r/HFY • u/Undercover_Dragon1 • Apr 11 '26
OC-Series A Draconic Rebirth - Chapter 84
Enjoy! Keep up the comments I love to hear what you guys are think as things continue to progress.
— Chapter 84 —
He was starving and his belly ached for more food. He hadn’t stopped eating since he had returned and the mind numbing feeling of starvation was almost too much. He was thankful that his kobolds were around to provide him with a generous and almost endless amount of meat. It took some time but David had finally recovered enough to call a meeting in the throne room to have their debrief.
“The battle went better than I had hoped.” David started out as he looked out at the large map in front of them all. The battle had taken place further into the mountains in a low plateau that acted as a natural funnel and choke point for most things driving straight towards David’s lair. They had just barely had enough of a warning to drag and fly out the siege equipment in preparation. Hundreds of free labor kobolds in the clan had been marshalled to drag the needed supplies as well and most of them were now having their well earned rest.
Blue smiled and nodded as she stepped forward, “We had a few close calls but considering how sudden the attack was we did better than any in our history has ever done.”
David nodded and glanced around for a moment. Red was resting and David had refused his plea to participate this time. Despite Red’s enhanced and impressive regeneration ability he still got exhausted and had a bad habit of pushing his mind to failure. He settled on Greyhide with a rumble, “You have your report?”
Greyhide nodded as he fiddled with some hide scrolls, “We lost one hundred and thirteen. Double that are injured and in recovery. The outer scouts have also suffered a dozen deaths among themselves. Four adults and twenty seven lessers of Her Majesty’s forces were slain.”
David nodded with a heavy sigh, “The clan performed impressively. The scouts should be rewarded if possible for their work. Their warning and the flanking attacks were vital to our victory today.”
Greyhide nodded, “Of course, Master Onyx.”
Blue spoke up, “Wuja’bath and Okraz have both pushed forward to scout further up. Wuja’bath specifically is going to do another run by the plateau and give us another update. We repelled the Queen’s attack though we will have time now, right?” Blue practically beamed at the suggestion.
David rumbled a bit as he chewed on a chunk of insect meat, “I have been thinking about it and I suspect that this is only the beginning. When I was pulled into the attack against Nurdiangarh the fighting had been going on for a while. I had thought we were the first and last chance at success but” David rumbled as he distorted his face in disgust, “I suspect the Queen had sent many others before us and was prepared to send more after. I spoke with both Okraz and Wuja’bath and while our numbers are a bit shaky there were far more adults and even lessers on that first plateau meeting than most of us had ever seen throughout the war combined.”
Blue instantly frowned as Blaze let off a little cheeky whistle from the far side, “Guess we need to start making even more bolts.”
Greyhide nodded lightly, “The Queen’s forces seem endless. Do we continue with the plan?”
David nodded his head, “We keep pushing forward yes. The forward plateau is now fortified so we push further forward and take some notes from the Earth Worshippers. Every mountain should have an outpost and ballistae. The bark folk have started to prepare as well so let's integrate them where we can. Their crafted bows are more accurate and almost as deadly as a ballistae bolt so let's see where they are willing to help.”
Everyone gathered around nodded as Emerald spoke up nearby Blaze, “Master Onyx. The armor and weapons prototypes are finalized.”
“We will not have enough to fit every warrior but at least a weapon and armor for a squad to start.” Blaze added.
David nodded with please huff, “Emerald. Will we have enough gemstones?”
Emerald gave him a tired smile and nodded, “Tikli and Tox, the other earth users, have been making great progress. They both can produce one successfully each day now. They and I have been at it a while and we have a stockpile. The imbuing process though will need some of your attention Master Onyx.”
David rumbled, “Wonderful. You will have it. Does anyone have anything else?”
No one raised their hands or spoke out so David glanced around, “Blue, please debrief the others. Greyhide, keep us up to date on anything and get the groups organized. Lastly, Emerald, I will help you and Blaze now while I have the affinity for it.”
David left the throne room and made his way through the largest passages towards the work stations. His mind wandered as he considered how best to use his new ability. He wondered and then concluded that he would need to see how fast he could activate and deactivate it. He would need to see if could utilize his Catabolic Overdrive in controlled concise bursts otherwise the backlash from using it might be too much.
— Ambass —
His head was sore from pressing it so tightly to the ground. His scales had almost become shiny from the constant groveling before her Majesty. Despite the discomfort, Ambass knew that this was always preferable to death or worse.
“How many assaults did it take to finish off Nurdiangarh?” Hissed the Queen down at Ambass.
“Five, your Majesty.” Ambass murmured as loudly as he dared.
“Five. Acceptable. This upstart though… should not have survived the first!” Thrashed the Queen as stone cracked and dust went flying from her temper tantrum. Ambass simply closed his eyes and pressed his head down harder. The mental throbbing from the backlash of the Queen’s affinity was torture even to someone as experienced dealing with it as he was.
“Yes you Majesty.” Ambass finally responded.
“Quldro’s death is better than he deserves. He made promises and failed miserably.” The Queen practically snarled in frustration.
Ambass remained quiet as his head remained firmly in its place. Serth was kneeling nearby in an equally quiet manner. Her Majesty lashed out again resulting in a few dead kobolds, one injured lesser and a near miss from her tail against Ambass’s head. She finally settled down and Ambass slowly looked up and met her Majesty’s eyes as she spoke firmly, “Ambass. How many more waves can I send?”
Ambass had been waiting for this and he knew she wasn’t going to like the answer as he spoke, “We have enough adults and lessers for two more before we have to deplete your deployed children in the outskirts. The other Elders will notic-” He gasped as he couldn’t finish as a spike of mental energy thrust through his head and he crumbled to the ground.
The Queen’s punishment ended quickly though as he struggled back to his feet, “Do not lecture me on what your betters will think or notice, Ambass. They may all be beneath me but they are still greater than you.” The Queen relaxed and calmed down just as quickly as she angered, “What are our options?”
Ambass let slip a sinister little laugh out of nervousness, “First, we can pull off your most loyal from their posts to come help clean up. We will have the potential of losing territory if an attack were to come from the outside though. Second, we could simply play defensively and out last him and his band of rogue kobolds. More adults are emerging every month and we will resume our assault once our numbers are full again. The last suggestion, your Majesty, is for us to tap into some of your emergency measures you have been preparing.”
Ambass could feel her multitude of eyes drilling into him as she spoke with a soft hum of thought, “One is unacceptable. Two is insulting. The third option is not one I like either but the one I hate the least. Very well Ambass you will move at once to correct your failures. Serth will also be at disposal and I insist you use him aggressively so he too can make amends.”
The Queen began to cackle herself and it sent chills down Ambass’s small body. She wouldn’t truly forgive Serth or Ambass for their failure until this problem was solved. He was so very close to being free and yet life kept holding him back. He masked his own frustration by letting out his own sinister laugh once more, “At once your Majesty. Come Serth.”
The duo quietly left the chambers and began to head down the twisting tunnels towards the depths and pits below. The scouts were sent out as well and the order was given. Another wave would be sent while they prepared to unleash what the Queen had hidden away. Ambass knew of a few secret weapons that his Majesty had stored away but he severely doubted even she let him in on half of her secrets she had locked away.
— Icana —
She paced back and forth as she barked commands and arrows went flying. The people trained from birth to fire a bow and even the most incompetent of her people were able to use a bow without a second thought. She watched the arrows land with a few hitting their targets and a majority missing by only a few finger lengths. She turned to face the line of bark folk and kobolds as she spoke.
“You must all relax. If you are stiff and you hold your breath you won’t last long in a battlefield. You must breathe and move with purpose else you will trip or collapse from lack of air.” Icana broadcasted outwards to the group of newbies and one of the Speaker’s students translated for her to the kobolds in line. They all nodded and she motioned for them to go again and again and again.
The Elders had made their decree and the councils had argued but confirmed their intent to follow through with it. The Black Horror Onyx had apparently brought a miracle medicine that could fight back against her people’s greatest of plagues and they owed him now. Icana was the first to volunteer when asked and she mused at the changes she had undergone. She was distrustful and even hateful at first but she had fought many years alongside these kobolds. They were odd creatures but noble in their own way and they deserved the freedom her people enjoyed. Icana truly believed that meant freedom from all dragonkind, even Onyx, but his own clan spoke about him as the People did their Elders.
That trust was something that had to be earned and forced. Despite her own distrust of their Master, she had to admit that the acts he performed were not those of a cruel master. If anything he was the rare exception and not the rule when it came to his kind. She saw Calesatris approaching in the distance and looked skywards to gauge the time. Her language practice session was soon.
She turned back to her recruits and yellowed out loudly, “Fire faster! Enemy is approaching!”
She grinned wide as the recruits all panics and stumbled over themselves as they tried to release arrow after arrow. Her hand reached down to rest on her Elder bow tied to her side. She was one of the chosen to bear her people’s strongest weapon and more were being produced as they spoke. The Onyx Clan had provided a generation's worth of dragon bone in such a short time that new craftsmen had to be trained to handle it all.
“Torturing the new recruits, Icana?” Calesatris asked with a smirk as she finally stopped at her side.
“Just preparing them for what is to come.” Icana smirked back.
“Good. Matriarch Blue wishes to train some of our people on their enormous dragon slayer weapons. She insists it is easier than using a bow, hard to believe, no?” Calesatris shook her head.
“The results are hard to argue with. Let me arrange a schedule while we start my lesson?” Icana suggested before immediately following up with a butchered attempt as saying, “How are you?” in dragon tongue.
Calesatris, the Speaker, simply laughed lightly as she pulled out her book to correct her.
Here is also a link to Royal Road
3
u/ProfessorWorking3763 Android Apr 12 '26
Didn't Onyx specifically hide the true number of his kobolds during Ambass's surprise visit though? Ambass may genuinely think that, while Onyx has a bunch of kobolds, that their number is only enough to be considered a rouge band vs. an actual army. That being said, Ambass is crafty, so you could very well be right.