elizabeth_oswald

Chapter One hundred seventy

“Nucai!” Qiangde roared as he entered the cavern where the Tree grew. The kobolds bearing him lowered the palanquin reverently, but Qiangde still hissed in pain as all of his broken bones were jarred again. He had managed to begin the mending process, but there was too much damage, and it was far too extensive to heal imm...

Chapter One hundred sixty-nine

Qiangde delicately nibbled the Sacred Plum held in his claw. He wished the fruit weren’t so rare, or so small, but he savored the rich, complex taste of the sweet juice as it coated his tongue. Nothing mortal ever tasted so good, and the flush of golden ki that filled him as he ate it far outstripped its actual size.

...

Chapter One hundred sixty-eight

The only people paying any attention to the puppy were Kaz and Lianhua, and they stared at her. “What dragon?” Kaz asked.

She shrugged and took another bite of the thick mushroom. As she swallowed it, she glanced toward her sister, who was talking to Avli and looked much more relaxed now that the fate of her tribe h...

Chapter One hundred sixty-seven

Kaz saw Lianhua’s eyes widen, and he offered her a small smile, hoping to reassure her. He didn’t want to directly contradict Idla when she seemed to be softening slightly, so he just turned toward the descending set of stairs.

“How much farther is it?” he asked noncommittally.

Idla huffed softly, almost a...

Chapter One hundred sixty-six

Idla was pacing back and forth, tail twitching angrily, as Kaz emerged from the hut. Everyone else stood in small groups, separated by tribe, except for the four miserable-looking Magmablades, who were surrounded by Goldblade guards.

Trailed by Lianhua and Raff, Kaz walked directly over and stopped in front of Idla, for...

Results of the contest!

I just realized I forgot to share the winners of the fanart contest with you! I loved them all, but the winner was BlueRains, with this hand-drawn image of Li getting ready to chomp a red crystal.

Runners up were these t...

Chapter One hundred sixty-five

When Kaz arrived at Jul’s hut, he found Raff, the chiefs, and their guards waiting for him. Raff gave him a helpless shrug, and Kaz gave him a little yip in return. He knew it was unlikely that he would be able to escape for long, which was why he’d gone to find the Magmablades first.

As he approached, Idla glared ...

Chapter One hundred sixty-four

Dat had indeed ‘cleaned up’ his brother, whose fur had been ragged and dull after his long imprisonment. Someone had washed and trimmed Dett’s fur and claws, leaving the fur short but smooth, while all of his claws were a uniform length, and slightly glossy. Fur which had seemed light brown in the mines was now revealed...

Chapter One hundred sixty-three

For one terrible moment, Kaz stared down into those gentle blue eyes, and then Avli murmured, “Dett?” and reached up as if she would touch his cheek. Instantly, Li’s head shot forward, and sharp teeth latched onto Avli’s finger, drawing blood. Avli yelped, then sat up sharply, which brought her forehead into sudden co...

Chapter One hundred sixty-two

The large meeting hut in the center of the Goldcoat den was packed. Raff was so large that he had to be sent out, though Chi Yincang refused to go outside so long as Lianhua remained inside. Lianhua, for her part, was absolutely determined to stay as long as Kaz did, and Kaz couldn’t leave, no matter how much he wanted to.<...

Chapter One hundred sixty-one

“-az!” Lianhua’s insistent voice pulled Kaz from his stupor. He blinked open his eyes, frowning against the bright light of the orb hanging just beyond his nose.

“What happened?” he muttered, batting at the ball of light. As if it was a solid thing, rather than made of intangible power, it moved, and he heard ...

Sick day

I'm sorry, everyone, but I feel pretty rotten today, and everything I write is gibberish. I'm going to get some rest, and try again, but there probably won't be a chapter today. 😞

Chapter One hundred sixty

The heat was terrible, but not painful. In fact, Kaz felt no pain at all, which was a great relief. But Ghazt had asked this strange being to heal Kaz, so if Kaz was all better, then why wasn’t he being sent back to his father?

He spent some interminable time in the covered bowl, feeling the temperature rise to someth...

Chapter One hundred fifty-nine

Kaz jogged along behind his father, watching the broad, blue-furred back. They were hunting fuergar today, but Kaz wasn’t frightened. He was with Ghazt, and nothing in the world could defeat his father.

Ahead, Ghazt froze, and Kaz did the same, letting his hands touch the ground as he prepared to move. O...

Chapter One hundred fifty-eight

Instead of forty angry yellow-furred kobolds, however, Kaz instead saw four, one of whom had fur as red as Vega’s. Ija looked fearful but determined as she jogged between two huts, trailed by a very unhappy-looking Qhurg. Qhurg’s hackles were raised, but his weapon was in its sheath at his belt, and he held three very old...

Chapter One hundred fifty-seven

Silence fell as the kobolds gathered there took in what Idla had said, and the rift in the Magmablades began to heal as the stolen Woodblades shifted back toward the Magmablades they had grown up with. No matter how angry and confused they might be about the revelations, these were the kobolds they had considered their friend...

Chapter One hundred fifty-six

The first to become aware of his surroundings was a large bluish-green male a few rows down from Kaz. He rolled to his side, struggling to stand, as a low growl rumbled from his throat. Not far away, another male groaned, and across the gap between the groups, a female curled up, clutching her belly. Kaz kept an eye on her, n...

Chapter One hundred fifty-five

Kaz and Raff both stared at her, and even Li swooped down a little closer, though she didn’t land on Kaz’s shoulder. Lianhua continued grinning with a kind of wild glee as she stood, clutching the book tightly. Instead of explaining, however, she handed the book to Kaz with clear reluctance, then took out the next book on...

Chapter One hundred fifty-four

Lianhua wanted all the books. She lamented that she couldn’t fit them all in her pouch, and then she struggled with her conscience, which told her that these were the treasures of another people, and she couldn’t take them even if they would fit. Still, she fidgeted from foot to foot in front of the open-sided hut, her ga...

Chapter One hundred fifty-three

Before anyone else could react, Kaz scooped up the core. It felt hot in his too-cold hand, and for a moment, the urge to eat it was nearly overwhelming. At the thought, however, a wave of bile rose up, pushing against the roof of his mouth and forestalling any attempt to give in to the desire.

Kaz tossed the core, and d...

Chapter One hundred fifty-two

Through Li’s eyes, Kaz watched as Lianhua ran past the two Magmablade warriors who had been guarding the tunnel above. One was slumped against the wall, while the other sprawled in the middle of the passage. Neither moved as the group passed, but Kaz couldn’t see what had brought them down, either. He suspected Chi Yincan...

Chapter One hundred fifty-one

“Kaz?” Ija asked, and Kaz blinked open his eyes. He had asked for a little time to think about the new information she’d given him, and she allowed it. He had been sitting with his back against the wall, eyes closed, for the last ten minutes, and his cousin looked both concerned and irritated as she called to him.

Chapter One hundred fifty

Li didn’t like the Plan. She understood it, understood that her kobold needed to do it this way, but she Did Not Like It. Things that she didn’t like made Li itch, and the spot between her shoulder blades that she could never quite reach was practically burning with the need to find something that could scratch it.

...

Chapter One hundred forty-nine

The stairs weren’t long, especially compared to those he had climbed in the mid-levels, and he began hearing the sounds of a thriving den about halfway down. A quick glance showed that none of the other kobolds had perked up their ears yet, so he forced his to remain still as well, though he very much wanted to twist and tr...

Chapter One hundred forty-eight

Straightening, Vega glanced from the males holding Kaz to her elder daughter. “Do it,” she snapped, and Ija nodded. Kyla looked from her sister to Kaz, and her small fists clenched at her sides before she turned and hurried over to her father’s side. That male set his hand gently on the puppy’s head, and she leaned in...

Fanart/fic contest?

You guys are a different group from my Royal Road readers, but I wanted to let you know I'm running a contest for them, and you're more than welcome to join in if you'd like. Now, the easiest prize for me to offer them is more chapters, but you already have All the Chapters (though if you're at the $1 tier, I could catch you ...

Chapter One hundred forty-seven

Seeing that smile, Kaz felt a chill run down his spine, lifting his fur slightly. In that moment, he was absolutely, undeniably certain that his aunt knew exactly who he was, and she was delighted to see him, but not for any reason he would like.

Driven by an impulse, Kaz turned to Lianhua. She was still chatting with I...

Chapter One hundred forty-six

But when Kibbiz led them away, Kaz quickly realized that she was taking them somewhere other than where Berin had told them they would be eating. Still, the den was filled with the smell of food, and the kobolds around them looked excited, rather than tense, so Kaz didn’t worry too much.

They left the main sleeping ca...

Chapter One hundred forty-five

It took a little while for Berin to get everyone sorted out, but Kaz noticed the male she’d been speaking to vanished almost immediately. The rest of them were left standing until Kibbiz arrived from the den to lead their small group to the water cavern.

It was, indeed, astonishing. Kaz had seen many small trickles of...

Chapter One hundred forty-four

Someone else must have seen the pink pup when she started running, because a moment later several yelps sounded, and warriors appeared from all around. They must have been lurking nearby, watching the ‘visitors’ unobtrusively, probably thoroughly bored by the human’s lack of activity. Given something to do, they sprang ...