Chapter 100: The War Is Not Over
The same training ground where Ka’z had first gathered his squad was unusually lively that morning.
Ka’z had told them to wait there while he spoke with O’nil, Tong’a, Kong’gong and the others about his plan to strike Ashmork. None of them had needed much convincing once they heard what he intended to do. The idea of marching into the territory of the very goblins who had nearly wiped them out only days ago should have terrified them, but instead, excitement had spread through the squad.
They had seen Ka’z fight too many times to look at the mission like ordinary warriors. To them, this was not some desperate suicide mission. This was their opportunity to make a name for themselves and avenge their dead.
Drak paced back and forth across the training ground while the others sat nearby, leaning against rocks or casually stretching their limbs. Their weapons and equipment were already close by, and there was an unmistakable eagerness in the way they spoke.
They were still young, and the battle from the previous night had left them excited rather than traumatized. They had survived a battle against a hundred man goblin army with only a handful of casualties among the entire colony, and their captain had personally done most of the work.
"Did you see the way he broke the goblin shield wall with the earth pillar?" Tark asked with childlike excitement, his eyes widening as he recreated the moment with his hands. "It was like the entire formation was made of dry leaves."
"I know right?" Mi’ya said dreamily, resting her chin against her palm. "Watching him rip those goblins apart like that was incredibly sexy. Gosh, I wish I could have him all to myself."
"He’s too good for you. Don’t bother." Krov immediately replied, earning a burst of laughter from almost everyone.
Mi’ya’s face twisted with annoyance as she glared at him. "Who asked you?"
"Nobody. I simply felt obligated to protect you from embarrassment."
"You should protect yourself from getting your teeth knocked out."
The laughter grew louder as Krov raised both hands defensively, clearly amused by her threat. The atmosphere remained surprisingly relaxed considering what they were preparing to do, and that was largely because every member of the squad had absolute confidence in Ka’z.
"Did you see how strong he was?" Thrak asked, still clearly impressed by what he had witnessed. "When his eyes and scales turn red, he makes Bigi and Bruk look weak and harmless."
Gruk nodded firmly. "I’ve never seen anyone destroy a steel mace with his bare hands before. That thing was solid steel, and he crushed it like it was rotten wood."
Several of them nodded at once. The young kobold had moved through the battlefield with a brutality none of them had ever seen from him before.
Drak finally stopped pacing and turned toward them, his expression thoughtful.
"I never thought a day would come when I would feel bad for my enemies," he admitted. "He made the whole fight look unfair despite the fact that we were outnumbered."
"That’s because it was unfair," Tark replied with a grin.
Drak shook his head. "I’m serious. At some point, we barely needed to fight. Captain was just slaughtering everything in his path."
The laughter gradually faded as everyone remembered the battlefield.
Their squad had barely suffered any casualties because Ka’z put them in the backline. Because of this, the five casualties suffered didn’t affect their team at all.
Then a familiar voice came from behind them.
"Enough talking. Everyone get packing. We’re going to the eastern region."
Several heads turned simultaneously.
Ka’z was approaching from the bushes, his expression calm but noticeably colder than usual.
"Captain!" the entire squad shouted together.
They immediately jumped to their feet and hurried toward him.
From the day Ka’z had recruited them, they had always treated him differently from the other young kobolds. At first, it had been admiration. He was their captain, their strongest fighter and the strange child everyone believed was destined for greatness.
After last night’s battle, however, something had changed.
The admiration had become reverence. Some of them looked at him almost as though he were something beyond a normal kobold.
Ka’z noticed it immediately but said nothing.
Drak approached first, his expression filled with disbelief.
"The elders really agreed to let us go?" he asked.
"Of course they would let him," Thrak laughed proudly. "Who can stop Captain?"
Ka’z ignored him. He was not in the mood for jokes.
"I convinced them that we’re only going to take a look," Ka’z explained. "I’ll only attack if I see an opportunity."
Kor narrowed his eyes.
"But you don’t actually plan to just observe, do you?"
Ka’z looked at him and a faint smile slowly appeared on his face, but there was nothing warm about it.
"Of course not."
The squad immediately became quiet.
"We will obliterate the Ashmork clan and get our hands on the Red Scripture," Ka’z said, his voice becoming colder with every word. "There will be no discussions. No negotiations. Just blood and gore until Tud’or can finally rest in peace in the afterlife."
For a moment, everyone stared at him, then the entire squad erupted.
Cheers thundered through the training ground as weapons were raised into the air and several kobolds shouted their approval. The excitement that had already been present intensified into something almost feverish.
Ka’z watched them without joining the celebration.
His eyes remained cold as he remembered Rok and the promise he made to that goblin after Tud’or died.
The Ashmork goblins had wanted to turn Vaal’kor into slaves. They had wanted their warriors dead, their children and women enslaved and their people stripped of everything they possessed.
Now Ka’z intended to reverse the situation.
Their builders would build for Vaal’kor. Their blacksmiths would forge weapons for Vaal’kor. Their tamers would raise and train boars for Vaal’kor. Every useful skill the Ashmork clan possessed would become another tool for strengthening the colony.
They would experience the same helplessness they had intended to inflict upon his people.
"Start gathering everything we need," Ka’z ordered once the cheering finally began to settle. "Food, water, weapons, and anything else that could be useful. We leave as soon as we’re ready."
The squad immediately scattered while Ka’z remained behind for a moment, watching them disappear into the cave entrance.
Ashmork had just lost its Chieftain, commanders and a large portion of its fighting force. The survivors would eventually return. They would eventually understand what had happened. And once they did, they would prepare.
Ka’z had no intention of giving them that opportunity. By afternoon, he wanted his entire team ready to move.