God Agent: All Hail The Great Kobold

The first sound that reached the deeper parts of the sanctuary was not the sound of weapons.

It was cheering.

At first it was faint, almost impossible to distinguish from the distant rumbling that had shaken the cave for what felt like hours. The diggers working along the unfinished escape route paused with their tools still raised, listening carefully as another wave of noise rolled through the stone walls. Then the sound became clearer.

They were dozens of voices cheering loudly.

The realization spread through the workers like fire. One kobold slowly lowered his pickaxe while staring toward the tunnel behind him, his exhausted face gradually breaking into disbelief. Another dropped the shovel in his hand and turned toward the others.

"They won..." he whispered.

The words barely left his mouth before someone behind him laughed in relief. Another kobold began crying. Then the entire group erupted into excited shouts as the meaning finally settled into their minds. They had been digging desperately because they had expected the worst. They had prepared themselves for the possibility that the army would break through and force them to flee through the unfinished escape route.

Instead, they were hearing their warriors celebrating.

"We won!"

"They did it!"

"The army won!"

The diggers abandoned their work almost immediately, climbing over one another as they hurried back toward the living quarters. Some were still covered in dirt, their hands bleeding from hours of digging, but none of them cared. The people waiting deeper inside heard the commotion and began turning toward the approaching voices.

The sanctuary had remained unnaturally quiet for several moments after the first cheer reached them.

The kobolds gathered around the wyvern skull stared toward the tunnel in disbelief, as though they were afraid that celebrating too early would somehow tempt fate to take the victory away from them. The sound came again, louder this time, rolling through the stone corridors like thunder.

Dozens of voices were shouting at once, and although the words were difficult to make out from this distance, there was no mistaking the emotion behind them.

They had won!

Kurg’s head slowly lifted. His eyes widened, and for several seconds he simply stood there with his back pressed against the wall. Then his lips began trembling.

"We won?"

Nobody answered him because they were all listening.

Another tremendous cheer erupted from somewhere beyond the living quarters and Kurg’s face suddenly crumpled.

A laugh escaped him, but it immediately turned into a sob. He covered his face with both hands as tears streamed between his fingers, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"They won!" he shouted through his tears. "They actually won!"

Ru’k grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into a rough embrace. The two young kobolds clung to each other without caring who was watching, their bodies shaking with relief.

They had spent the entire battle standing helplessly underground, knowing that their friends were fighting for their lives while they could do nothing. Now, for the first time, the weight pressing against their chests finally lifted.

"We’re alive," Ru’k muttered, his own eyes wet. "They’re all coming back."

Kurg nodded repeatedly against his shoulder.

"I thought we were going to die."

"So did I."

Nearby, Za’r had already begun crying before she even knew why. She looked toward Tong’a, who stood a short distance away with his wounded arm hanging close to his body.

The old kobold’s face was exhausted, but there was a faint smile on his lips as he listened to the distant celebration.

"They did it," Tong’a whispered.

O’nil stood beside him, leaning heavily on his staff. The old chief had looked like he had aged another decade during the battle, but now the deep lines on his face seemed to soften. He closed his eyes and took a long breath, allowing the sound of the cheering to wash over him.

"Yes," he said quietly. "Tud’or, my boy... I hope you are watching."

The elderly kobolds around them began crying openly. Even the children, who did not completely understand what had happened, could feel the sudden change in the adults around them and began smiling and cheering along with everyone else.

Then someone shouted from the tunnel.

"They’re coming!"

The entire sanctuary erupted into motion.

Kurg immediately shoved away from Ru’k and ran toward the living area with Ru’k following closely behind. Za’r rushed after them, while Tong’a and O’nil slowly followed with several elderly kobolds supporting them.

The sound of footsteps grew louder. Then the first wounded warrior emerged from the tunnel.

A cheer erupted.

The kobolds poured into the living area, surrounding the returning soldiers before they could even properly enter. Some reached for their friends, grabbing them tightly while others searched frantically through the crowd for familiar faces. There were tears everywhere, but they were no longer tears of helpless fear. They were tears of relief.

"We won!"

"They’re coming back!"

"They defeated them!"

The warriors themselves looked exhausted. Some were covered in blood that belonged to enemies, while others limped from injuries sustained during the battle. A few carried wounded comrades over their shoulders, but every one of them had the same exhausted smile.

They had survived.

After hours of believing they might never see their families again, they were finally home. Then a small figure broke through the crowd.

"Ka’z!"

Za’r ran toward him without hesitation.

Ka’z barely had time to turn before Za’r threw her arms around him, burying her face against his chest. The force nearly knocked Ka’z backward, but he managed to remain standing as Za’r held onto her tightly.

"You came back!" Za’r cried, her voice trembling as tears poured down her face. "You actually came back!"

Ka’z stared down at her. For several seconds, he didn’t know what to say. Then his expression softened as his arms slowly wrapped around Za’r.

"I’m back."

Across the living area, however, Lady Zira was nowhere among the celebrating crowd. She had not gone to welcome the warriors, instead she remained inside her room.

The charred body of Tud’or still rested on a stone platform.

Lady Zira stood before him. Her hands trembled as she stared at the blackened body that had once belonged to the warrior she loved.

She covered her mouth with one hand, but the tears came faster than she could contain them. Her shoulders shook violently as she stepped closer to Tud’or and gently lowered herself beside his body.

"You can rest now."

Her voice cracked as she reached out and carefully placed her hand against the charred side of his face.

"Do you hear them?"

She smiled through her tears as the distant cheers continued echoing through the sanctuary.

"They won. Everyone is safe, including our baby."

She leaned forward until her forehead rested gently against Tud’or’s.

"You did ..."

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