Urbelt. Oh Urbelt.

Karn had no idea how to feel about the guy. Besides respect, respect was the only one he could really confirm.

It seemed in society it isn’t about being nice, but rather, not being a complete jackass. A rare trait that was owned by none other than Urbelt himself. The way he acted like a prick, rather than being one, could be said to be endearing.

The cold stone interior grew to a darker brown, the taste of mineral in the air resting upon his tongue with every inhale. He knew there was a difference in the types of rocks, but it became hard to separate the different ones when the only type he knew the name of was sedimentary.

A mid-mid tier kobold.

Karn’s categorization doesn’t exactly sound impressive at first, but you had to think about it. Urbelt happened to be a bit taller than Karn, at just about four feet tall. Four thirds as tall as a three foot kobold, which by itself is tall for the species. Even Karn only reached three foot six.

Now, a four feet tall lizard up against a six feet tall, nicely armed and armored, sometimes with boomsticks, human with combat experience. Not even in indirect battle, but direct battle. Urbelt would win without terrible injury. That is his strength. Few make it to his level.

Even talking with him, Karn could feel himself grow more competent. Even if Karn has a higher intellect, Urbelt’s wisdom far surpasses his.

That’s the reason he can’t help but feel weird around him sometimes, his brain and instincts are always combatting. He’s felt admiration, envy, awe, a want to battle, a bit ticklish, enraptured, small, and even a flair of desire at some point for some reason. Probably wasn’t directed at Urbelt at the time, but he included it anyway since he wasn’t sure. He’s heard of a small crowd of people that happens to. Rarely does it work out, but it happens.

The things you hear on the ore vein.

The walls of the pathway stopped, and opened up.

A huge cavern, watched by eight guards, and connected to a few other pathways, was displayed. Different sweats, odors, and even a variety of metals and sulphurs infiltrated his nostrils. It was an intoxicating class of organic and metal to smell. The only reason he’s made it this far is that he has been identified as ‘not boomstick fodder’, and possibly a serf to a higher tier kobold. They felt no need to possibly offend some of the higher powers.

Ahh. It hurt.

Everywhere he looked he couldn’t see anyone that wasn’t at least semi-capable. It truly was a difference from the sea of low tiers. How he wanted to at least pick up one or two. Alas, he couldn’t let anybody but those close to him know his intentions.

Walking through didn’t take too much effort. It happened to mostly be an exchange area for between the different cave systems. But it also had another reason.

A curtain of massive size, at least twenty feet long and fifteen feet high stretched far across the intersection, separating the low born from those who at least were of moderate worth. The crimson blended in so nicely with the rock. It is said that the reason it is such a dark crimson is because the clan founder of war soaked it in the blood of the dark elves that first had this place.

You could still smell the iron.

Two of the eight guards were to watch specifically this place, and as he moved up to walk through they opened it for him. He wouldn’t want to open it if they didn’t, his hands were quite dirty. To soil something so nice felt wrong.

One wouldn’t describe it as a ‘different area’.

A more accurate term is a whole new world.

Cave systems? Long halls of crude make with equally crude drawings? Sleep piles? HA! Wide expanse, buildings, hot red crystals glowing on the ceiling, the quality far surpassed any of their places.

People walked around, jewelry and fancy cloth on their bodies, servants following them into their residences. Heck, a female kobold was riding one of her male serfs in public and no one cared, since they were below them. It felt like total displacement from the world he previously knew.

Thankfully, he’s seen it before, and didn’t stop to gawk this time.

He wore his silver rings and the necklace of unknown make, as well as took his pickaxe and loins of much better quality than usual. It was made of fur stripped worg hide, showing his experience against goblins and their vicious steeds. He had to at least make himself presentable, or they might take offense.

On the bad consequences side of the spectrum, now he looked like a well-bred servant, and should they notice he did not have any affiliation, they would snatch him up like very marbled pig.

Again, not that he would blame them. His greatness proceeds himself.

He estimated that depending on who it was, he could take on one of them, but their serfs as well as guards? He wanted to avoid trouble.

There were sanded areas of rock until the floor became smooth, making walkways for the pedestrians so they could go wherever. It helped him find where he needed to be going as well.

He started heading off to one of the two only bars. And of the two the more well constructed one.

Imported wood from inside mixed together well with the sediment of the floor, and unlike some other places more cone-like structure, the bar looked like a box. A quite revolutionary design, if he had to guess two planks on opposite sides were placed down, and two more planks connected together by carving out a slot on each to piece together. Genius.

The door had a single window made out of bits and pieces of glass, crafting a beautiful dazzle onto the overcast shadow from the roof. It had another one, though it happened to be closed. Kobolds of their red blood liked it warm, and the heat sink in there would create a wonderful atmosphere.

The carpets, a well done shade of red, was put tastefully leading up to it. There happened to be very few buildings that matched this level of standard, the only other ones being the fanciest of their types and mid-high tier residences.

He walked up to the walls, obviously carved by a professional and maybe even a slave.

Karn then proceeded to walk past it to the next building, one without a sign and not nearly as much class yet somehow got just as much business.

He couldn’t help but scoff. Somehow? He knew exactly how.

As soon as the curtain was pushed away he spotted rows of tables, as well as males and females with yellow armwraps moving here and there, or standing over people on those tables.

“What can I help you with today?”

It seemed the door greeter would be Jiltia today. A bit cross eyed, but for a girl like her it actually enhanced her cuteness, especially when she got embarrassed and tried to fix it.

Though even Karn wasn’t brave enough to call her out on it. She happened to be hard to anger, but step on that specific blast-trap, and you would wish you stepped on a real blast-trap.

“Your scales are just as ruby as ever, I see.” A compliment never hurt anybody.

She held her graphite writing utensil in front of her face, as if it would hide her scales which were rapidly turning purple. Weak to praise. Another adorable feature. In a cute creaturey way rather than a matey way, but adorable nonetheless, especially since she forgot her board is right next to her.

“...Thanks, y-y-you too.”

Karn nodded, “Yes, they are, aren’t they.”

“Now, I want to know-”

“..I don’t know how to tell you this, but-”

“where in the facility-”

“I’ve really been interested in you for a while-”

“Urbelt is. Could you tell me?”

“and I’ve finally worked up the courage to ask you-”

“Um, Urbelt? Location?”

“Huh?” She seemed to pop out of whatever bubble she was in. “O-oh. He’s in the back.”

“I appreciate it.”

As Karn walked off he could hear her mumbling about something, but he couldn’t tell what. He didn’t feel like asking about it though, since he had other things to do.

Walking through the separating tarps and blankets, he made it through to the back without much trouble.

The first thing he heard was moaning.

“Urngh, fuck. Do it harder.”

And it was coming from Urbelt.

The humidity of the room was off the norm, and even he was drawn in by the deep and pleasant atmosphere. Someone had lit a scented candle as well, and it combined with whatever else made him almost sleepy, though hints of ecstasy and relaxation were not unnoticeable. 

“Mmmm, gods, do it faster.”

“I’m going to go deeper.”

“Mmph.”

He turned the corner.

Yes, it was exactly that.

The entire place happened to be one of the most popular for a reason. It was a pleasure no kobold could resist divulging their desires in.

The infamous scale cleaning care.

Every speck of dirt, grime, and cave wall would be tossed out, leaving a robust and healthy body that the very sky glimmered off of. Picking it out, then a scrubbing, rinsing and a massage afterwords. And on the table that the proprietor themself happened to be taking care of was Urbelt.

“Mmmhmm.”

Karn still had to admire the results. He’s only just been rinsed and his looks almost matched Karn’s. Urbelt does a double pick and rinse though, since it’s so pleasurable.

“Urbelt, you need to stop spending all your time and money here. I will have to do an intervention for you.”

The scarred kobold with a maw resembling a crocodile’s more than the average of his own race smiled at Karn, “I can stop anytime I want.”

“No, you can’t, but that is not what I want to talk about. Also, hi Grelvo.”

Grelvo didn’t look his way but gave a slight nod. Still can’t tell if it’s a he or she. Harder to tell than even those humans. Any way to tell the difference is always completely covered for some reason.

“Urbelt, I am turning in my favors.”

For the first time, Urbelt looked directly at him. “You don’t have any. I gave you lessons, did I not?”

“Have you conveniently forgotten the time I gave away my one gold ring to pay for your tab the time you forgot your purse?”

“Have you conveniently forgotten the time I gave you one gold ring as repayment?”

“No. That’s because you didn’t.”

“Oh. What’s the favor then?”

“Move me from scavenging to entrance guard.”

“Ok. That all?”

“No, you still owe me about six more favors worth of favors.”

“What? I would think four would be a more accurate number.”

“You haven’t repaid me in so long, so there’s interest.”

His face turned to one of confusion, before remembering Karn explaining the concept to him. “You and you’re smart bullshit, go please yourself with your own tail.”

“Doesn’t change what you owe me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Go on.”

Karn nodded, his own smile appearing. That’s one of the things he liked about the man. He was simple. Not dumb simple, but rather he went along with the flow.

As fast as he could, he left the building, as not even he could resist the temptation for long. He happened to catch Urbelt off duty, so he wasn’t exactly in the state of which Karn admired him for, but it’s not like he would be there forever.

Probably.

Karn looked around at the large and carved cavern, and his eyes filled with determination once more.

One day, all of this would be his.