, his expression changing slightly when he saw Tor and several other goblins racing toward him.
Tor was holding something above his head as he ran, and the moment Ka’z realized what it was, his eyes widened slightly. The goblins were carrying the saddle they had been working on.
"We did it! We built the saddle you asked for!" Tor screamed excitedly as he raced toward him, his face filled with pride.
Within seconds, the fifteen goblins had surrounded Ka’z, their exhaustion from the rushed work completely forgotten as they eagerly presented their creation. Tor carefully handed the saddle to Ka’z, who accepted it without saying anything and immediately began inspecting it.
His fingers moved across the leather, examining every part of the construction. The main saddle was properly shaped and reinforced. The stirrups were firmly attached. The reins were secured correctly, and the leather straps were strong enough to withstand the force of a large animal. The metal fittings were properly positioned, while the design itself was simple enough to be reproduced for future riders. They had somehow managed to complete everything in only three days.
Ka’z turned the saddle over several times, inspecting every connection before finally nodding.
"You guys are amazing..." he admitted.
The goblins exchanged sheepish smiles, clearly pleased by the praise coming from the person who had given them the task in the first place. For them, this was more than just a piece of equipment. It was proof that the knowledge they carried could still be useful to Ka’z and his grand dream.
"Erm, Brother Ka’z... Is there a problem?" Tor’s hesitant question pulled Ka’z’s attention away from the saddle.
Ka’z looked at him for a moment before following the goblin’s gaze toward the village square. The distant sound of dozens of kobolds speaking could still be heard from that direction.
Tor’s expression had become slightly worried, and Ka’z immediately understood why.
The goblins had witnessed the tension between him and Lan’ka the previous day, and they probably assumed the gathering had something to do with Logi’s death.
Ka’z shrugged and returned his attention to Tor.
"The Chieftain and elders resigned. Now my friends and I run the village. You guys are much safer now." He said it as casually as though he were informing Tor that the weather had changed.
All fifteen goblins stared at him in genuine shock. None of them had expected that to be the outcome of what had nearly become a confrontation between Ka’z and Lan’ka.
They had spent the entire morning wondering whether the incident would lead to punishment, expulsion or something even worse. Instead, the old leadership had stepped down and the younger generation had taken control.
Tor opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask what exactly had happened, but he quickly stopped himself. The others seemed to have the same thought. There was something cold in Ka’z’s eyes despite the indifferent expression on his face, and it was obvious that he was not in the mood to discuss the political drama that had just unfolded. None of the goblins wanted to press him. They had already learned that Ka’z’s mood was not something to test.
"Let’s go test it out," Ka’z said, handing the saddle back to Tor.
The goblins immediately brightened. Their curiosity completely overpowered their hesitation, and they began talking excitedly amongst themselves as they hurried toward the livestock pens. The thought of finally seeing whether their work actually functioned was enough to erase the awkwardness that had surrounded them only moments earlier.
Ka’z remained where he was for a few seconds, watching them disappear down the street. Only after the goblins had gained some distance did he slowly turn around.
His expression changed immediately.
Ka’z stared into the seemingly empty street with a cold frown, his eyes narrowing as his senses stretched outward.
"Don’t you think it’s disrespectful to spy on people who have treated you with nothing but hospitality?" Ka’z hissed viciously.
For several seconds, nothing happened. Then Layla, Tega and the other two Gnolls slowly emerged from different corners of the nearby buildings. Their ears were lowered, and their tails remained unusually still as they approached.
The four Gnolls wore apologetic expressions, though none seemed particularly eager to meet Ka’z’s eyes after being caught so easily.
Ka’z’s gaze moved from one to another, his expression becoming colder. "If you want to see something or say something, just come up to me and tell me. The next time I catch you all sneaking around in my village, I will kill every single one of you."
A faint crimson gleam appeared in Ka’z’s eyes as he spoke, and all four Gnolls instinctively shuddered. There was no need for them to question whether he meant it.
They had already seen his ruthlessness against his mind kind, and they were currently standing deep inside territory controlled by someone far more powerful than themselves. They had no magic, no army and no allies close enough to intervene if Ka’z decided to act.
All four immediately bowed deeply. "We are sorry for our rude behavior," they chorused.
Ka’z’s frown deepened slightly. Something about the way they had answered together irritated him. It sounded too rehearsed, as though none of them wanted to accept individual responsibility for what they had done.
Before Ka’z could say anything, Layla cautiously raised her head. "Can we follow and see what the... saddle can do?"
Ka’z stared at her for a moment before shrugging indifferently. "Sure. Tag along if you want."
He turned around and began walking toward the livestock pens without waiting for an answer.
Layla’s face immediately lit up with excitement, while the other Gnolls exchanged glances before following. They quickly hurried after him and caught up within seconds.
"We would like to apologize again for sneaking around, but this is our first time entering a beautiful village like this," Tega said from Ka’z’s right.
Layla nodded from his left, her eyes wandering across the streets and buildings as they walked.
Ka’z simply nodded, his expression remaining dull as he listened. He could understand why they were so fascinated.
In all of Evergreen Forest, the Ashmork Clan had been the only other race he knew of that had developed a settlement on this scale. Yet the Gnolls had likely never had an opportunity to properly see Ashmork’s village because of the conflict between the two groups. Now Vaal’kor had the Red Scripture, the knowledge of the Ashmork artisans and the resources to develop even further.
Ka’z allowed himself a brief glance around the settlement. He could confidently say that Vaal’kor Village was far more organized and aesthetically pleasing than Ashmork had ever been, though he had no intention of saying that aloud.
Tega and Layla eventually realized that Ka’z was not in the mood for conversation. His responses remained short, and his eyes were constantly moving ahead rather than toward them. Neither Gnoll wanted to irritate him further, so they fell silent and simply followed.
Several minutes later, they reached the livestock pens, but instead of heading toward the normal animals used for food, the group moved toward another enclosure where several wild boars were being kept.
The boars were larger, more aggressive and far less accustomed to being handled by the kobolds, making them ideal for testing the new equipment. The goblins were already waiting nearby, gathered around the enclosure with the saddle resting safely on the ground.
Ka’z walked straight toward the pen and opened the gate before stepping inside. The movement immediately caught the attention of the boars. One of the largest animals suddenly squealed and charged toward him, its hooves pounding against the ground as it lowered its head and aimed its tusks directly at him.
Ka’z did not flinch. His body remained completely still until the final moment, when scales suddenly began growing across his skin, protruding over his arms, chest and shoulders as he activated his defensive ability. He casually stretched out one palm toward the charging beast.
[Dragon Scales]
BANG!!
The roughly four foot tall boar slammed directly into Ka’z’s outstretched palm with enough force to make the surrounding ground tremble, yet Ka’z’s arm barely moved. It felt as though the animal had crashed into a deeply rooted tree.
The boar stumbled backward in confusion, but Ka’z immediately reached down and grabbed it by one of its tusks. With almost effortless strength, he lifted the animal’s head and slammed it against the ground. The impact forced the air from the boar’s lungs, leaving it stunned and struggling helplessly beneath him.
Ka’z released a loud exhale and his scales began receeding, while several of the other wild boars immediately retreated toward the far corner of the pen. They had witnessed what had happened to one of their strongest members, and instinctively understood that remaining close to Ka’z was dangerous.
"Did you notice his scales?" Tega asked quietly.
Layla nodded, her eyes still fixed on Ka’z. "I did, but... I don’t know. I really don’t know what to say anymore."
Everything the Gnolls knew about the Kobolds to the south came from stories passed down by elders who had encountered Vaal’kor warriors during expeditions toward the central region. Yet none of those stories had ever mentioned that Kobolds could manipulate or harden their scales to such an extent. The ability was so natural to Ka’z that he had not even considered it worth explaining.
Ka’z dragged the stunned boar out of the enclosure by its horn and allowed it to collapse onto the ground outside. He then walked calmly toward a nearby basket filled with apples and picked up several.
Instead of leaving the animal where it had fallen, he sat down in front of it and held one of the apples out in his palm. The boar remained on the ground for several seconds, staring suspiciously at the kobold sitting in front of it. Its breathing gradually slowed as it realized Ka’z was not attacking it.
Eventually, the boar slowly pushed itself back onto its feet and cautiously approached. It nudged the apple with its snout before finally taking it from Ka’z’s palm and beginning to chew.
Ka’z gently rubbed one hand across the animal’s face while it ate. His actions were unexpectedly gentle after the brutality he had displayed only moments earlier, but his eyes remained distant. His mind was clearly somewhere else.
He took a second apple and held it out to the boar. While the animal ate, Ka’z gestured toward the goblins.
"Put it on," he said.
Tor immediately nodded and motioned for another goblin to join him. Tor and the young goblin named Kurt approached the animal cautiously and began strapping the saddle across its body.
The boar became visibly agitated as the leather was tightened around its torso, but every time it showed signs of panic, Ka’z calmly placed a hand against its head. The animal was clearly more frightened of him than it was of the strange equipment, and his presence kept it from attempting to throw the goblins away.
They worked carefully, tightening every strap and checking each connection as they moved around the animal. When the final piece had been secured, Tor stepped back and looked toward Ka’z with anticipation.
Ka’z picked up the final apple and offered it to the boar. The animal happily accepted it, chewing slowly while Ka’z reached for the saddle. He placed one foot into the stirrup and used it to pull himself upward before settling onto the animal’s back. For a moment, he simply sat there, adjusting his position until he found his balance. Only then did he reach forward and grab the reins.
From the elevated position atop the boar, the world suddenly looked different. For the first time since leaving the meeting that morning, the heaviness in Ka’z’s expression finally began to disappear. A small smile appeared on his face as he looked down at the reins in his hands and then toward the goblins gathered around him.
The saddle worked!