Chapter 43: Leadership
Ka’z waved his hand and the numerous runes carved into the ground vanished as the earth shifted, filling every groove until the stone floor looked untouched once more.
Boi slowly rose to his feet, stretching his stiff limbs with a pained groan before walking toward the wall. As soon as his back touched it, the earth softened and sank inward, allowing his body to slide into the opening before the stone flowed back from both sides, sealing him inside once again.
Only his face and chest remained exposed. It was the same prison as before, but after being allowed to stand and move around for a while, even returning to it felt noticeably more uncomfortable.
"It’s safe to say you’re already as capable as I ever was as a Battle Shaman," Boi began with a tired smile that carried more admiration than bitterness.
Every rune he knew Ka’z now knew as well.
In fact, considering his ability to instinctively understand the Language of Power, Boi had the unsettling feeling that his student might already understand those runes better than he ever had.
Years of study, countless failures, endless experimentation and painful trial and error had been replicated by a two year old kobold within the span of a single conversation. It was enough to make any scholar question whether talent truly outweighed hard work.
"I believe I’ve provided enough information to earn at least a little goodwill..." Boi muttered.
Ka’z nodded without hesitation.
"If you’re worried about being executed, don’t be. No one is killing you until I say so."
Boi’s eyes widened slightly. The surprise quickly faded and was replaced by curiosity.
"What exactly is a Child of Prophecy?"
He could no longer suppress the question.
Ka’z was barely two years old, yet warriors far older than him listened when he spoke. He possessed the learning ability of dragons, carried a draconic bloodline despite being born a kobold, and even the strongest figures within the colony treated him differently. The more he interacted with Ka’z, the less ordinary the child appeared. Every answer only seemed to raise two more questions.
This child looked less like someone born by chance and more like someone deliberately crafted by a god.
"Come on," Boi pressed. "I’ve already told you everything I know about runes and magic. I deserve at least one answer."
Ka’z remained silent for several moments before speaking.
"Do you believe in prophecies?"
Boi hesitated. The question forced him to think.
He believed in the Red Scripture. Compared to that, a prophecy wasn’t impossible.
"...Partially," he finally answered.
Ka’z slowly nodded before deciding there was little point hiding it.
"I’m apparently the Child of Prophecy."
He sounded almost embarrassed saying it aloud.
"I was supposedly destined to be born during my people’s darkest era and lead them into a new age of prosperity. According to everyone, that’s also why I possess dragon blood despite being born a kobold."
Boi stared blankly at him. For several seconds, he couldn’t process what he had just heard.
If this prophecy truly existed and if this child truly was destined to lead his people, then perhaps the Ashmork Clan had already lost the moment Ka’z was born.
Even worse, history would remember Boi as the fool who personally armed the Child of Prophecy with the knowledge he needed to destroy the Ashmork Clan.
The realization left his heart unusually heavy. As a scholar, passing knowledge to someone worthy had always been his greatest joy. Yet today that same joy had become the very thing that might one day bury his own people.
Clank!
The heavy stone door swung open. Lan’ka stood in the entrance with his arms folded across his broad chest. His sharp eyes briefly swept over Boi, immediately noticing the goblin’s stunned and depressed expression before shifting toward Ka’z.
"Let’s get going."
Ka’z nodded before rising with the support of Shiki. As he reached Lan’ka, he stopped.
"Can we get him some food and water?"
Lan’ka blinked.
"He has been very helpful in teaching me about their heretic magic. The next time we fight them, it won’t catch us off guard."
Understanding immediately flashed across Lan’ka’s face.
His eyes lit up.
"Guard!"
The kobold standing outside immediately straightened.
"Get this rat some food and water. He has squealed enough to earn himself a meal." Lan’ka grinned.
"Yes, Hunter Lan’ka."
Satisfied, Lan’ka turned and walked away with Ka’z beside him while the heavy prison door slowly closed behind them.
Neither of them noticed the storm of conflicting thoughts raging inside Boi’s mind. The goblin simply stared at the closing door in silence, wondering whether he had just preserved the future of knowledge... or doomed his own people.
"So..." Lan’ka broke the silence as they walked through the winding tunnels together. Their footsteps echoed softly through the stone passage while passing kobolds instinctively moved aside to clear the way for them.
"How are you holding up?"
His voice carried genuine concern.
After everything that had happened the previous night, he had never felt prouder. He had personally raised five hatchlings into hunters so it was only natural he felt proud of their achievements.
Everyone of them exceeded expectations. They weren’t merely children anymore, they had become true warriors.
"My body’s a mess."
Ka’z scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I think my scales are permanently ruined, my bones hurt every time I move and I still taste blood whenever I breathe but I’ll live." He shrugged.
The worst part had already passed. Compared to yesterday he honestly felt much better.
Lan’ka laughed.
"Good. We still need you alive."
His large hand landed on Ka’z’s shoulder with surprising gentleness. Ka’z couldn’t help smiling.
"So... I really get to choose the warriors on my team?"
Deep inside, countless ideas were already racing through his head.
He wanted the best of everything. If everything went according to plan he could build the strongest hunter squad the colony had ever seen.
Unfortunately, Lan’ka immediately crushed that dream.
"No."
Ka’z’s smile froze.
"What?"
Lan’ka chuckled.
"What you’ll actually be choosing are ten people who only recently decided to become warriors because of the current situation."
Ka’z stopped walking altogether.
"You said... what?"
Lan’ka glanced sideways before smiling knowingly.
"If I let you recruit the colony’s best warriors what’s stopping them from treating you exactly the way La’to and the others did yesterday?"
Ka’z slowly fell silent. His frustration gradually disappeared and understanding replaced it.
Lan’ka immediately noticed.
"You understand now, don’t you?"
Ka’z slowly nodded and Lan’ka continued.
"Respect and trust. They’re the two most important things on a battlefield. A squad doesn’t survive because every member is individually strong. It survives because everyone follows their leader without hesitation."
He paused briefly.
"If your own warriors doubt your decisions your squad is already dead."
Ka’z quietly listened.
The words were difficult to argue against because he had experienced them personally. The veterans had questioned him before the raid, laughed at his warning and paid with their lives. If another set of veterans were placed under his command now, nothing guaranteed they would suddenly obey him simply because Tud’or ordered it.
"Honestly... If I had my way, I’d only give you five recruits. But I understand why Tud’or chose ten. We’re facing an enemy far stronger than ourselves. We don’t have the luxury of taking things slowly anymore."
Ka’z nodded thoughtfully.
Training even five inexperienced warriors would already be difficult.
"I understand that but this is the middle of a war. This doesn’t seem like the right time to start training rookies."
Lan’ka immediately raised one finger.
"Actually this is the perfect time. Our southern region is secure for now. The enemy lost their camp and supplies. They’ll need time before attempting another advance."
He looked ahead toward the distant cave entrance where daylight slowly poured into the underground passage.
"I’ll assign experienced hunters to monitor the destroyed camp. If the goblins return... We’ll know long before they reach our territory. That gives you time to build a squad that fights the way you want it to."
They stopped at the cave entrance and Lan’ka firmly patted Ka’z’s shoulder.
"You don’t need to worry about anything else. Just focus on building your team. Tud’or and I went through this process and It’s the reason for our success. Do you understand?"
Ka’z quietly absorbed every word. When he thought about it, Lan’ka was right. With nothing left to argue, Ka’z simply nodded.
"Alright."
The two continued walking side by side through the winding tunnels. The further they walked, the brighter the passage became as sunlight streamed through the cave entrance. Fresh air drifted into the underground settlement, carrying with it the scent of damp earth, moss and the Evergreen Forest beyond.
Waiting just outside, his new team had already begun assembling. Several young kobolds stood in uneven rows, some nervous, others excited, while a few struggled to hide the fear lingering behind their eyes. None of them looked like seasoned warriors.
They looked exactly like what they were.
Young kobolds who had volunteered because the colony had no one else left to spare.