God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

The full moon shone high over the southern region, bathing the land in pale silver light and giving Ka’z an unobstructed view of the world around him from the entrance of the training chamber carved into the hill. He stood there quietly, his arms hanging loosely at his sides as he stared down at the village with a dull, exhausted expression. The sight before him should have filled him with pride.

Over half a year ago, this entire region had been nothing more than a thick stretch of forest, with trees packed so densely together that sunlight barely reached the ground in some places. Now there were roads, homes, farms, livestock pens, workshops, the temple, the monument dedicated to Tud’or, and countless kobolds moving through the settlement that had once existed only inside Ka’z’s imagination.

He had spent months, planning, and making decisions that had changed the lives of everyone living below him. Yet now that everything was finally beginning to take shape, he was being asked to leave it all behind again.

Ka’z exhaled loudly through his nose before turning around and walking deeper into the training chamber.

Ru’k, Tu’ka, Kurg and Za’r were already waiting for him. The four of them immediately looked toward him when he entered, their expressions carrying the same expectant curiosity. They had clearly been waiting for him to return from his conversation with Kong’gong, and judging from the way Za’r was watching him, Ka’z knew she had already guessed what the old kobold had asked of him.

He lowered himself onto the ground among them, but the moment he sat down, his expression gave away the answer before he even opened his mouth.

Za’r’s eyes narrowed as she studied his face. "Kong’gong asked you to go, didn’t he?"

Ka’z nodded calmly, then explained everything Kong’gong had told him, including the reasoning behind helping the Gnolls defend their territory instead of forcing them to abandon their home. He explained the advantages of weakening the Halflings, gaining information about their capabilities, building a relationship with the Gnolls and delaying the inevitable human threat.

He also explained why Kong’gong believed the plan had almost no downside for Vaal’kor. The others listened without interrupting, but by the time Ka’z finished, the mood inside the chamber had become noticeably heavier.

Kurg released a quiet sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I kind of feel sorry for you. You are not even allowed to enjoy what you have built."

There was no mockery in his voice, only genuine sympathy. The village had only just been completed, and Ka’z had barely begun enjoying the stability he had fought so hard to create before another crisis had appeared on the horizon.

Za’r stared at Ka’z for several seconds, her expression slowly twisting with frustration.

"It’s not fair. Why does it have to be you?!" she exclaimed as she abruptly rose to her feet.

Her eyes were already becoming wet, and before anyone could stop her, she turned around and stormed out of the chamber.

The others watched her disappear through the entrance, but none of them immediately spoke. Ka’z’s expression remained tired as he watched the empty doorway, while Tu’ka, Kurg and Ru’k exchanged uncomfortable glances. None of them knew what they could say that would make the situation better.

Eventually, Ka’z lowered himself onto his back and stared at the ceiling of the training chamber. His arms rested loosely beside him, and his face carried the deep exhaustion of someone who had been forced to solve one impossible problem after another without ever getting enough time to breathe.

"I was hoping my campaign east would be the last, but what can I do when I get hit with the ’you are the Child of Prophecy’ bullshit?" Ka’z sighed heavily.

Ru’k sat nearby, his fingers resting against his chin as he considered the statement. "But you are... If you weren’t so effective, they would have been asking someone else to go on this mission," he mumbled thoughtfully.

Bam!

Tu’ka and Kurg simultaneously slapped the back of Ru’k’s head. Ru’k immediately grabbed the back of his head with a pained expression.

"Hey... I wasn’t lying!" he protested, rubbing the spot where they had hit him.

Ka’z simply rolled his eyes and remained lying down. Ru’k was technically right, but that did not make the reality any less irritating.

Deep down, Ka’z felt terrible for Za’r. She deserved to enjoy the life they had both worked so hard to create. She deserved to wake up beside him without wondering when another crisis would drag him away.

He wanted to cultivate, spend time with his friends, watch the village grow and eventually build a family with her. Yet the title of Child of Prophecy seemed determined to make sure that every time Ka’z found a moment of peace, another responsibility appeared to drag him away from it. He stared at the ceiling for another few seconds before turning his head toward the others.

"Should I take her with me?" he asked.

"Hell no!!!" Tu’ka, Kurg and Ru’k shouted at the same time.

Ka’z winced slightly at the sudden volume while Kurg leaned forward with a serious expression. "If Halflings are the magic adept monsters you claim they are, then you definitely cannot take her!"

Ru’k immediately nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Things can get ugly really fast. You need to be able to move quickly and without worry. She will be more of a burden than we would love to accept."

Tu’ka folded his arms and added, "My problem lies with leaving her in the hands of people we don’t know while fighting for them. We don’t know the Gnolls or how trustworthy they can be. You just can’t take the chance."

Ka’z released another depressed sigh. Za’r was not a fighter, and if the Halflings were truly as dangerous as Kong’gong described, taking her into an unfamiliar battlefield would put her in unnecessary danger.

"At this rate, she will probably break up with me," Ka’z sighed loudly.

Kurg chuckled and shook his head. "Nah... She loves you. She won’t do that."

Ru’k shrugged. "She might."

Pa!

Kurg and Tu’ka slapped the back of his head again.

Ru’k immediately grabbed it, looking genuinely offended. "What?! It’s a possibility!"

The others stared at him with varying degrees of disbelief, while Ka’z simply closed his eyes and shook his head. The conversation continued for several more minutes, but eventually there was nothing left to discuss.

Several minutes later, Ka’z walked through the streets of Vaal’kor Village with a tired expression. The moonlight stretched across the stone and packed earth roads while the sounds of the settlement slowly faded into the quiet of the night.

A few kobolds were still outside, but the moment they noticed Ka’z approaching, many of them lowered their voices or stepped aside. Others simply stared at him before looking away. Ka’z noticed the stares and whispers but ignored them. Tonight, he had no energy to concern himself with any of it. He simply wanted to get home.

When he reached the entrance of his home, Ka’z raised his hand to knock, only to realize that the door was already slightly open. His expression immediately changed. He pushed it wider and stepped inside, closing and locking it behind him before walking straight toward the bedroom. He found Za’r lying on the bed with her back turned toward the entrance, her face pressed toward the wall.

Every few moments, her shoulders moved slightly as she sniffed, making it obvious that she had been crying. Ka’z didn’t say anything. He simply walked over to the bed, climbed onto it and lay down behind her. He wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her gently against his chest, allowing her to remain silent for a while before finally speaking.

"Do you wanna make babies?" he asked softly. Za’r shook her head without turning around. "What’s the point of trying when you are leaving soon?" she mumbled, her voice still carrying the remnants of her tears.

"I really considered taking you with me, but the guys said it’s too dangerous to do that. They are all against it," Ka’z admitted.

Za’r remained quiet for several seconds before finally turning her head slightly.

"I can’t even go if you want me to. Lady Zira is heavily pregnant, so I have to take over the infirmary. I also need to be here when she’s giving birth. I need to make sure Teacher Tud’or’s child is born without problems." Her voice softened as she spoke about the unborn child, and Ka’z understood immediately.

Za’r had responsibilities of her own, just as he did. She had become one of the people Vaal’kor depended on, and the village could not afford to lose her presence either.

Ka’z let out an exaggerated sigh and tightened his embrace around her slightly. "This is what happens when two important people decide to date each other. Everyone needs us, so they rob us of the time we should be spending together."

Za’r couldn’t help but giggle at that, and the sound immediately eased some of the tension in the room. A small smile slowly bloomed across her face.

"Yeah... You are right. It’s everyone’s fault," she said in a small voice.

Ka’z smiled against the back of her head, relieved to hear her laugh again. He didn’t want to see her crying because of him, especially when there was nothing either of them could do to change the situation.

"You know what?" Ka’z said after a moment. "I plan to defeat the guardian beast when I get to the Gold Realm. After that, we should build our home there."

Za’r blinked in surprise before quickly turning around to face him. Her cheeks were still marked by dried tears, but curiosity had replaced the sadness in her eyes.

"You want us to build our home at the top of the hill? Why?"

Ka’z smiled faintly. "Well, for one, I believe it will make people stop bothering us. Anyone who wants to bother us will have to climb the hill, and I’m certain it will discourage them."

Za’r giggled and nodded. "True. Also, we get a good view of the village from there. It’s going to be beautiful, peaceful and windy."

Ka’z nodded in agreement as he imagined it. After everything they had endured, the thought of living above the village, away from its constant noise and responsibilities, was surprisingly appealing.

"There we will also have enough privacy to ourselves," Ka’z continued with a playful smile. "We can take as much Koji as we want and make love wherever we want. In the house, outside our home, in the open, in the Koji garden... Everywhere."

Za’r giggled, but her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she studied him. "I don’t trust you. You will complain a lot."

Ka’z immediately raised a brow. "And when has my complaining ever stopped you?" he retorted playfully.

Za’r laughed softly and shook her head. "True."

The two of them settled into silence after that, simply holding each other while staring into each other’s eyes. The worries of the village, the Halflings, the Gnolls and the upcoming journey seemed to disappear for a few precious minutes. There was only the warmth of the room and the comfort of being together.

"When are you leaving?" Za’r eventually asked.

Ka’z’s smile faded slightly as reality returned. "In a week. The Gnolls said they will be staying that long..."

Za’r nodded slowly. A week was not much, but it was still time.

"Well, that does give us some time to make a lot of memories," she said with a smile.

Ka’z smiled back, his arms tightening around her. "So you want to make babies now?" he asked, unable to resist teasing her again.

Za’r’s smile widened as she moved closer to him. "I always want to make babies with you."