We all quickly moved to the side of the room, diving behind a set of dusty and spider web covered boxes as we quickly extinguished our torches. Thalia kept her strings extended on the ground as while we were toast if we were caught, it would be worse to try to fight while almost blind. It took a few moments before what seemed to be a strange kobold walked into the room.
He was no taller than thalia, but despite being an undead and lacking eyes in his eye sockets, he was oddly muscular. Little flames burned in the eyesockets and moved like pupils would as the kobold, wearing no more than a simple tan loincloth turned to a human skeleton against the other wall.
Much to our collective horror, the skeleton raised a hand and pointed directly at our box hiding spot as a small flame appeared in one of its eye sockets and it whispered out in a strained voice.
"Hee, Hee"
The light quickly extinguished as the skeleton fell limp. The kobold turned around to our boxes where it began to cautiously approach us.
"Jax, are we jumping out, what's the plan."
Liora hissed quietly as the little kobold continued its way over. My mind raced as I waited for it to get closer. I channeled Ki into my fist as I whispered.
"Now."
Thalis lunged out, her strings already on the ground as she yanked her hands back, the strings flying up like a laid net and wrapping the kobold who writhed and tugged, but failed to break free of the strings.
Liora seeing he was tied down dashed to the side, her staff already raised as a blast of circulating wind flew, striking the side of the little kobold and causing a wave of dust to fly into the air. However where he may have normally been moved the little kobold stayed planted, their body seemingly heavier than it should have been.
I lunged in planting my feet against the little kobolds chest as I kicked out, hearing bones crack under the rotting flesh I slightly sank into as I bounced off, the kobold leaning over from the force.
Yet despite our assault, the fact that the kobold didn't react, not a yelp, cry of pain or anything made it all the more intimidating.
You have used skill Powerful Strike(E)
Party member Thalia has used skill Marrionetting fingers(E)
Zombie Kobold "Grok the dumb" has been restrained
Party member Liora has used skill Wind Blast(D)
Zombie Kobold "Grok the dumb" has taken 30 damage
Zombie Kobold "Grok the dumb's" skill Rotting Mass(D) has assisted them in resisting the secondary effect of Wind Blast(D)
You have used skill Iron Fist(E)
Zombie Kobold "Grok the dumb" has taken 46 damage
Aiden rushed in on the side as he said.
"Jax, remember were trying to spend energy sparingly, hold off on multiskill use for now."
Aiden swung his spear, slashing into the undead Kobold as two of its fingers flew off where it raised an arm to intercept the spear. The spear scratched against bone and rotting flesh but as it did, the little undead kobold seemed to still be full of energy despite the assault.
Selene lunged in from the side as her hand grabbed at the kobolds arm, leaving deep gashes that would be detrimental if not debilitating for the living, but for the dead were just wounds.
Little Fox slammed her paw into the floor as a glowing white pentagram formed underneath the Kobold who seemed to wraith under its effect.
Party member Aiden has used item Spear of the 7 hunts(D)
Zombie Kobold "grok the dumb" has taken 38 damage
Party member Selene has used skill Claws of the Beast(D)
Zombie Kobold "grok the dumb" has taken 28 damage
Party member Beatris has used skill Hexing Curse(E)
Heading Curse's effect is enhanced due to its Angelic pact traits
Zombie Kobold "grok the dumb's" evasion has dropped
Zombie Kobold "grok the dumb" will take extra damage from all sources
The little Kobold turned to me, as I braced for an attack, but instead it dropped down, and held its hands up, like a child trying to protect themselves as it spoke in a strained, gravely, but clearly upset tone.
"Why attack Gork, Gork only does what Gork told... walk in circles. Friends don't attack Gork!?"
We all stared for a moment in bewilderment. I turned to Aiden who returned what I can only assume was my own confused expression as the little Kobold turned, ripping the mana strings it was held by and running down the corridor yelling
"Grooooook, HEEEEEELP!"
At the top of its rotten little lungs. We all took a moment before Thalia, Liora, and I rushed after the little Kobold. As we did, we heard a voice from down the hall.
"Gork what is all the fuss, why are you wounded? Did you trip into the weapon pile again?!"
Came a voice, this one was less raspy and sounded more like a feminine voice, akin to a scolding one would get from an older sister if you did something stupid like run into a wall and start crying.
"F-Friends attack Gork, they wouldn't listen to Gork. Gork get beat up by like 20 friends."
The little Kobold wailed as he rounded a corner. We saw him flash his hand now missing some fingers as he turned to the left and kept running. Thalia held up a hand as she said.
"There is another one down this hall. This one seems more bone than flesh, probably a skeleton."
Thalia reported. Liora and I turned back to Aiden who had a hand on his chin as he said.
"Lets form up in this room, their main advantage is making us come to them, lets try to not let them have that as much as possible."
We all quickly moved back into the room, facing the doorways ready as I strained my ears to pick up on any sounds in the room. As I waited I heard what sounded to be a conversation down the hall.
"what do you mean you got jumped by 20 friends… there's only three of us?"
Came a voice from around the corner. The voice was rather guttural, like someone with a cold, but at the same time it had a pitch that seemed rather high for what I imagined of a necromancer.
After a moment there was the sound of footsteps coming around the corner. As they approached the sound of conversation had everyone tense and ready.
"What do you mean you were attacked by friends... I also need to remember to teach you how to count properly again?"
The voice rounded the corner as a figure holding a torch came into view, they were short, even shorter than the kobold from before, their scales ashen in color as they seemed to be looking back down the hallway, maybe at the kobold from before and maybe the source of the other voice as they spoke.
Yet as they rounded the corner we exploded into motion like a well coiled spring.
Thalia's cords flew out, grabbing the ashen kobold and yanking the small gray kobold towards us as their head whipped around in surprise.
Lioras staff shot forward as a blast of air caught the kobold on the leg causing them to spin through the air, crying out in pain.
"W-Why are you atta-"
He stopped, raising his arms. I had the shot, I could take it, but as I prepared to move, I paused. The little kobold flew past me and landed with a painful yelp on the stones. The others looked at me confused as from around where the gray kobold had emerged, 3 other figures rounded the corner. One was the zombie kobold from before. The second seemed to be the skeleton of a kobold, a bow in hand had an arrow knocked. The last of which was a small green spectral cat with long fur.
"See 20 friends but they attack a lot, they hurt Gork and now Gak!"
The zombie Kobold said pointing a finger towards us as I stepped forward.
"You dumb dumb those aren't friends, those are adventurers... you were supposed to warn us if you saw any."
The skeleton said holding their bow, but not yet drawing back. The little cat ran forward and went through the wall to run to the small kobolds side as a green aura surrounded the small gray kobold.
"See, we're all friends. These are my friends!"
The little gray kobold gestured to the undead.
"Jax, whats the plan here?"
Beatrice asked as she looked to the kobold and back to me. I stayed silent for a moment, thinking over my choices before I turned to the gray kobold.
"You are in a dungeon said to be occupied by hostile necromancers, since you are showing no signs of hostility that means you have a choice here.
I can have some of my party members guide you to the dungeon entrance in which you will be detained, and if proven innocent of any of the previous deaths in this dungeon, released. I can count you as hostile and kill you as part of this dungeon quest."
This is stupid Jax, this is a liability Jax, you are putting your team at risk Jax. The thoughts ran through my mind as I stayed quiet and looked to the kobold waiting for his answer. The little Kobold adjusted themselves to a kneeling position and said.
"O-Oh we would very much like to live and be friends!"
I turned to Aiden who nodded as we all stepped to the side and allowed the undead who gave us a glare step past. Aiden lead them to the entrance as I heard the sound of him leaving with the Kobold and his undead. As I waited I felt my mind begin to race with the possibilities. Are all these necromancers bad? Should we give them all a chance? Is there really only one super bad one?
To push these thoughts away I shook my head and said in a whisper to myself.
"1 down, 8 to go."