Predator or Prey

Ko, Level 4 Kobold
Stats:
Health - 32
Stamina - 20
Mana - 16
Nutrition - 15/16
Attributes:
Endurance - 3
Strength - 4
Coordination - 4
Focus - 3
Intelligence - 6
Traits:
Hyper Adaptability
Kobold Work Ethic
Skills:
2: Influence
3: Mining
4: Trapping
Spells:
1: Trigger

When morning came, Ko woke up alone. The dirt where his two companions had been was empty, but he knew they must have left quietly. Crawling out and looking around, he was struck by the muffled noise of animals moving around out of sight. The dim light illuminated everything just barely enough to navigate by, and his natural underground senses filled in the rest.

Elise must be out gathering something. She seemed like the type that was used to working all day. Sera could be anywhere though. He knew she was the odd one out, money tended to separate people, and she seemed like she had it.

He would need to put more effort into building this place today; it felt like his part of whatever they had going. Thinking about their purposes quickly reminded Ko of something he had mostly ignored this last day. He felt the need to mate, but also the need to enjoy the only two people he had seen in what felt like a long time. It felt like a joke by the gods that he still had the urges present in all thinking creatures, but only a dwarf woman and a fairy nearby. His limited length was hard with these thoughts, but it seemed unlikely he would find relief.

“Hello, Ko!” The high pitched voice of Sera came from above him. “What plans might you have for today?”

Looking up, he could see her sitting on the slope of the root over the entrance to his hovel, legs spread and spiked boots planted firmly to prevent her from sliding. It was not an inherently revealing posture. Though it did lead him to momentarily imagine what was beneath her leggings.

“I need to expand this.” He started, gesturing at the hole they had slept in. “Add more to hide the entrance. Maybe train Elise. To build. Need something to cut trees.” The next thing that came to mind was fucking, but he stopped himself just before adding that to the list.

She watched him with a smirk. “Wow, you’re more into this than I thought. I thought you were just trying to survive, but you actually thought it through some.” She leaned forwards a bit, legs widening and hands on her thighs for balance. “What about that?” She added, glancing at his obvious crotch.

He glanced down himself, as if to confirm what she was looking at. His cock was indeed pushing up the fabric of his pants. It was firm, ready, and unused. He didn’t think too much of it, such things were common among Kobold tribes, although they were also typically dealt with quickly. He knew most other races covered themselves with more clothes, but he didn’t see the point beyond protection and showing off. So he just looked back at Sera and asked “You will help?” He wasn’t decided himself if he meant that in reference to sex, construction, or both.

Sera stared at him for a few seconds before responding in a near whisper. “I’ll keep watch, and see if Elise is up for more personal duties.” She grinned at the end of that, before pushing herself back up the root and standing with a slight flourish. “See you soon, and don’t forget breakfast!” She laughed as she jogged off.

Ko was not entirely sure what she meant, but if something good for him came out of her efforts then he would be happy. Regardless, it was time to start the day’s work. So he climbed up after Sera to begin setting the fish trap yet again, erection persistent for a little while longer.

An hour or so later, the three of them were eating breakfast together. It was stone cooked fish again, and Ko was happy that his fishing idea had continued to work so well. The other two seemed content with it as well. He did wonder what Sera had said to Elise though, considering the repeated glances directed at him.

Sera mentioned that the fish would be better with some spices. Elise agreed. They sat in silence for a bit longer. Then Ko began to explain to Elise how he hoped she could help with construction. It was a short conversation, mostly composed of Elise nodding at Ko’s short, simple descriptions. Then they split off to begin their first actual day of cooperation and work.

A while later, after lunch, Ko heard something different from the low background noise of the forest. It was an intermittent snuffling sound, like an animal following a trail. He had a moment of uncertainty, what made sounds like that? Predators might, or scavengers. It was coming closer parallel to the stream. The fact that he heard it over the stream meant it must be very close, maybe only 20 feet or so.

Glancing around, he could confirm it was not within sight of the hovel, where he had spent most of the morning excavating. He was tempted to just sit still and wait for it to pass, but he wanted to be a leader, and leaders need to be aware of their surroundings. They need to be like birds of prey, not the rabbits. So he climbed slowly up the roots yet again, carefully watching for danger.

The thing was walking along the edges of the roots, 10 feet ahead and 5 feet below. It was some kind of pig that probably weighed as much as him. It was just snuffling around, turning a full circle once before continuing towards its goal. It was headed towards the fire spot, so it must be after their food.

Ko was not really a fighter, but this pig didn’t have tusks, so he could take it, probably. It would also look good to Elise if he could prove his combat ability. He didn’t need more reason than that. He crawled forward until he was almost within leaping range, then rushed over the last gap and dove towards the pig dagger first.

The whole thing would have looked a lot more graceful if he had experience jumping off stuff at moving targets. As is, he barely avoided planting his dagger in the ground as the pig startled. The next couple seconds were a blur as the pig bucked and thrashed, and Ko flailed against it. He did manage to get a grip on a back leg as it turned to race away, bringing his dagger to cut wildly at its legs and flanks. The pig almost escaped his grip before something fast smashed into its side and knocked it over.

Ko didn’t stop to think, simply continuing to cut and stab as quickly as he could. He wasn’t going to let go after that pig kicked him in the face. Soon the pig stopped moving, and he hit it a few more times just to make sure.

Clambering back to his feet, he looked around to assess the situation.

“Nice kill!” He heard from above him. Sera was practically bouncing on a root, small sword out and little cloth square rapidly wiping away the blood on it. “You could be the real deal!” She shouted again, too loud for their close proximity.

Just as he was wondering why she was being so loud, which of them had actually finished the pig, and why he was hearing mostly on one side, Elise rushed up and hugged him. She picked him up like he was weightless and smothered him into her bosom. He stopped thinking so critically then, and just enjoyed the sensation.

Her breasts were just as large and soft as they looked. They squished and wrapped around his snout as she held him tight. He breathed in her scent, unconsciously pushing himself against her. He raised his hands to her breasts and stopped, halfway between squeezing and pushing away for air. This was great, a little like heaven, but with a slight metallic sting in his nostrils and on his tongue.

Elise let go of him then, and he realized her left tit had a smear of red on it. He lifted a hand and touched his brow. It came off slightly wet with his own blood. The red looked strangely beautiful against the blue of his scales. Then his legs gave out as he fell backwards, barely slowing his fall with his elbows.

The world reduced to the throbbing in his head. He could barely see Elise kneeling and looking at him, and the occasional fleeting image of Sera.

It felt like a long time had passed when he regained his senses. He was lying on his side, curled up in the hovel, hole, whatever it was. His head was resting on a bundle of something, probably plant matter by the feel. Raising a hand to his head, he felt fabric wrapped around his brow and held in place awkwardly with strips around his snout and neck. Kobold doctors knew basic medicine, but this was like a child had tried to follow an adults verbal instructions. It was staying in place mostly because of the dried blood in it.

He hadn’t realized just how hard the pig had hit him, but looking at his stats he realized that kick must have been half his health. He would recover quickly, but that just brought back all his feelings of kobold inadequacy from before these last couple days. It felt like no matter what he did and how much he grew he would still be just a kobold, his value measured only by the strength of his tribe. He was a little different now though, a normal kobold wouldn’t have attacked something without support like that. Maybe it was that new trait, Hyper Adaptability, or his new situation.

He contemplated himself for minutes, what he was and what he wished he could be. Then it came to him, Hyper Adaptability implied he could learn anything, so what if he wanted to learn how to change himself. His desires went beyond mere training and improvement, so a physical skill was out, but magic, magic could do anything with enough power, cleverness, and time. He wanted a spell to change anything about his physical body. He wanted to be more and different. Longer limbs, a larger body, stronger muscles, sharper claws, and harder scales. He wished he could change himself physically, mana costs be damned.

Then he felt a twinge in his head, like something pinching inside his skull. With a sudden sensation of change, he shuddered. He wasn’t sure if what he felt was real until he checked his sheet. Alter Creature, it promised to change his physical body in any way possible, and it had already taken half his mana.