God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

Loki followed the screams through the village, his expression becoming increasingly strained with every step. The sounds were coming from the center of Ashmork, and as he moved through the streets with his fifteen warriors behind him, the sight of corpses littered across the ground made his chest tighten.

Some bodies belonged to warriors, while others were civilians who had been caught in the chaos. Blood stained the dirt beneath his feet, and the smoke from the burning southern wall drifted between the buildings, making the entire village smell of ash and death.

None of Loki’s warriors spoke as they followed him. They could all feel the same growing dread. Whatever had happened while they were away, it had clearly been far worse than anything they had imagined.

Eventually, the screams led them into the village square, and Loki suddenly stopped. His eyes widened as the sight before him robbed him of whatever words he had been preparing to say. Several bodies had been heaped on top of one another near the edge of the square, forming grotesque piles where the dead had been dragged together.

In the center of the square, the remaining hundred or so civilians had been gathered together and surrounded by thick pillars of earth that rose from the ground like bars of a massive cage. The pillars were close enough together to prevent anyone from squeezing through, yet spaced far enough apart for the kobolds outside to keep watch over everyone inside.

Loki’s gaze slowly shifted upward toward the rooftops.

Three kobolds stood there with bows in their hands, their arrows already nocked and pointed directly toward the civilians. They had positioned themselves so that no one inside the cage could attempt to escape without immediately becoming a target. Loki’s expression twisted unnaturally as he looked from the archers toward the figure standing ahead of the makeshift cage.

Ka’z.

The young kobold stood calmly with Ashin Grim resting against his shoulder, the blood stained axe looking almost casual in his hands. His crimson eyes settled on Loki the moment he entered the square, and there was no surprise in them. He looked as though he had been waiting for this exact moment.

The civilians noticed Loki as well.

The moment they recognized him, the despair that had settled over the square was replaced by a desperate flicker of hope.

Several goblins immediately rushed toward the earth pillars, pressing their hands against them as they cried out toward their former commander.

"Loki, help us!" one woman screamed, while another voice immediately followed with, "Chief Loki, save us!"

Soon dozens of voices joined them, begging him to rescue them, their cries growing louder as they finally saw someone they believed could still protect them. For the first time since they had been gathered in the square, they felt that perhaps they were not completely abandoned. Loki was here. Their strongest remaining warrior was here. If he could kill the kobolds surrounding them, perhaps they could still survive.

Loki did not respond.

His eyes remained fixed on Ka’z as he carefully studied the square. He could account for only three kobolds. Ka’z stood in front of the cage while Mi’ya, Krov, and Drak watched from the rooftops.

Yet that number made no sense.

Three archers and one kobold could not possibly have accomplished everything that had happened tonight.

Loki slowly glanced toward the dark spaces between the surrounding buildings, searching for movement. His eyes narrowed as he examined every alley, every doorway, and every shadow. The rest of Ka’z’s warriors had to be hiding somewhere nearby, waiting for the right moment to attack.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

Loki finally turned his attention back toward Ka’z and met the young kobold’s gaze directly. The sheer calmness in Ka’z’s expression made his stomach twist. He was standing like a predator that had already trapped its prey.

"Monster!" one of the goblins behind Loki suddenly screamed.

Loki immediately raised a hand, silencing him before he could say anything else. His expression remained fixed on Ka’z as he took a slow breath and gathered himself.

There was no point pretending that they still had the advantage. Their village had been breached, their forces had been slaughtered, and hundreds of their civilians were now trapped in a cage controlled by their enemy. If Loki allowed fear to dictate his actions, the remaining members of his clan would die with him.

"Let’s settle this with trial by combat. No one else has to die," Loki began, his voice carrying clearly across the square. "If you win, take whatever you want and leave, but don’t kill anymore of my people. If I win, I will let your people take your body and go. We will not retaliate against them."

The goblins behind him immediately paled in horror. Several stared at Loki as though he had lost his mind. The idea of challenging Ka’z alone after witnessing everything he had done seemed suicidal.

"You can’t trust this monster!" one of them screamed from behind.

Pa!

Loki spun around and used the momentum of his movement to slap the warrior across the face with enough force to send him crashing onto the ground. The remaining fourteen warriors immediately fell silent as Loki glared down at the fallen goblin.

"You stupid piece of shit. Do you not know we are already surrounded, or do you think he had the help of only three people to conquer all of Ashmork?!" Loki yelled.

The remaining warriors tensed immediately. Their eyes darted toward the surrounding buildings as they finally began examining the darkness around them with caution.

They had been so focused on the hundreds of civilians trapped in front of them and the three visible kobolds that they had failed to consider the most obvious problem.

There was no way Ka’z could have broken through the northern gate, overwhelmed Crow’s forces, burned the southern gate, and captured the village with only three people supporting him. There had to be more kobolds hidden somewhere, and if they were already surrounded, making a reckless move could result in all fifteen of them being slaughtered before they even reached Ka’z.

Loki’s chest rose and fell heavily as he turned back toward Ka’z. The young kobold had not moved throughout the entire exchange. He simply stood there with Ashin Grim resting on his shoulder, watching Loki with an unreadable expression.

"Huff!"

Loki exhaled loudly before asking again, "What do you say?"

To his surprise, Ka’z nodded without hesitation. "I have already identified everything I need here, and I’m currently in possession of them. When I kill you, I promise to let your people leave before burning down this entire village. That is all I can promise."

The faces of the goblin warriors immediately twisted with anger.

"You!" several of them screamed, but Loki quickly raised both hands to silence them.

Loki knew they had no leverage left to demand anything. The fact that Ka’z had agreed not to kill the remaining civilians was already a miracle. If Loki died and Ka’z actually kept his word, then the survivors would at least have fifteen trained warriors among them. Those warriors could protect the civilians, hunt for food, defend what remained of their people until Tulin returns, and eventually help rebuild Ashmork somewhere else. It was a terrible outcome, but it was still an outcome.

In Loki’s mind, this was the best deal they could possibly get as the losing side.

"LET THE GODS DECIDE WHO IS JUST!" Loki screamed loudly enough for his voice to echo throughout the square.

He began walking toward Ka’z and the kobold did the same.

Mi’ya, Krov, and Drak remained positioned on the rooftops, but their expressions gradually became more serious as they watched their captain approach the final opponent. Ka’z’s body began changing as he walked. Blood strings trailed from his body and curled through the air around him, while red steam poured from between his scales. His muscles began bulging beneath his skin, his golden scales taking on a reddish shade as Blood Empowerment strengthened his body. His footsteps became heavier, each one carrying the weight of the power gathering within him.

The sight caused even Mi’ya’s expression to tighten. She had watched Ka’z fight countless times, but there was something different about the way he was approaching Loki. There was no excitement in his face and no hesitation in his movements. He had already decided how this battle would end.

Thud!

Both men eventually stopped several meters away from each other. The screams of the civilians seemed to fade into the background as their gazes locked. Loki stood with his body tense and his fists clenched, his entire existence focused on the young kobold before him. Across from him, Ka’z held Ashin Grim firmly, the weapon crackling faintly with electricity as blood continued circulating around his body.

"Our people’s grievances will be settled here and now," Loki said, his voice steady despite the tension building inside him.

Ka’z nodded in agreement.

"Let’s end this..." Ka’z said firmly.

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