Post by Tom M on Mar 14, 2023 11:06:26 GMT
The manacles clicked into place behind him, shackling him to the sacrificial totem. Digs' cousin Tokli walked around to the front and looked him in the eyes one last time. He spat in her face. She slugged him in the stomach so hard he nearly vomited.
Tokli ambled back to the assembled crowd of dragon cultists; their robes protecting them from the harsh glare of the midday sun as Digs squinted to even see them, briefly being granted a reprieve from the blinding light as a dark shadow swept over the kobolds.
Trying to incite a revolution against Malgrys the Sapphire was, in hindsight, a mistake. Digs had hated what that dragon had done to his people ever since it arrived. Everyone had to fall in line - what choice did they have? Kobolds were supposed to serve dragons. They really believed that. They convinced themselves that that was what they wanted, that they were content being slaves to an ancient wyrm, that they were protecting their community when they turned their traps and spears on the adventurers that had come to slay their oppressor.
It was the only explanation. Why else would they refuse to listen when Digs pointed out that this was their only chance - their one shot at ridding themselves of this tyrant?
It didn't matter any more. The only survivor of the adventurers, a brave paladin in shining armour named Dorsey, was shackled to a pillar not far from Digs. The human still stood defiant - hurling insults at Malgrys as the enormous wyrm came to land and slowly, menacingly, stepped towards the kobold, the knight, and the pile of tribute waiting for it.
"I would slay you even now if I were not chained to this pillar you coward!" roared the paladin, the crowd of kobolds laughing in response.
Malgrys paused, an evil grin spreading across his massive blue-scaled face.
"Oh what a proud boast!" he hissed mockingly, turning to the cultists who cowered instinctually before his gaze, "Shall we see?"
Digs watched as one of the kobolds gingerly made its way to the pillar and laid the paladin's sword on the floor at her feet. Everyone watched as they proceeded to head around the back of the pillar and unlock their shackles.
Everyone watched and everyone listened. Nobody noticed that the click of the lock opening was near simultaneous with Digs successfully managing to unlock his own manacles with a bent piece of wire he'd managed to grab and clumsily manipulate with his tail. Not his best work, but again, nobody was looking at Digs.
They continued to ignore him as he slid himself flat to the ground and belly crawled toward the nearest cover.
Digs took one last look at his tribe, his family, as they watched the "fight" between Dorsey and the dragon. It didn't last long.
The knight was scarcely granted a single strike against Malgrys’ nigh impenetrable scales before a massive claw hit her with such force that the sword instinctually brought across to parry shattered from the blow. As a cheer went up and the dragon moved in for its meal, the shattered remains of the sword flew through the air and embedded in the ground at Digs' feet, its magic leaking into the ground.
Nobody seemed to even care as he slipped away into the forest.
Months later, sat on his bunk at Fort Ettin, Digs examined the shattered knightly longsword alongside his newer and far more suitable blade. He was going to have to travel a long way for his next mission and it was extra weight and bulk in his gear but... he needed the reminder.
He practiced his fake stutter a few times before leaving for the meet up point.
Keep to the back. Don't let them know what you can do. You're a weak cowardly kobold.
Nobody notices the weak little kobold.
That's how we survive.
Tokli ambled back to the assembled crowd of dragon cultists; their robes protecting them from the harsh glare of the midday sun as Digs squinted to even see them, briefly being granted a reprieve from the blinding light as a dark shadow swept over the kobolds.
Trying to incite a revolution against Malgrys the Sapphire was, in hindsight, a mistake. Digs had hated what that dragon had done to his people ever since it arrived. Everyone had to fall in line - what choice did they have? Kobolds were supposed to serve dragons. They really believed that. They convinced themselves that that was what they wanted, that they were content being slaves to an ancient wyrm, that they were protecting their community when they turned their traps and spears on the adventurers that had come to slay their oppressor.
It was the only explanation. Why else would they refuse to listen when Digs pointed out that this was their only chance - their one shot at ridding themselves of this tyrant?
It didn't matter any more. The only survivor of the adventurers, a brave paladin in shining armour named Dorsey, was shackled to a pillar not far from Digs. The human still stood defiant - hurling insults at Malgrys as the enormous wyrm came to land and slowly, menacingly, stepped towards the kobold, the knight, and the pile of tribute waiting for it.
"I would slay you even now if I were not chained to this pillar you coward!" roared the paladin, the crowd of kobolds laughing in response.
Malgrys paused, an evil grin spreading across his massive blue-scaled face.
"Oh what a proud boast!" he hissed mockingly, turning to the cultists who cowered instinctually before his gaze, "Shall we see?"
Digs watched as one of the kobolds gingerly made its way to the pillar and laid the paladin's sword on the floor at her feet. Everyone watched as they proceeded to head around the back of the pillar and unlock their shackles.
Everyone watched and everyone listened. Nobody noticed that the click of the lock opening was near simultaneous with Digs successfully managing to unlock his own manacles with a bent piece of wire he'd managed to grab and clumsily manipulate with his tail. Not his best work, but again, nobody was looking at Digs.
They continued to ignore him as he slid himself flat to the ground and belly crawled toward the nearest cover.
Digs took one last look at his tribe, his family, as they watched the "fight" between Dorsey and the dragon. It didn't last long.
The knight was scarcely granted a single strike against Malgrys’ nigh impenetrable scales before a massive claw hit her with such force that the sword instinctually brought across to parry shattered from the blow. As a cheer went up and the dragon moved in for its meal, the shattered remains of the sword flew through the air and embedded in the ground at Digs' feet, its magic leaking into the ground.
Nobody seemed to even care as he slipped away into the forest.
Months later, sat on his bunk at Fort Ettin, Digs examined the shattered knightly longsword alongside his newer and far more suitable blade. He was going to have to travel a long way for his next mission and it was extra weight and bulk in his gear but... he needed the reminder.
He practiced his fake stutter a few times before leaving for the meet up point.
Keep to the back. Don't let them know what you can do. You're a weak cowardly kobold.
Nobody notices the weak little kobold.
That's how we survive.