God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

Swish!

Several trees collapsed almost simultaneously as six Blood Axes spun through the air, their crimson blades tearing through trunks and branches with terrifying efficiency. The axes moved so quickly that they were almost impossible to follow with the naked eye, carving through the forest before curving through the air and striking another set of trees.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Six more trees crashed to the ground with heavy thuds, sending leaves and dust into the air. Ka’z stood in the middle of the clearing with his chest heaving, his breathing noticeably heavier than before.

Sweat ran down his face, and his vision blurred slightly as the strain of repeatedly controlling six separate Blood Axes caught up with him. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and finally noticed that the clearing had become strangely quiet.

No one else was working.

Every kobold and goblin nearby had stopped what they were doing and was staring at him with genuine shock.

Ka’z exhaled heavily, a small cloud of steam escaping his lips as the six Blood Axes suddenly lost their shape. The weapons dissolved into liquid blood, which immediately rushed back toward him from every direction before being absorbed into his body. The crimson glow faded from his scales as the last traces of blood disappeared beneath them.

"He has knocked down at least thirty trees in a few minutes. That’s just crazy." Mi’ya muttered, her eyes still fixed on the fallen trees.

"It looks more like he’s training than working." Thrak whispered back.

The surrounding warriors nodded in agreement. Since Ka’z had arrived at the military camp that morning, he had made no attempt to hide the agitation weighing on his mind. Every swing of his Blood Axes had carried more force than necessary, and every tree he cut down seemed to receive the frustration he had been unable to release through words.

"You seem scared."

Tu’ka’s low voice came from behind him.

Ka’z glanced over his shoulder, his brows narrowing slightly when he saw Tu’ka approaching.

"If you knew what I know, you would be too." Ka’z did not deny it.

"Then tell me." Tu’ka walked closer.

Before Ka’z could answer, Kurg, Ru’k, and Za’r approached as well, naturally gathering around him. Their expressions carried varying degrees of concern.

"I will tell you all everything after I speak to Teacher Kong’gong. I promise." Ka’z glanced between them before continuing. "For now, someone wants to have a chat with me."

His eyes shifted toward the western wall.

Layla stood there, watching him from a distance. The female Gnoll had remained unusually quiet since arriving in at the wall, but her gaze had followed Ka’z ever since their conversation in the Chief’s Court.

Za’r immediately followed Ka’z’s gaze and her expression became noticeably colder.

"You might as well add in all the details concerning your Sacrificial Element as well." Kurg added casually.

"His what?!" Za’r and Ru’k blurted out simultaneously.

Ka’z slowly turned toward Kurg and stared at him with disbelief before rolling his eyes.

"Nice going, motherfucker."

He punched Kurg lightly on the shoulder, but Kurg did not even flinch. His body remained as solid as a stone wall.

"What the hell is he talking about?" Ru’k asked, his expression becoming more serious.

"Don’t worry. You will get to know everything tonight." Ka’z sighed. "Everyone should gather at the training chamber tonight. I’ll talk you guys through everything."

The others frowned but reluctantly nodded. They clearly wanted answers immediately, but they trusted Ka’z enough to respect his decision. Slowly, they moved aside and gave him room to pass.

Ka’z walked past them, but Za’r reached out and grabbed his hand at the last moment.

"What?"

Ka’z barely got the word out before Za’r quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips against his for a brief moment before pulling away.

Silence spread through the clearing as everyone stared at the two of them with shocked expressions.

Ka’z blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What are you doing?"

"Marking my territory." Za’r said with a straight face before glaring toward Layla on the battlement.

Ka’z followed her gaze and immediately understood what she meant. He could not help but let out an amused smile. Za’r’s jealousy was obvious enough that there was no point pretending otherwise.

He pulled her closer again, catching her completely by surprise, and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. Za’r’s face immediately turned red, and she looked away while Ka’z smiled.

"See you guys tonight. After the chat, I will be heading straight to Kong’gong." Ka’z informed them.

Za’r nodded, still visibly embarrassed.

Several minutes later, Ka’z walked through the village alongside Layla. The streets were busy with the ordinary activities of Vaal’kor, with villagers moving between buildings,yet neither Ka’z nor Layla paid much attention to their surroundings.

Since leaving the western wall, neither of them had spoken. Eventually, Ka’z’s patience began to wear thin.

"Did you bring me out here just to walk with me?" he asked, his tone clearly unimpressed.

Layla flinched slightly before forcing a nervous smile. Ka’z did not return it.

"And if you want to have a private conversation, you shouldn’t have people following us in secret."

Layla froze.

She turned toward him slowly, staring at Ka’z as though she had just discovered something terrifying.

Tega and the other Gnolls were more than a hundred yards away and completely out of sight. They had deliberately maintained their distance, relying on their extraordinary hearing and perception to follow the conversation without being noticed.

At least, that was what they thought.

"You can sense people that far?" Layla muttered in disbelief.

"I can do that and more. You shouldn’t be surprised." Ka’z shrugged indifferently before looking ahead again. "Now tell me. Why did you bring me out here?"

Layla swallowed hard.

She had already sensed the dangerous presence surrounding Ka’z when he entered the Chief’s Court, but standing beside him now made that feeling even more difficult to ignore. He was not hostile toward her, yet there was an unmistakable pressure in his presence that made every instinct tell her to choose her words carefully.

"I know you mean well after everything you said, but I want you to understand something. Gold and silver are currencies used by humans. If humans gain access to them, they will gain the resources necessary to acquire more resources, and eventually that wealth could spread their influence into every part of Evergreen Forest." Layla began carefully. "I’m not asking you to bring an army to fight for us. We would be satisfied if you alone could lead our own army against the Halflings. We know of your exploits in the east, and honestly, we didn’t come here for all of Vaal’kor. We came here for you."

Ka’z’s eyes narrowed slightly as he listened.

"The west is our land to defend, and only our blood should be spilled for it." Layla continued. "We are not asking your entire people to fight our entire war for us. We simply need someone capable of standing at the front when we face an enemy we cannot overcome alone."

Buzz!

Ka’z’s eyes widened slightly.

Perhaps it was because he felt somewhat flattered by the confidence she placed in him, or perhaps it was simply the boldness of the request itself, but Layla’s proposition was considerably more convincing than the one they had made in the Chief’s Court.

Ka’z opened his mouth to respond, but Layla spoke before he could get a word out.

"I’m not asking you to make a decision now. We plan to stay here in Vaal’kor for a week, so take your time and think about it. Make your decision before we leave."

Ka’z frowned.

He was about to respond when a loud crash suddenly erupted somewhere ahead of them.

Bang!

A door burst open, and Tor was hurled out of the Vaal’kor Workshop. His small body struck the ground hard before rolling several times across the dirt. Layla’s eyes widened, and Ka’z’s expression immediately hardened.

Before either of them could react, Logi stepped through the doorway. He grabbed an older goblin artisan by the collar and violently threw him outside as well.

"I said I want to make use of this workshop, so get out!" Logi screamed. "Or do you think because you have Ka’z’s support, you can occupy this place for days? Do you think he is the Chieftain of this village?!"

Tor struggled to push himself upright, wincing from the impact.

"But we are only building something on the request of Brother Ka’z." Tor muttered.

Logi’s face twisted with rage and disgust.

"You... You bastards, have you gone mad?!"

He suddenly rushed forward and swung his foot toward Tor’s face.

Pffft!

Before his kick could connect, a crimson blade flashed through the air.

Logi’s eyes widened as his leg was severed cleanly, the momentum of his attack carrying his body forward while his severed limb spun through the air.

A collective gasp escaped from the surrounding kobolds and goblins.

"You fucking dog..." Ka’z growled as he stepped into the clearing, his Blood Axe flying back into his hand. His eyes burned with murderous intent. "Did I stutter when I said whoever hurts my goblin friends will die by my hands?"

Logi crashed onto his backside, clutching the remains of his leg as he screamed in agony. The pain was overwhelming, but even that could not suppress the terror spreading across his face as Ka’z approached.

The surrounding kobolds drew cold breaths, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Ka’z had threatened them before. They had heard him promise death to anyone who harmed the goblin artisans, but a threat was one thing.

This was different.

A kobold of Vaal’kor had just directly attacked another kobold of Vaal’kor. It had not happened in centuries of their peaceful history.

Ka’z stopped directly in front of Logi, towering over him as the Blood Axe dripped crimson liquid onto the ground.

Layla stood several steps away, her hands covering her mouth as she stared at the scene unfolding before her.

"Captain, Ka’z, it’s not what you think! I only wanted to use the workshop!" Logi screamed in terror, his fear overwhelming even the pain tearing through his body.

Ka’z stared down at him.

"What do you know about leatherwork?"

Logi’s expression faltered.

"I... I..." He struggled to find an answer. "Wait... I wanted to learn!"

Ka’z’s expression did not change.

A second Blood Axe formed in his free hand and he swung it downward.

Bam!

The crimson blade drove into Logi’s shoulder and pinned him against the ground.

"GAAAAAH!"

Logi’s scream sent shivers through everyone who heard it. Several villagers instinctively stepped backward, while the goblin artisans stared at Ka’z with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

Ka’z slowly raised his second axe.

"No... No, you can’t!" Logi begged desperately. "You can’t kill your clansman for goblins!"

Ka’z’s scorching eyes did not dim. If anything, the murderous light within them grew brighter.

"You have no place in the kingdom I plan to build."

His second Blood Axe descended.

"Die."

The blade struck with a single ruthless motion, ending Logi’s life.

A cold breeze swept through the streets as Ka’z slowly rose to his feet. The Blood Axes dissolved almost immediately, their crimson forms breaking apart and flowing back into his body.

He stood silently over the corpse, watching as blood slowly pooled beneath Logi’s body.

Around him, the entire street remained frozen. No one spoke or moved.

For the first time in centuries, a Vaal’kor kobold had killed another Vaal’kor kobold, and everyone present understood that something fundamental had just changed.