God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

Tong’a quietly excused himself after a few more words, his wooden staff echoing softly against the stone floor as he disappeared back through the hidden passage. The concealed entrance slowly rumbled shut behind him until only Kurg and Kong’gong remained inside the vast underground chamber.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. The colorful glow of the Aether Crystals danced across the walls while complete silence settled over the cavern, making the space feel far larger than it already was.

Kurg continued staring at Kong’gong with unconcealed curiosity. No matter how long he looked, he simply could not reconcile the image before him. The horns. The scales. The almost human face. Everything about him looked familiar yet completely foreign at the same time.

"Are you really a kobold?" Kurg finally asked.

Kong’gong laughed softly before nodding.

"Of course."

He rested one hand on his knee before continuing.

"Once a magic beast reaches the Gold Core, your life span doubles and your body undergoes another evolution. That evolution grants us a human form."

Kurg’s jaw slowly dropped. He had never laid eyes on an actual human before. Stories were all he knew.

His curiosity immediately overwhelmed his manners and he jumped to his feet before circling Kong’gong repeatedly, examining every detail with wide sparkling eyes.

"So this is what humans look like..."

He leaned closer.

"No..."

His eyes narrowed as he inspected the horns.

"They don’t have these..."

Then he glanced at the scales beneath Kong’gong’s robes.

"Or these."

Kong’gong smiled patiently, allowing the little kobold to inspect him from every angle.

"With this body you can leave Evergreen Forest and you could even live with humans. Wouldn’t that be better than staying underground all day?" Kurg asked.

For a moment, Kong’gong simply smiled.

"I did. I traveled far beyond Evergreen Forest. I wandered for years and crossed mountains.I saw rivers larger than our entire colony and I entered the Human Empire of Lanthor."

A nostalgic smile appeared.

"I even became an adventurer for a short while."

Kurg’s eyes practically shone.

He lunged forward and grabbed Kong’gong’s robes with both hands, shaking him excitedly.

"Really?"

"You actually saw all those places?"

"Were they amazing?"

Kong’gong nodded.

"They were. It was wonderful until I came home."

His fingers slowly tightened around the fabric resting on his knees.

"I returned expecting laughter and familiar faces. Instead, I found a graveyard. The colony had nearly been wiped out. They were killed by the same humans I had wanted so desperately to become a part of."

Buzz.

Kurg’s entire body froze.Only now did he truly notice the pain hidden beneath Kong’gong’s gentle smile.

Slowly, he released the robes and quietly sat back down opposite him. Silence lingered between them for a while.

Finally Kong’gong spoke again.

"Our generation produced seven magic beasts. Only Tong’a, O’nil and I survived. The massacre reduced our already shrinking population so severely that the next generation only produced three."

Kurg’s ears twitched as he immediately recognized the three without being told.

"Tud’or.. Lady Zira... And Lan’ka..."

Kong’gong nodded.

"My selfish desire to chase the outside world cost my people an entire generation. I destroyed the eyes that once longed to see what lay beyond these forests. Now I dedicate my life to protecting the home I once abandoned."

Kurg quietly lowered his head.

For the first time Kurg understood the man seated before him. Every day Kong’gong remained beneath the mountain was another day spent paying for mistakes he believed had cost countless lives.

"...Are humans bad?"

The innocent question echoed gently through the cavern but Kong’gong remained silent for several moments.

How could he answer?

How could he explain human nobles wearing kobold leather as luxury clothing. Potion masters grinding their scales into powders.Alchemists buying organs by weight or children laughing while chained kobolds were forced to entertain them?

No, Kurg was still too young. He didn’t need those nightmares yet.

Kong’gong slowly nodded.

"Humans are a curse upon Athedal. That is why every effort we make must strengthen our home."

His gray eyes remained fixed toward the empty darkness ahead.

"We either grow together or we fall alone. That is the fate our people cannot escape."

Kurg’s shoulders slowly slumped. The excitement that had filled him moments earlier disappeared completely.

Seeing this, Kong’gong’s stern face softened once again.

"But we have the Child of Prophecy now. From everything I’ve observed, he will bring about the change our people truly need."

Kurg immediately looked back up and his ears perked.

"You know Big Brother Ka’z?"

Kong’gong nodded.

"I know enough."

"Then why don’t you train him?"

Kurg asked innocently.

The question caused Kong’gong to hesitate. His fingers slowly traced circles against the stone beneath him.

Finally, he answered honestly.

"Because he dreams about what lies beyond our walls."

Kurg frowned and Kong’gong smiled faintly.

"I’ve heard every conversation he’s had since he was born. I recognize, I carried that same fire once."

His expression gradually became solemn.

"Ka’z will change our future. I’m certain of it. But he will not spend his life protecting Vaal’kor. He’ll eventually leave. When that day comes our people will still need someone standing beneath this hill. Someone who protects those waiting for him to return."

The old guardian slowly extended his hand.

"So... little boy. Are you willing to learn everything this old man knows?"

Kurg looked at the outstretched hand for only a heartbeat before firmly grabbing it.

"I am."

...

Meanwhile...

Ka’z climbed out of the newly excavated cave entrance carved into the hillside. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he wiped away loose dirt clinging to his arms before turning around to inspect his work. The tunnel was still unfinished, little more than a narrow entrance leading into solid rock, but it was enough for him to picture the training chamber that would eventually exist there.

Standing atop the hill gave him an excellent view of the valley below. His squad continued running beneath Drax’s relentless supervision.

Even from this distance, he could hear Bigi loudly complaining every few laps while Drax responded by assigning another one.

A small smile escaped him. The location was perfect. It was far enough from the colony. Exactly what he needed for researching magic without anyone discovering what he was doing.

Unfortunately, he glanced toward the horizon and the amber sunlight filtering through the forest had already begun fading into deep orange.

"I really wish I had more time today."

With a reluctant sigh, Ka’z descended the hill before rejoining his exhausted squad. Drax immediately dismissed everyone once he arrived, and together the ten recruits slowly made their way back toward Vaal’kor.

After washing away the dirt and sweat from the day’s work, Ka’z returned to his room only to find it empty.

"...Za’r?"

Receiving no answer, he stepped back into the tunnels and began searching the nearby chambers. It wasn’t long before familiar voices reached his ears.

Following them, he entered another room where Tu’ka and Ru’k were resting. To his surprise, everyone was awake.

"Bastard!"

Ru’k immediately pointed accusingly at him.

"I heard you became a captain while I’m stuck walking around with the Chief visiting injured people.Why am I so unlucky?"

Before he could launch himself forward, Za’r quickly grabbed the back of his clothes, effortlessly stopping him. Ka’z rolled his eyes. Ignoring Ru’k entirely, he walked straight toward Tu’ka.

The silent kobold lay staring at the ceiling. Stopping beside the bed, Ka’z quietly extended his fist.

"You okay?"

Tu’ka looked toward him. After several seconds he slowly nodded before returning the gesture with a firm fist bump.

Nothing more needed saying.

Ka’z smiled before turning toward Za’r. Without hesitation, he gently rubbed her hair before leaning down and giving her a light kiss upon the forehead.

Za’r completely froze and her cheeks instantly turned bright red. Across the room, Ru’k’s mouth slowly fell open and even Tu’ka lifted his head from the pillow, genuine surprise crossing his usually unreadable face.

"You already look exhausted. You should get some rest."

Ka’z gently brushed his thumb beneath her eyes and Za’r could only nod shyly, unable to meet his gaze.

Tu’ka quietly smiled to himself before looking back toward the ceiling.

"Tud’or made me a captain."

He spoke so suddenly that everyone turned toward him.

"I start training my own squad tomorrow."

Ka’z and Za’r exchanged surprised glances. Meanwhile, Ru’k exploded.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

He grabbed both sides of his head dramatically.

"This isn’t fair! I was the last one standing! How am I the only one who didn’t become a captain?"

Neither Ka’z nor Za’r paid him any attention.

"Congratulations."

Both spoke almost simultaneously and Tu’ka simply nodded. After a moment, Ka’z looked around.

"Where’s Kurg?"

"Tong’a found him a master. I think we’ll be seeing him a lot less from now on." Za’r smiled faintly.

Ka’z sighed.

"I guess that’ll be true for all of us. I have a squad to train. I’m probably going to be busy from sunrise until late evening."

He glanced toward Tu’ka.

"I’m sure it’ll be the same for you."

Tu’ka nodded.

"And I have to spend every day doing manual labor with everyone else."Ru’k groaned dramatically.

He looked toward the cave ceiling.

"What was the point of awakening magic if I’m still carrying rocks?"

Za’r smiled.

"I’ll be helping Tong’a everyday. With Prayers, Sacred rites and Healing."

Silence settled over the room. Everyone understood what that meant. Without anyone realizing it, childhood had ended.

After nearly half a minute, Ru’k suddenly broke the silence.

"What the hell... We’re adults now... We’re only two!"

Tu’ka finally spoke.

"Two and a half. Technically... three."

Ru’k immediately pointed at him.

"Fuck you."

The room erupted into laughterbt every smile carried bitterness beneath it.

They all understood.

The days of running through Evergreen Forest together were gone. They remained talking for a while longer before eventually saying their goodbyes.

Ru’k stayed behind with Tu’ka.

Meanwhile, Ka’z and Za’r quietly walked through the torchlit tunnels together, their fingers naturally intertwined.

The silence between them felt comfortable. After walking for some time, Za’r finally spoke.

"I won’t be able to heal you anymore. So you need to be careful.""

Ka’z slowly nodded.

Honestly he thought her decision was the right one. After everything that had happened during the raid he never wanted to spend another battle worrying about her standing near danger.

He glanced sideways at her. There was something he wanted to tell her about the discoveries he’d made.

About his belief that everything they knew about magic was wrong.

But what if she rejected those ideas?

He hesitated. Then another thought surfaced.

What if she didn’t?

Back on Earth, after his first rejection. He had stopped trying altogether and carr had quietly become more powerful than hope.

Because of that, be never truly built a meaningful relationship. He refused to repeat that mistake here.

"Do you still like me?"

Za’r blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected that question.

Almost immediately, she nodded firmly.

"I do."

Ka’z stopped walking. Turning toward her, he gently held both of her hands. He could feel his own palms trembling.

Without saying anything, Za’r squeezed them reassuringly. She didn’t know what burden he carried. But she wanted him to know he wasn’t carrying it alone.

Ka’z inhaled deeply.

"Then let’s become a couple."

Za’r blinked.

"A... couple?"

He nodded awkwardly.

"Like lovers, except we’re only allowed to love each other."

"Lovers..." Her eyes immediately sparkled.

She nodded enthusiastically.

"I want that."

Ka’z laughed softly.

"Then you’ll have to sleep in my room every night now."

Za’r immediately looked away, her ears turned bright red.

"...Okay. I’d love that."

Ka’z’s face lit up.

Without thinking, he grabbed her hand before suddenly breaking into a run.

"W... why are we running?"

Za’r laughed as she struggled to keep up.

"It’s important. Come to my room. I’ll explain everything there."