[rework] Minglings - chapter 19: Indecent proposal

Mason kicked at the sand as he gazed out over the sea. If only he hadn't promised Sandra that he would wait a day for Jake to return! The sun was only just over its highest point, meaning he had half a day of waiting remaining.

His worry and fear grew, boosted by resentment and underlined with a deep festered hatred at everything that had happened. Grinding his teeth, he clenched his fist and felt a surge of energy in his body, followed by pain. It was as if molten metal was running through his veins. The sea before him turned red while a haze drifted over everything.

As his anger grew to titanic proportions, he desired something to vent it on. Something, anything! Suddenly, it felt like a damn broke deep inside of him. An odd cramp came from just below his chest bone, and a wave of power flooded his body. The power fueled his rage, and shadows appeared as if beckoned by his desire for a target. They rushed towards him, and he lashed out, knocking them back. They moved slower than him but seemed to rise each time as more and more showed up. But it was fine- all he wanted was something to hit, something to pour out his resentment over! The more he fought, the angrier he got, and the more energy flowed from the odd spot below his chest bone. How dare they hold him back from his friend! He would go and find Jake.

"Mason!"

A sharp, familiar scream broke through the fog in his head, and with a shudder, he felt the cramping muscle relax. The flow of energy dissipated, leaving him winded but awake. Looking around in a daze, he realized he was standing on a patch of charred sand while dozens of Kobolds surrounded him with bruised scales, bleeding snouts, and tiny scorch marks. Their expressions ranged from afraid to angry as they glared at him and appeared ready for anything. When they saw he was gazing around in confusion, they relaxed.

Hunched over while holding his hand against a bleeding gash on his face, Bolyr stepped forward, staying just out of arm's reach. Behind them, Emma was staring at him in shock and fear, rubbing a bruise on her cheek. It was her scream that had awoken him!

"Do you understand me now?" Bolyr asked. He looked like he had been run over by a truck, which had then backed up and done it again.

Mason nodded, wondering why Bolyr looked happy. Now even more confused than before, he tried to remember what had happened. Had he struck Emma?

Bolyr sighed. "How is it possible? Two in such a small group awake within days from each other. It is unheard of! It has to be where you are from... but still." Shaking his head, he stared at Mason, longing in his eyes. Then he clenched his jaw, and his eyes became bright and piercing.

"I have talked with the others, and I know it is sudden, but we need to discuss something. Sandra already knows, so you can take your time to think it over."

Mason tried to shake the confusion and fear from his mind as he focused on the smaller Kobold.

"We would like you to join the Antraci tribe."

For a moment, the only sound came from the crashing waves as Mason wondered if he heard him right. Seeing the hopeful look in Bolyrs eyes, he swallowed and pushed back a quick rejection. He'd just somehow beaten up him and a large group of other native Kobolds. It might be better to be careful.

"I will have to think about that. But either way, I won't decide anything until Jake is back," he said, surprised at the gravel in his voice.

Bolyr's head drooped slightly, and he let out a weary sigh as he nodded. "I understand. Rest a bit. We will talk later."

The yellow Kobold, with the single blue arm, turned around and made a few hand signals. The surrounding Kobolds took a last look at Mason before turning around and disappearing into the jungle behind the beach.

--

Mason sat next to the water's edge a while later, drawing figures in the wet sand as he focused on the odd muscle below his chest bone. Well, it wasn't really a muscle, he reasoned. It felt more like a valve that he could control. He had an idea of what it had to be; something to harness the form of mana, KI, or whatever energy was that permeated this world. The tension finally relaxed, and he thought about what Bolyr had said.

"Fucking hell... Join them? Just like that?" He grunted, feeling hard pressed to keep his temper at bay.

There was a soft shuffling behind him, and he glared over his shoulder. Sandra walked across the paved path into the jungle, then stepped onto the sandy beach. A leather armor covered her towering and well-muscled frame, the front lined with tiny, grey metal scales while a wide black leather belt wrapped around her waist. Mason's anger flared up again, seeing her all dressed up.

So she accepted it already? he thought, and his scowl deepened.

"Back in control? And don't look at me like that! I haven't joined them or anything. These were a gift from Bolyr," Sandra snarled before she sat down next to him, staring at the softly lapping waves.

Ignoring his obvious annoyance, she continued. "This entire trip here was a fiasco. Losing Jake and Jayden has made our position weak. Unless either of them makes it back somehow-" Sandra stopped talking as a loud growl reverberated through the area.

Mason glared at her with a snarl on his face. "When! When Jake makes it back!"

A sad expression crossed Sandra's face before she sighed. "Fine, when. But until he does, it's you and me who have to do the heavy lifting. Brady and O'Neil are what they call regular Kobolds, and the only reason they are even allowed here is because of us. These bar-" Sandra fell quiet as she looked around, then to the forest, and frowned.

"The Antracii don't see them as full and can't help much with swaying the locals. Bolyr seems fond of her, but Emma is too young to move any opinions. So, you need to calm down and help me get us out of this mess!"

Deep down, Mason knew she was right, but he didn't want to admit it. All of what had happened in the last few days had only been bearable because he and Jake were together. Now he hadn't just lost his family, his home, but also his only real friend. Panic began bubbling up, and he turned to the sea, trying to distract himself.

"So, what did Bolyr tell you?" he asked, glad his roiling emotions weren't audible in his tone.

Sandra picked up a handful of sand and threw it into the waves.

"He said some of the others blame us for what happened to Tergin and Ensir. From what I saw, the entire tribe has only a few hundred members and two dozen capable warriors. It must be a great loss."

"How is any of that our fault?" Mason growled.

"I heard some of it, and one of them was shouting that, if Bolyr had not brought us, they wouldn't have lost two more of their scouting party."

"Two more?"

"Yes, they went to scout the island with five, but two died soon after arriving, so only Bolyr survived."

"Shit," Mason muttered, wondering if Bolyr and the others had been friends.

Sandra fell silent, and Mason stared as the sky above the water slowly turned orange. It would become dark within a few hours.

"So, if they are angry with us, why did Bolyr give you all that stuff?" Mason asked, motioning towards her new armor.

Sandra grinned a bit. "Crazy that, but apparently, what I was wearing was distracting them, and they were having trouble keeping their younger warriors in line."

Mason let his gaze roam over her for a second, then grinned weakly. "You must be glad this isn't a game, or you might be wearing nothing but a metal bikini."

Sandra's eyes narrowed as she looked back at him. "Good to see your sense of humor is slowly returning."

"Good to see your mood has improved after we removed that brain bug," Mason shot back. He grinned and patted her on the shoulder before looking at the sea. He was suddenly glad that Sandra was here. If he had been all alone, it would have been much worse.

Time passed as the sun sunk slowly into the sea, and Mason and Sandra remained side by side, slowly watching as some Kobold children played in the sea.

A little to the side, Emma's blue head broke up through the water, quickly followed by two others. It had taken her only one hour to make new friends with the few children her age, and she had instantly invited to play with the others. Although the other Kobolds couldn't breathe underwater yet, they swam like fish and had been teaching her all kinds of Kobold games. Catch the tail seemed to be the current favorite.

"Something is wrong," Sandra hissed, jumping up and rushing along the shore to where Emma was.

Startled, Mason scrambled up and went after her. Before he could prevent it, energy surged from the strange muscle deep in his body and flowed into his leg muscles. Already fast before, now he felt like he was strapped to a rocket. He overtook Sandra with only a few leaps, sand scattering behind him. Not sure how, he drew more from the source of power and felt an exhilarating thrill as his speed increased even more.

When he arrived at the waterline, he saw Emma wave at him with a panicky look. He didn't slow down but crashed into the sea, creating large waves as his legs plowed through the current. Although he felt the resistance, it barely held him back, and foam formed around his shins.

Emma and the two other Kobold children quickly moved toward him, though he did notice the other children seemed to look at him oddly.

"Emma, what is wrong!" he said, surprised as his voice came out like a loud roar. The Kobold children backed away from him, but Emma didn't show any apprehension.

"We saw something move in the lower part of the sea, and it's heading our way!" Emma said as she swam closer.

"Could you see what it was?"

"No, we fled as soon as we saw it," Emma said. This close, Jason saw she wasn't just afraid but seemed excited.

Sandra arrived next to them, her military side kicking in right away. "How many hostiles?"

"Dunno, but something is moving our way from the depths."

"Emma, take the others and get out of the water. Find the nearest Kobold warriors and warn them, then find Bolyr and warn him too. Now run!" Sandra commanded. There was a persuasive authority suffused through her voice that seemed to brook no second-guessing her.

Emma didn't even answer but shot away through the waist-deep water, quickly followed by the other two Kobolds.

"It could be Jake!" Mason said, eyeing the water. He wanted to rush in so bad, but he could only stay down for a few minutes without the oxygen plant.

"Without knowing what it is, we will stay on dry land. We have the upper hand there. Move back!" Sandra ordered, pulling him towards the beach. An aura surrounded her, infusing her words with a weird, almost undeniable law, and Mason moved automatically.

Halfway back, he snuck a glance at Sandra. Did she awaken without us knowing? He wondered. Or was this just her military training dialed to eleven?

On the beach, they prepared themselves for anything as they stared at the transparent waters of the sea.

--

"You are sure that this is the island?" Jake whispered.

Tergin nodded before staring back intensely. "Remember, don't speak about the Hydra. Just act as if it didn't happen!"

Jake nodded before swimming up the slope towards the beach. As they got closer, he spotted two figures on the beach.

"It seems we've got a welcome waiting for us," Tergin said.

Within moments they reached a place where they could stand, and Jake took a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in days. Before he could enjoy it, he heard someone shout his name.

"Jake!"

On the beach, one of the two figures jumped forward, plunging into the sea. The figure crashed through the waves like an out-of-control freight train, plowing straight towards him. It took Jake only a split second to recognize Mason, and he felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

--

Standing waist-deep in the water, Sandra saw the two young men collide and embrace each other. Then they began hitting each other on the back, yelling all kinds of things. Shaking her head, she wondered why she felt so relieved. Next to the two, she saw more movement; another Kobold. She recognized him as one of the archers, casting covert glances at Jake and Mason. Then a rush came from behind her, followed by a small shape blasting through the water like a tactical missile. Moments later, Emma barrelled into the two, hugging Jake while shouting in joy.

"They are family?" Bolyr's rough voice startled her, and she turned towards him. How did he get there? She hadn't heard him approach at all.

"I don't know, but I think those two see each other as brothers," she said after a moment, eyeing the other warily.

Bolyr nodded as he turned to Tergin, who swam towards him. They exchanged a short greeting in a language that Sandra didn't understand before Tergin began speaking rapidly and agitatedly. Sandra guessed he was explaining what had happened, but she wondered why he wasn't using the Dragon tongue so she could understand. Where are they hiding things?

Looking out into the sea and finding no more movement, Sandra knew it would have been too much to hope for Jayden to show up. They had lost him in the middle of the mazelike reef shortly after Jake and Tergin had disappeared.

Shaking her head in regret, she turned around and made her way back to the beach, where a large group of Kobolds was gathering. Seeing them stare at Jake and whisper between themselves, she grinned.

"I wonder how Jake is going to like being popular!" she muttered.

--

"They were shooting white beams? Like lasers?"

Jake shook his head and grinned. He was sitting on the beach, together with Mason and Emma. The group of Kobolds had just headed back after ogling him for what seemed like forever. Apparently, a Kobold with the water element was serious business to them.

"Yes, like lasers. But if you get hit by them, you are paralyzed!" he said, looking at Emma and happy the little girl had managed to get here unscathed.

A sudden voice interrupted their friendly banter.

"I would like a word with you, Jake."

Startled, Jake looked up at Bolyr standing next to them. The other had appeared out of nowhere like a ghost, and Jake shared a quick look with Mason. His friend hadn't noticed it either, meaning there was definitely something else going on here. Suppressing his curiosity about Bolyr's mysterious means of appearing, he nodded.

"Okay?"

"Not here, alone."

Jake blinked a few times. What was it now? He looked around at the others and saw they were as confused as he was. Mason shrugged, a scowl on his face. He got up and looked at Bolyr. "Mason is coming too. If I need to hear it, so does he."

Bolyr was quiet for a moment, his gaze going from Jake to Mason and then back before he nodded. "Fine," he said in his deep raspy voice before turning around and walking to the sea.

Mason quickly jumped up, and they slowly followed the other Kobold while Emma moved to Sandra.

"What the hell do you think he wants?" Mason whispered.

"How should I know? I just got here," Jake shot back. But deep down, he wondered if it had something to do with what Tergin had said about consuming Hydra flesh.

Bolyr kept moving along the water's edge, away from the forest and the path, before he stopped. They were a few hundred meters away from the rest, and Jake was getting anxious. The burly Kobold stood quietly staring out across the water, causing the guys to become even more uncomfortable. Then he looked Jake straight in the eyes.

"The... elders... have sent me to propose a deal," Bolyr said, and for a moment, his face warped as if he had something horribly sour in his mouth.

Jake swallowed, getting a bad feeling.

"You have awoken your ancestral dragon bloodline, one of an unknown water dragon at that. We, the Antraci tribe, are descendants of the great water dragon mother, Cerulia. However, our tribe was almost hunted to extinction, and all of our Awoken were slain. To live in this world?" Bolyr gestured all around him, to the sea, the jungle, and the sky above, before clenching his blue fist and growling. "One needs power. Without power, you are nothing but food for the strong, and even memories of you will fade away faster than sea foam."

Jake felt his heart rate speed up. They weren't going to make him join their tribe, were they? Jason had told him about the proposal, but both weren't interested in the likely binding issues that would bring.

With a sigh, Bolyr dropped his fist. His shoulders sagged a little, and he gazed at his blue arm with a sad look. "We know you are unfamiliar with this world and have no idea what is happening to you. So we propose the following. We will give you all the information you need to survive your upcoming transition," he said, seeming to measure out each word.

Mason cursed loudly, and Jake felt his hackles rise. Survive?

"Besides this, if you transform, we will help you find your people on the other island. That way, you can form your own tribe if you want."

Getting confused, Jake looked at Bolyr. So they didn't want him to join the Antraci tribe? He saw Bolyr intensely scrutinizing him.

"And in return?" Jake asked after a second.

"Come on, don't you get what he is going for?" Mason whispered, a sly grin on his face. "They want your babies, mate!"

Jake felt the color rise to his cheeks, and he took a step back, staring wide-eyed at Bolyr. The other ignored both of them and continued.

"When someone is in the transition phase, any children they have will be different, stronger than others. These hatchlings will have a greatly increased chance of becoming Awoken. There is never a guarantee, but in our current situation, we have no choice. This evening we will hold a feast in honor of Cerulia. We ask that you come and partake. During this feast, the women of age will examine you. If one or more finds you worthy, they may take the risk and breed with you."

A silence fell as Jake gaped at Bolyr, and Mason muttered something unintelligible. As the silence lasted, Mason began fidgeting, shuffling his feet, and finally, he seemed unable to hold back his questions.

"No offense, but what do you mean with 'take the risk'?"

Bolyr smirked and shook his head. "Although you look a lot like us, you are from another world. Who knows what might happen if you breed with us?"

-

Jake glanced out over the water, watching the starlight reflect on the rippling surface. He faintly noticed Mason and Bolyr were still talking, but he didn't pay attention.

Had Bolyr told the truth? Was something still going on with him, and was he changing? All of a sudden, a question erupted from his confused mind, and he turned to Bolyr.

"Can I decide not to bed a woman, or do I have to accept all?"

Bolyr seemed startled, then grinned widely. "You think highly of yourself, don't you? Who says any of the women will be interested at all?"

"If it is so important, why is it even a choice?" Mason interjected.

A low growl was followed by a blur, then Bolyr stood inches away from Mason's face, his teeth bare. "What did you say? Do you take us for Goblins? No one is ever forced in our tribe, ever!"

Mason stood motionless, eyes wide and a shocked look on his face. "I am sorry," he stuttered. The other had moved so fast that he had no chance to react.

From the side, Jake slowly moved closer to Bolyr, trying not to startle the other.

"He didn't mean you should force them. He meant if it is so important, why would the women in your tribe refuse?"

Looking at Bolyr, Mason nodded his head, and Jake noticed that although his friend was startled, he didn't seem all that scared. If he didn't know better, Mason seemed to think he could best Bolyr if needed.

Another minute passed before Bolyr slowly backed away, taking a deep breath. He seemed to struggle with something, and Jake was pretty sure it wasn't just Mason's words. Then Bolyr turned towards the water with a pained look on his face. "We will come and fetch you when it becomes dark. Let us know if you agree to our terms when we do. Now leave me. "

Jake quickly put a hand on Mason's shoulder before guiding him away. When they were far enough across the white sand to speak without being overheard, Jake sighed. "You and your big mouth. I wish you could think more before you say things."

Mason snorted. "That's the pot telling the kettle." But his grin quickly vanished as he dropped his head. "But that might have been a close one. You know, I did mean what I said. It feels so barbarous here that I actually thought they would be like that."

Jake nodded. "I know. But we need to remember that we aren't on Earth anymore and that these aren't humans. Fuck, neither are we."

When they saw the others in the distance chatting, Mason stopped and pulled Jake to a stop with him. "But important things first. You will do it, right? I mean, if what he says is true, you will need all the help you can get during your change. And besides, this way you get to find out if everything still works as it used to." He pointedly stared at Jake's lower regions at the end.

Jake couldn't stop a grin from growing, and he nodded. "Yeah, probably. It's just... I don't want to father some children and then leave them. That makes me sound like my old man, and I've always said I wouldn't do that." Jake sighed before pulling Mason along again.

"Let's go. Perhaps Sandra has a good idea."

--

"Are you kidding me?" Sandra stared at the guys as if they were crazy.

"No, and I haven't decided yet. Bolyr said that they would pick us all up before dark, so that leaves me with all of one hour to decide what to do."

Sandra scowled as she shook her head. "Ain't that just great. You must be feeling thrilled now." Then she grinned. "I wonder if this works the other way around too."

Jake shook his head before grinning back. "I don't know, but that would certainly explain Bolyr's interest in you."

"If Kobolds lay a clutch of a dozen eggs, it might, you know," Mason said as she laughed at Sandra.

Sandra snorted, but Jake wasn't paying attention anymore and didn't hear her response. He sighed as his gaze wandered off in the distance, wondering what to do.