Meepo's Story Hour [NEWS! 6-19-02]

[Samnell]

I don't know when I'm going to be able to start with regular updates again, but I can repost the old stuff.

I-In the Beginning...

Wherein we meet our hero.

It was the end of everything. Only a few short, oh, so short weeks ago Meepo was the second most powerful kobold in his tribe. Everyone respected Meepo. Everyone knew Meepo was the Dragon Keeper, who took care of Calcryx, the emerald-scaled dragon mascot and totem of Yusdrayl's clan.

Only with the might of Yusdrayl's dragon magic and the awe inspired by Calcryx had been able to push the goblins back and take this ruin. The goblins remained, but now the kobolds had their place and could fortify it against the goblins.

Let them try to attack, and die a hundred deaths from collapsing floors, ceilings, and crossbow bolts fired from hiding. Goblins were dumb, they couldn't unseat Yusdrayl's band even if they were powerful enough to.

As everyone knows, except stupid goblins, kobolds are themselves have the blood of dragons, and the strongest of all dragon bloodlines at that. Yusdrayl had their magic and Meepo knew the ways to please Calcryx. One day, Calcryx would grow great and powerful. She would remember Meepo and he would ride her when Calcryx closed her huge jaws around Yusdrayl's body and the chieftan's bones shattered.

As Yusdrayl's blood spilled on the stone floor beneath Calcryx's talons, Meepo would be chieftain. Yes! Only Meepo could tend and keep Calcryx happy. Only Meepo could get her the food she liked and knew how to feed her without losing a hand like that idiot Krendik did when he tried, or a head like stupid Breenil did when he teased Calcryx.

All the kobolds knew better than to cross Meepo, or he'd make sure Calacryx got mad at them and took a bite out of their hides when they got too close.

Then the goblins came. They burst in while Meepo was sleeping by Calcryx's cage and killed the guards in one quick rush. Tewir barely got out a scream before the goblins were rushing into Calcryx's chamber.

A giant bugbear grabbed Meepo as he rose up, his hand flying to his spear. His meaty fist closed around Meepo's throat and began squeezing the scaly life out of him. He lifted Meepo off the group and into the air. Meepo kicked and gasped for breath as the bugbear's hand drove his windpipe back into his neckbones.

Meepo's vision grey hazy as he saw kobolds bursting into the room and battling the goblins. The world had gone muted and everything seemed to slow down as it tilted crazily to the left. For a moment, it seemed like the battle were being fought on the side of a hill.

Then Meepo was flying. Had he become a dragon in the battle? Now could he become chieftan on his own, without Calcryx's help? Everyone would see how strong the dragon blood flowed in his veins. The world rushed by under him and a plain stone wall painted with green kobold script came rushing up to meet him with a loud crack like stone breaking.

---

Meepo's head hurt. It felt like someone had stripped off his scaled and decided to take the top layer of his skull along with them. Someting hard slammed into his side. Something else his him in his ribs. Something else slammed into his leg just above the knee. Finally, something very hard him him between his legs and his eyes flew open as he screamed out in agony.

Meepo loked up once he could see clearly again. Six bounders, kobold guards and warriors, stood over him. In their midst and right at Meepo's feet was Yusdrayl, her foot poised for another kick at Meepo's sensitive regions. "Meepo awake!" Meepo yelled.

Yusdrayl drew herself up to her full height and glared down at him. "Meepo, you worthless fool! You let the goblins steal Calcryx!" What? Meepo thought to himself. Calcryx is gone!? All his hopes of supplanting Yusdrayl and being cheiftain himself vanished in that moment and he sank low to the floor. What Meepo do now? Meepo can't be chieftain with no Calcryx. Then it occurred to him. He had the perfect solution.

Rising up only so far as needed to drop to his knees, Meepo cried out. "Meepo sorry! Meepo worthless. Meepo let bugbear and goblins steal Calcryx. No kill Meepo! Meepo know Calcryx come back! Calcryx kill goblins and come back! No kill Meepo!"

Yusdrayl seemed unmoved by Meepo's apology and reassurances. Well, her foot was moved...at Meepo's skull. For the second time meepo's skull hit the wall that day. Then the bounders started in again at Meepo from all sides. The air rained kicks at him from every angle until he was too overwhelmed with pain to struggle any more. Hopeless, Meepo laid down to die.

But it was not to be. Yusdrayl called off the bounders just as Meepo was about to take one last kick to his face that would probably end with his snout sticking out the back of his head. "Meepo, you do not deserve death...yet." Meepo couldn't muster the strength to roll over and face his chieftain. She continued, "You will be the only guard in this room. The bounders will be nearby, but you will warn them when something comes this way...especially dragon- stealing goblins. You will warn them with your screams as they kill you."

Yusdrayl left with a hateful smile on her face and Meepo's spirits sank even further. His own tribe had left him to die as their early warning system. Calcryx was gone. His plans were gone. Everything was gone. He dragged himself over to his bedding, trailing blood, and fell into a nightmare-ridden sleep.

[Samnell]

II-Rudely Awakened
Wherein our hero finds a solution to his problems.

Meepo was sleeping. He slept a lot. He didn't think there was any point in being awake when he died. Meepo's kobold-born, dragon-blooded courage would only see that he died with an empty bladder and bowells.

The nightmares came. Thoughts of revenge on Yusdrayl and the rest didn't last long as the grim reality of his ruined life hit home. There was no point in running away. The goblins would kill him, or the giant rats, or the kobolds themselves when they caught him. He'd rather die well-rested than tired after a long chase.

What was that? Did Meepo hear something? Meepo started out of his sleep. He heard speaking...it wasn't goblin voices or kobold voices. Those were humans. Humans had come. Visions of gigantic human warriors shattering kobold caverns and warrens flooded his mind.

Meepo remembered the story of Kenrop, the kobold who stood up to the humans and ordered them to make nice. The humans killed him and fed him to gnomes. Gnomes...the only thing worse than humans, dwarves, and weakling elves that didn't even taste good. Kenrop was stupid and got what he deserved. Every hatchling was told his story so they'd know that only the stupid stood out where they could be killed and order enemies around.

Smart kobolds were like Ninlag. They knew you made traps for your enemies. Then when they were caught in the trap you came and killed them. Never try to kill something until you're sure it can't fight back was his motto. And if you had to fight, a smart kobold fought like Lirkuhno. He was a mighty leader to conquered a whole gnome city. Lirkuhno snuck around, laying traps with Ninlag and sending out a stupid kobold like Kenrop to draw the gnomes into the traps. Once most of the gnome warriors were killed in or by the traps, those left came boiling out into the forest where Lirkuhno left his army.

The army followed Lirkuhno's plan and broke up into small parties that kept moving and wore the gnomes down to bloody streaks in the forest grass with ambush after ambush.

But here Meepo was playing Kenrop. Yusdrayl, cursed Yusdrayl, had left him here to die. Now the humans were coming. Meepo hid under his blankets and rags. He tried to stay still but couldn't stop trembling.

The humans came in. He could hear them moving around, and breathing. Humans were so loud and stupid. Lirkuhno should have killed them instead of gnomes. Gnomes anyone could kill. If Lirkuhno killed these stupid, loud humans, they wouldn't be here getting ready to kill poor Meepo.

Then something hard touched Meepo through his rags. His thoughts shattered into shards of razor-edge panic as he desperately threw himself out of the rags in a roll. He came up and stood terror-stricken for a moment before collapsing into a small ball, sitting on his tail with his legs drawn up and his arms folded over his head.

"No kill Meepo! No Kill Meepo!" Meepo screamed in human. He learned some of it from listening to a few humans the clan kept as slaves when he was young, until the clan got hungry anyway.

His glowing red eyes looked out from under his arms and between his knees. Meepo gazed upon the humans who would kill him.

Two weren't human at all. One was a wolf, like those that ran under the accursed sun that hurt Meepo's eyes. The sun was jealous of kobolds, so it hurt them. But the sun was stupid and didn't know that kobolds liked underground more anyway.

The other non-human wasn't a giant like the humans. He was ugly, but about as tall as a kobold. His face was burned. His name was Burble.

The humans were many and different. One wore metal scales, like a dragon's. He had a big sword. Meepo would learn his name to be Lorn.

Another was a female of their kind, the only she with them. She was Rhea.

Then there was the ugly one, with the yellow hair like the stupid sun. He was Rowland.

There was a quiet one with a huge bow. He stood behind the others. They called him Bryant.

The last one held a great spear, pointed right at Meepo. He had pointed ears. He was called Embrill, but Meepo would soon know him by another name.

Embrill asked many questions, and the halfling asked more. Meepo let his anguish over Calcryx's loss pour out in tears and sniffles. Humans were stupid. They fell for things like that. He was surprised when they didn't break out into tears or try to comfort him like he'd heard they might, but he could tell his mentions of rewards were enticing them. Meepo imagined the humans returning Calcryx to get Yusdrayl's reward and then shortly after when Calcryx ripped out Yusdrayl's throat with her great jaws.

The humans were foolish enough to fall for it. Meepo carefully avoided promising a reward himself, but made sure they knew Yusdrayl might give them one. They took his bait and Meepo led them to Yusdrayl. She wasted no time getting down to business with the humans.

"Why have you come here and what do you want of Yusdrayl?" Yusdrayl asked them in the common tongue. She knew more of it than Meepo. As Yusdrayl spoke, Burble saw Yusdrayl's magic on the altar behind her. He stepped over to one side to get a better view. Meepo smiled to himself. Yusdrayl's magic would be a fair trade for his vengeance.

The metal-clad Lorn told the boy, Rowland, that he should talk to Yusdrayl since Rowland spoke the tongue of dragons. Lorn was right, but Rowland spoke a stupid-sounding version of it. The boy begged off, saying that kobolds didn't speak the true tongue of dragons. Meepo made a note of how stupid the boy was.

Embrill spoke first, "We wish nothing of you in specific, Yusdrayl. We simply came along at the asking of Meepo who says that you've lost your clan's dragon. Would you tell us more?"

Yusdrayl drew herself up and fixed her glowing red eyes on Embrill. "The putrid goblins stole our dragon! If you return it to us, I shall use my vast powers to grant you a reward. Perhaps you would like the key your halfling is staring at." She flicks a dismissive finger at Burble. "Yes...when you go, Meepo shall accompany you. He will be my agent in your party, to ensure my interests remain paramount in your minds. I will suffer your questions now."

Meepo expected as much and didn't mind. The humans could risk their lives while he hid in the back of the group when the goblins attacked. It was the only smart thing to do. If it looked like the goblins were killing off the humans, Meepo would run or try to take a few from behind to put himself in the goblins' favor. It was the kobold way.

Lorn was the first with a question. "We are unfamiliar with these caverns," says Lorn. "Any tactical information you can provide us about the goblins would assist us in returning your dragon." Meepo hardly understood half his jabbering, but thought it was about killing goblins.

Burble asked his own questions right after. "Yusdrayl, I ask you these, to give us some more background. One, how many Goblins do we face? Have they support from other types of creatures? How long ago was the dragon taken and what does it look like? What is the exact reward that they will give us for its return? Have they seen or heard of any sign of the two kids we are looking for or their henchmen, the ranger and the priest?"

Meepo understood that. He vaguely remembered some other humans who came through before, but he hadn't paid them much mind. He was tending Calcryx when they came. Burble sounded interested. Meepo was right about the humans, they would do it.

"I know not how many goblins there are. They are many and foul. The dragon-theiving goblins serve Belak, the Outcast. They stole our dragon over a week ago. It is a mighty dragon with green scales. It is longer you are tall, halfling. I will reward you with the key you are staring at if you return Calcryx...or one of these." Yusdrayl reached behind herself and drew several of the objects that Burble had been trying to get a clear look at into the light. In her right hand she held two scrolls. She quickly darted her other hand back and produced a small metal flask and a small feather. Yusdrayl then shook the flask so all could hear the sloshing of liquid inside. "This is a cure for disease...disease the rats carry. We found it on a goblin. He told me there was more behind the door carved with fish, but we could not open it! If you open the door and bring us back more, I will give you one more of the things I have shown." Yusdrayl smiled. "And the humans...they fought the goblins. They did not return. If you do the things I ask, you will have safe passage and be rewarded as I have said."

So Yusdrayl wanted them to open the fish door? Meepo knew it well. It was just beyond Calcryx's room. He wondered what she really thought was beyond it. It might be potions to get rid of the rat sickness, but Meepo knew Yusdrayl wouldn't bargain so much of her magic away for just a potion when the rat sickness could be survived by the strong. There must be some other treasure there she wanted more...perhaps something Meepo could use against her.

Burble, still looking at the key and wondering what it might open, nodded. "Ok lady, you may just have a deal here. If my companions are willing, we will try to get your dragon back, alive if we can, or at least his body if the goblins have killed it. If Meepo is willing, we can use him as our guide and to handle the dragon, as it might not want to listen or follow us. Not sure which fish door you might be talking about, but we can discuss that later, I just want to make sure that you will stand by your offer. I am willing to keep my word, but I warn you, play me for a fool and I will get even. Now I will, seeing that the humans have gotten captured, you have any idea if it is the goblins that have them or is it this Belak that would have them to himself? This Belak, is he human or a goblin? And why is he an outcast? Also, if we come across some good treasures, would you be willing to trade those scrolls and potions you got there? Lastly, the key, you know what it opens?"

Meepo hardly knew anything about Belak, save that he lived below and controlled the goblins. If Yusdrayl knew more she might tell the humans. Meepo paid close attention. Belak could factor into his own plans.

"Meepo will accompany you. He has no choice." Yusdrayl declared. Meepo nodded enthusiastically, hoping both to give no hint of his plans to Yusdrayl and to ingratiate himself to the humans. "Belak is a human, who dwells in the Twilight Grove below. He calls himself the Outcast." Yusdrayl continued, answering questions in turn. Her final words surprised Meepo the most. "I will consider trading my treasures for other treasures, if they are worthy. The key opens the way to great tresures of the past. You would be pleased with it. It is magical."

The key must be worthless, or Yusdrayl didn't truly know what it opened. Perhaps she even feared what it might open. This could be useful to Meepo.

Burble agreed to the deal with Yusdrayl and asked more about Calcryx. Meepo was happy to answer the halfling. "Meepo show traps. Meepo tell about Calcryx. Calcryx good dragon. Goblins steal her. She breathes, makes chest hurt. Sometimes kill. Meepo make nice to Calcryx. You make nice too, Calcryx come home." Best to play the fool, Meepo thought. They could know some, but not all. If they knew everything about Calcryx they might abandon the deal with Yusdrayl and go on finding the other stupid humans.

Buble bid Meepo walk with him at the front, and Meepo saw a chance. The halfling trusted him enough to let him near. It was an opening to ingratiate himself more."Calcryx breathes lots. Not all the time, but lots. Maybe few minutes when Calcryx wants not make nice." was Meepo's reply to Burble's question about how how often Calcryx could breathe her stinging green gas.

Burble seemed hesitant for a moment. Meepo wondered if he'd decided to back out of the deal, which would ruin his plans yet again. "Ok Meepo, you just be sure to help us and stop Calcryx from being naughty." Meepo relaxed. The fool was still willing to rescue the dragon. He seemed to be the leader. Burble talked the most and even though the others didn't seem to get along, they were following his lead.

Meepo cringed when Burble told him to lead the way. Leading the way would mean he caught the first arrow a goblin was kind enough to throw his way. There was no helping it, though. Time to play the loyal kobold game. Meepo led the humans back out of the kobold territory into the back way towards the goblin-infested parts of the fortress.

[Samnell]

Wherein our hero finds gainful employment.

Plans for his glorious revenge warming his heart Meepo led the way to the goblins. He wouldn't be stupid and charge the shorter path to their territory. That was just begging for death. It was something a human would do. As they set out, Meepo instructed the dumb humans on what was going on. It was complicated and required a quick mind to comprehend. Meepo tried anyway, almost sure of failure.

"Meepo show back way to Goblins now. They not know we come this way." The kobold motioned for silence hoping the humans would get the idea. If they got killed because they were too loud then Meepo wouldn't be far behind them as the goblins closed in. Revenge was no fun if you were dead.

Burble trailed behind Meepo, moving quietly and always looking to the walls and floor. Meepo realized he must be looking for traps. He was a smart one after all. He could almost be a kobold if he kept thinking like that.

The corridor Meepo led the humans down ended abruptly in a door and doubt creeped into the kobold's mind. When he opened this door, there could be goblins on the other side just waiting for him. This was the way they came when they stole Calcryx and destroyed his dreams of ruling the tribe from dragonback. Even as he thought of it though, Meepo's dreams flickered once more back into his mind. Through that door was his revenge. Through that door was his dream. He could still see Yusdrayl dead and rule the clan as his own!

"Are the Goblins beyond here then? If so, we can take things Meepo. Just make sure that the door is not trapped and can be opened." Burble said, and took his own advice looking over the door. Meepo took a quick step back ostensibly to give the halfling room to work. He nodded to confirm that goblins were beyond. They might not be, but the consequences of lying and finding goblins beyond the door were worse than giving a false warning. Goblin javelins piercing kobold hide was not a sensation Meepo wanted to experience if he could help it. Besides, he was the humans' guide. They needed him.

Burble spoke again. "Ok boys and girls, looks like we are about to get into the thick of it, get what spells, weapons, and things you want. I am going to open the door. If we can take whatever guards that might be about quickly, we might be able to stop any of them fleeing and warning the whole compound. Anything you want to say, now is the time. if we can lets try to get a prisoner so we can find out where the dragon is being kept. That is, if any of use speak goblin. I surer the hell don't."

Meepo barely concealed his shock. Burble was just as afraid as he was! The halfling was as smart as a kobold. He wanted prisoners and even went so far as to tell his dumb human companions they needed to be quiet. He might be of use to Meepo. An ally, perhaps...

Meepo took Burble's invitation to speak, with a whimper in his voice. "Meepo be
mighty warrior. Meepo kill goblins. Meepo bring Calcryx back." He loaded his crossbow and tried to keep control of his bowells. The humans were tensing and readying weapons too.

Burble pushed open the door and revealed an empty room. A door stood at the far end. Meepo relaxed. No goblins. Good, for the moment he still only had the humans to worry about. Them and Burble, anyway. That halfling was too smart. He could be a dangerous foe. Burble and the human female, Rhea, quickly went about searching the room for traps and checking the door. Both of them were too careful. Maybe Meepo could play one against the other. If factions developed in the party he could use it to his advantage.

The druid dropped down on the ground and started sniffing some rat droppings. At least the druid was stupid. That was one Meepo wouldn't have to worry about. He spent all his time reminding himself that rat droppings smelled bad. Embrill said the droppings were from rats, but Meepo already knew that. He said something about other footprints, but Meepo didn't care enough to pay attention. There must have been something in it Burble didn't like because he snorted and pointedly turned away from the druid.

Just what Meepo needed. If the two didn't get along he might be able to widen that gap. With the party divided Meepo would have an easier time manipulating one party member against another. Burble was obviously far smarter than these stupid giants, so Meepo knew already what faction he would align with.

Burble motioned for the others to ready themselves and all fell into line with weapons on hand while the halfling opened the door. In a moment he opened it and revealed another room of similar size to the last, with a hallway going off into darkness opposite the group, a dried-up stone fountain, and a stone door carved with reliefs of skeletal dragons.

Instantly Meepo's eyes fell on the door and the dragons carved on it. He wondered if they might be ancestors of his. There were words carved above it. Meepo knew what they said, but Burble motioned for Rowland to translate. The halfling himself moved over to look at the fountain.

"Tana Aman Heka Men," which in the tongue of men is "Channel good, open the way." Rowland said.

"Any idea what that means? And as for the cold? What cold that be? Some sort of trap or is it some spell that I might be able to disarm?" Burble stayed near the hallway, but looked over towards Rowland and Rhea. The woman said something about the door being cold, but Meepo was busy thinking about more important things when she had and he'd missed it. Rowland didn't know what any of it meant and said as much when Burble asked.

"Does Meepo have any ideas?" The boy spoke of him like he wasn't even there. Insolent wretch. Meepo simply shook his head and hefted his spear. He'd have liked to shove it through the boy's chest, but he needed the humans alive for now.

Burble told Rhea to look over the door with him, but she refused to go near it. Meepo mentally added her to the anti-Burble camp with Embrill. But after a moment she relented and Meepo had to amend his list. She didn't seem to want to follow Burble, but she wasn't exactly against him either. Maybe she was smart and didn't want to get caught in some goblin magic on the door. Burble was the one who found the door's trap, though. Rhea only spotted it after the halfling did.

Burble warned the rest off and tried to disarm whatever trap he'd found. Meepo was happy to leave to to him. Any kobold could build traps, but Meepo never learned ways to disarm one that someone else had set up.

But then Rowland stepped up. "Hey, Burble. Before you like, y'know, go blowing yourself up here, I had a thought. Maybe 'Channel Good' means, like channeling mystic energies...GOOD mystic energies." He stepped forward purposefully.

Meepo looked carefully at the boy. Did he have the Dragon Blood? Or was he just a stupid human god-kisser?

"Well that might be, but if it might be a reference to channeling good energies and spells, I would think it would be better if we had a priest to send their God's energy. I do not think your spell could be considered good, even if you have a good natured mage. Lets have me get the lock removed first, then we can think more about it, but I do not think you would do more then open the door and if your wrong, might gum up the works." Burble told the boy.

Meepo nodded to himself. The boy did have the Dragon Blood. Meepo wondered if he could drain it off and drink it if it would give him magical powers. That would put Yusdrayl in her place.

Rowland stepped up anyway and spoke strange words as he gestured with one hand. Meepo watched very closely. For a long moment the room was silent and...nothing happened. Burble went back to work, waiting until the others could all pull back at Lorn's suggestion. Meepo wasted no time taking cover. Embrill made a nasty comment about someone besides Rhea thinking for a change and Meepo nearly laughed in the dung-sniffer's face.

Burble worked at some catch inside the door's handle, probing it with wires and poking around. Meepo held his breath, hoping his best chance at an ally didn't go up in smoke from doing this. Dead allies weren't any good. After a moment a loud click burst from the door handle and two huge, scything blades flashed down in steely arcs of death over the door. Burble desperately threw himself back and rolled out of the way of both blades by mere inches.

Meepo's heart skipped a beat as the blades came swinging down from the ceiling. It took him more than a minute to recover from the shock of seeing his best hope at revenge nearly cut in two. For an instant, he was back under his rags, sniveling and nightmare-haunted.

But Burble went right back at it. He told the rest to stay back and ordered Embrill to shut the hells up before the druid had a chance to open his mouth. Maybe he wasn't so smart after all. This time he disarmed the blades and started poking at the door itself. Burble probed and prodded, squeezed his fingers into small joints and hinges, and in general abused the door until his fingers were raw and his hopes frustrated.

Meepo saw he could have a strong ally in Burble. The halfling's hatred for Embrill was strong. The way to win his good graces was obvious.

Burble couldn't open the door so he asked for the others to try their hands at forcing it open. Meepo was happy to watch the fools strain. With their efforts proving fruitless the humans hit on an idea Rowland suggested. Maybe the channel in the inscription was a water channel. The fountain to the other end of the room could be the key.

Burble spotted a faded inscription and again Rowland was called to translate. "Rowland, can you translate this for me, to see if this will be the right way to get this darned door open."

Rowland intoned the word inscribed on the fountain, Draconic for "Let there be fire." As he spoke, reddish liquid bubbled up into the fountain and spilled into its cracked basin. Rowland ran away like an idiot from the fountain as Meepo gave the liquid a close look. Burble tried the door again but still found it impossible to budge. Failing that, Burble came over and took a flask of the red liquid. He was smart, something like this must be magical.

Burble asked Rowland to look at the flask. Rhea dared Burble to drink it. Burble shot back that he just might. Meepo watched carefully. If it was magical and Burble drank it, they would know what this liquid did soon enough. But instead Burble asked Meepo and Rowland if they knew anything about it. Meepo took his chance to get a close look at the fluid, peering intently at it through the side of the flask before finally saying, "Meepo no know."

And Meepo didn't know. He had suspicions it was magical, perhaps even dragon magic. The fountain was shaped like a dragon and the inscription was in the Dragontongue. But there wasn't any reason to share those just yet. Let the humans think him a fool for a while longer.

Rowland's response was only slightly more sagacious. "Looks like spiced wine to me." he stuck a finger in it and shoved the finger in his mouth. Meepo half expected the boy's head to explode and wondered if lapping dragon blood up off the floor would have the same effects as drinking it straight out would.

The boy removed the finger from his mouth and as he breathed out a long tongue of flame burst from his lips. It narrowly fell short of burning Burble's already burned face. Once again Meepo nearly lost control of his body. After a moment he composed himself and stood tall. "Is dragon blood, like Kobolds have! Take to Yusdrayl. She know what do."

Yusdrayl would try to take it from them and damn the agreement. She promised safe passage so long as the humans brought the dragon back. If they came back without it, all bets were off. If she tried to take it from them, there would be a fight and the humans would kill Yusdrayl for him. Meepo was overall pleased by the possibility.

Rowland offered his apologies for nearly burning off Burble's nose and then gave some thought to how the magic liquid could be used. "Any ideas? We COULD always try breathing fire on the door, or perhaps using the liquid to open it in some way?" The boy was smart to apologize. Burble's dagger made it into his hand and was cocked back to throw before he stopped himself. Meepo made note of Burble's dislike of fire. Another thing that could be of use.

Rowland went back and pulled on the door again, but Burble was ready to call it quits and move on. Burble reluctantly came back and looked for openings that might accept the liquid if poured in or a tongue of fire breathed courtesy of the potion. He didn't find any and Rowland still couldn't budge the door.

The halfling motioned the others away and stood about a pace from the door. He took a deep swig of the red potion and breathed a steady stream of fire on the door. After a few moments of spewing fire that washed and lashed around the door, the fire spent itself and vanished. Meepo wanted that potion for himself, but even if he could steal it the humans would know instantly where it was.

Angrily Burble set at the door once more with his tools. Seeing that again futile, Burble called for help. He, Lorn, and Bryant hauled on the door handle with all their might, but the thing still refused to budge. Meepo worked hard to stifle a laugh at the stupid giants straining.

Burble finally gave up again. "Ok folks, lets just get out of here. I have had it with this damned gods forsaken door. It will not open no matter what we try and I feel we have better things to do. Meepo, get your cowardly arse over here and lets move out."

Meepo didn't resent being called cowardly. The brave ones were the first to die. Cowards schemed and lived to rule when all the brave ones were safely dead. Playing the fool once more Meepo rushed over to Burble, readying his spear. "Meepo ready!" Burble patted him on the head and wated for the others to follow.

Meepo hated being patted on the head, but he had an ally to make. "You make nice with Meepo," the kobold said as he pretended to love being treated like a pet lizard.

"Looks like somebody's got a new pet," joked Lorn. Meepo nearly turned and fired a crossbow bolt through his armor. Damned giants deserved it for all they were putting him through.

"Yeah, sure." Burble replied to Meepo. "Well as long as you work with me, I can stand it. Just make sure you get Calcryx to come along, help point out the traps and don't abandon us. Do that and I will come at ya. Work with me, and hells, might just let you have something to help you out down the road."

Meepo saw his efforts were already paying off. Burble wanted to deal with him. All was going according to plan. Then the halfling spoke in response to Lorn's jest, "Pet, servant, lackey, works for me."

Meepo swallowed his pride and played the fool again. He smiled a toothy kobold grin. "Meepo make nice. Meepo bring back Calcryx. Meepo be big hero! Meepo do what Master Burble say. Meepo be good lackey. Meepo like being lackey!"

[Samnell]

Werein Meepo learns the finer points of human theology.

Meepo was now securely ensconced into the party as Burble's lackey. Humans were stupid, but the had their uses. Burble was dangerously smart, but trusting. Meepo had him wrapped around his tail.

Kobold and halfling led the humans up a corridor ten feet wide. Burble carefully examined every inch of it. Meepo tried to stay a step or two behind the halfling. Any traps the goblins left behind were for Burble to find, not him. Meepo would miss his newly-won ally, but he'd miss his life more.

Meepo and Burble made their way forward. They reached a point where another corridor crossed the one they'd been walking along and Meepo decided to curry more favor. He peered theatrically both ways down the crossing corridor and into the darkness ahead of them beyond the intersection. He made sure that he tilted his head so his eyes would flesh and glow in the lantern light. Meepo wanted to appear useful.

"Meepo see stones and dirt that way," he told Burble, pointing to the right. "It goes outside, many rats that not make nice there. That way, " now Meepo pointed left. "Meepo see door. Straight up, Meepo see doors on sides of walls, big arch and open past that. Can see no more." He'd seen all of this some moments before at the latest, but telling the humans showed that he was trying to help them. Meepo wanted them to see him as a helpful addition to the group. They'd be more likely to do what he wanted if they trusted him to some degree. Humans were stupid, trust came easy to them.

Burble nodded and smiled as best he could with his fire-twisted face. "Thanks Meepo, I am glad to have you with me and help point out what is around. Do you know what lies beyond the door to the left? as for the Right, well glad to know we have another avenue to the outside, but I have no wish to face the damned rats any time soon. Looks like the front is where we want to go, to try to get the Dragon and kill off or defeat the fricken goblins. Well folks, what do you think."

Meepo would be damned if he were going to go out into the rats' home. They were as long as kobolds were tall and their bites carried disease. He'd be happy to send the humans there after he was done with them, but for now they had their uses. Maybe he wouldn't send Burble. The halfling might have the potential for longer usefulness. In time, he might become Meepo's lackey if events moved as Meepo willed.

Burble wanted to check the door Meepo saw, though. That was smart enough. Goblins could come through the door behind them and lay an ambush. Meepo hadn't considered that. Burble did indeed have his uses. There would be no rats for him. If he became inconvenient Meepo would have to kill him in his sleep.

Rowland agreed that the door should be checked. Meepo was especially conscious of the boy now. His Dragonblood had potential uses that left Meepo nearly drooling just thinking about them. Burble moved ahead, "I am about to check this room, any want to follow me? Meepo, get ready and cover me ok flunky."

Lorn and Rhea were yammering at each other in the rear, but Meepo paid them no mind. They started talking about Burble, so Meepo started listening. If the two were aligning against Burble, he'd have to know about it.

"That blade trap he set off while attempting to open the door does not inspire a lot of confidence." Lorn was saying. "I would hate to see things if he did not have them under control."

Meepo noted that the two might be conspiring against Burble and quickly scurried up to the door with the halfling. He could find out the details later, but if he kept hanging back they'd notice. Burble had summoned him and a proper lackey was quick to obey.

With the others now gathered up by the door, Meepo with crossbow ready, Burble opened it and quickly swept into the room with his bow drawn. The new room was square and sported another closed door. "Meepo, keep your eyes peeled, ok."

Meepo nodded like an idiot. Of course he was going to stay alert. It was good that Burble underestimated him, though. Burble moved up to the door and quickly checked it over. It was safe.

Burble carefully opened the door, with Meepo, Bryant, and Rowland standing at the ready. He no more than moved the door an inch before the room exploded in a loud clanging, as though a bell were rung with the motion. Meepo cursed silently. This could get him killed. He could spare a human or two, but his own life was precious.

Any advantage of surprise lost, Burble flung the door open and revealed beyond a hallway ten feet wide and perhaps twenty long. The floor was covered with sharpened, pointed metal stars....caltrops, Meepo knew. The hall ended in a roughly-mortared breatwork three feet tall topped with crenelations. Meepo knew in an instant that they'd walked into a trap.

As the door opened and bell sounded harsh voices called out and Meepo barely have time to see sallow yellow vaces with sloped-back foreheads and glazed eyes pop up over the breastwork before equally yellow arms raised up sharp javelins and back to throw them. Meepo struggled to keep from screaming at the halfling. If he wanted to yell at Burble he could after he lived through this. Two goblins with cover and javelins were enough to keep him busy for the moment.

Burble's arrow struck one of the two goblins in the shoulder and Meepo let himself be caught up in the excitement of battle. "Meepo kill goblin too!" In Meepo's mind, each goblin was one of those who stole Calcryx, beat him, and ruined his plans.

The other goblin quickly showed itself and hurled a javelin at Burble, which Burble easily dodged. Meepo enthusiasticly loaded his crossbow and fired a shot at the goblin that attacked Burble. If he hit it, he would look like he was protecting the halfling. Another opprotunity to curry favor. Meepo might be bent on vengeance, but he didn't let it control him entirely. "Meepo kill you!" he cried. The bolt missed. That didn't work out exactly like he'd planned.

Bryant sent an arrow at the goblins and Rowland let loose with a magical bolt. The bolt followed the goblin no matter how he dodged. Meepo had to figure out how to do that. The second goblin came up from behind the wall again and Rhea sent a dagger flying at him, which hit about as well as Meepo's crossbow bolt. The goblin raised its javelin and hurled it right at Meepo. The javelin hit him and nearly spun the kobold around with the force of its impact. Pain rocketed down Meepo's arm. He howled in pain. "Meepo hurt! Meepo kill goblin for that!"

Then Lorn showed how stupid he was. He called out to some human god and holding his sword high ran across the caltrop-lined corridor, begging to get his feet flayed and be cut down by javelins. Meepo winced at his pain but managed to watch the human running to his death. Somehow, the human made it to the goblin breastwork and sank his blade deep into the stone, just missing a goblin skull. The goblin was smart. It ran. The other followed.

Meepo learned an important lesson then. Human gods liked stupid people.

"You will not escape a warrior of Heironeous!" Lorn screamed as he started over the breatwork. They were being led into another ambush. Meepo was sure of it. Burble started sweeping the caltrops clear with his bow. That was a wiser action. It couldn't possibly have come from a human.

"Follow me Meepo and step as I do, Do not get your feet stuck, as we do not have high healing and I would hate to see you damaged before we can find Calcryx." Like Burble needed to tell him. But best to play the fool again. Burble did stay close to Meepo though, seemingly of his own free will. This presented certain opprotunities.

The goblins had vanished into the ruins, and Lorn chose not to follow after all seeing that no one was stupid enough to follow him to his doom. So he waited for the rest to sweep the caltrops away and move up behind him. They stepped carefully over the goblin breastwork. Burble did the work with his bow and asked Meepo to watch his back for goblins.

Burble was starting to trust Meepo. That was unexpectedly fast. Time to reinforce that trust. "Meepo watch. Meepo yell if goblins come. Meepo not make nice."

"Your doing just fine Meepo. I am proud of the way that you stood up to those nasty buggers. Hope we can pay them back, and with interest. Watch and let us know if you see anything," was Burble's reply. That surprised Meepo a bit. No one had ever paid him a complement before without the threat of violcnce provoking it. Meepo favored the halfling with a toothy kobold grin.

Lorn had doubled back while the others cleared the caltrops. "I was unable to stop them without the hand of Heironeous guiding my own." Meepo wondered if the man was even too stupid for stupid human gods.

Burble answered the heavily armored man. "You did the best you could Lorn. Hells, I missed the dang alarm that warned the goblins and they have now escaped and warned their fellows. Just stay there and keep an eye out and let us know if you see anything. I want to clear the full path here so we have an escape route if we need to flee. If any want to gather the caltrops, do so, but just be warned, they might be poisoned. Once we get to the wall, we can set out on where we want to go next. Embrill, could you wake up back there and bind Meepo. Ok folks, lets get a move on."

Burble wanted Meepo's wounds treated now. He was taking this trust thing into the realms of insanity. But he might just be protecting a useful tool. Meepo could understand that. He'd do the same for Burble. Embrill had other ideas, though.

"I don't recall my needing to listen to a damn thing you have to say, much less obey you." Meepo now considered Lorn the leader of the anti-Burble faction of the group and thus his chief obstacle. "Besides, as you've stated in the past, Meepo is your 'lackey'" He spoke the word with the scorn it deserved. "So taking care of his wellbeing would be your responsibility, now wouldn't it?" The druid pushed past Burble and stepped over the goblin wall.

Meepo could bear no more and spoke in his own defense. "Meepo good lackey!"

"Yes...yes I'm sure you are, Meepo." Embrill's voice was thick with sarcasm and condescention. Meepo wanted to kill him, slowly. Then he'd feed the pieces to that damned wolf.

"Yes you are Meepo and we can try to have some nice Riki for dinner when we rest. Pay no attention to that ass of a druid, he seems to love only his dog of a lover, and would not even heal a friend if he could help it." Burble said.

"Actually, you bring up a point worth speaking about for a change. Those whom I would call friends are the only ones I would feel are worth healing." Embrill continued.

"Meepo no pay attention to dog-lovers. Meepo love dragon." The kobold replied sagely. Let them think that he was driven by remorse and not revenge.

"Then maybe we would be better off looking for a real healer and not some selfish ass that would leave people that he travels with. Go find your own group, one more suited to your ideals flower sniffer. Your not even a real priest, just some flaked-out necter-drinking, flower-wearing fop." Burble shot back at Embrill.

"I stand by my position. If you have my respect, you have my gift at your disposal. I'm fairly certain none of the others would protest. I'm sure Rhea's leg feels much better now, no?" Embrill retorted.

"Ok Embrill, have it your way. I seem to guess that your course with us may not last the best, but then we can see how this all plays out. You want to be the loner, you got it. Hope that you will remember this as you bleed out with a goblin spear in you. You're a nasty bastard, and you seem to want to play things really close to your chest. Hells, you could not even take a fricken shot at the goblin as it fled. Huh, not much use I guess." Burble came to Meepo's defense. This was wonderful! Exactly as Meepo planned! Then Burble tied a rag around Meepo's arm wound.

That was unprecedented. Burble was actually caring for him personally? What was wrong with this halfling? To be duped and manipulated was one thing, but Meepo didn't quite know what to make of this. He was unable to hide his shock and finally said, "Burble make nice with Meepo."

"Your welcome Meepo." He turned back to Embrill. "Like I said, a real healer. One time you healed someone, and then only after bitching and whining. You do what you will and I shall revel as you bleed out. I will not lift a single finger to assist you, May the bites of a thousand rats send you to the fever filled muck of your soul. May the bones of Riki fester in your stomach. Move out and shut up if you are to be the leader and front line."

"I wouldn't accept your help if I was lying bleeding at your feet, so you have no need for worries about that. And if not hiding my feelings makes me a 'nasty bastard', then I'll wear that label with pride." Embrill yammered as he spat at Burble's feet. "Better that that a greedy, two-faced theif."

"Hey, Hey now! Watch it with the theif comments....Some of us might take offense..." Rhea piped up.

"So I am two-faced am I? Have I yet done anything to attack you with weapons, stolen from you, picked your pocked? You seem to be of one mind, basically full of s***. You know, I have had enough of your damned mouth. Why don't you take your flea bag doggie lover and go away. Go back to your woods and dance around with your fricken farie friends. You have seemed never to really like to be around us, so why stay? Why don't you go join the goblins. Seems you and they have all the same traits, with backstabbing people you live around. Want no help? Well so be it. Get the hells away from here."

"So, you others have anything to say here?" Burble looked to the others to back him up and Meepo paid close attention to who would. The factions were forming more clearly now.

Bryant had been observing the whole exchange and added his remark now with a smile. "Now that's what I remember adventuring being like."

Meepo made his own stance known. "Burble make nice Meepo." He loaded his crossbow, but left it for the moment pointed at the ground. The worthless druid could make the first move.

"Not yet Meepo. He is an ass and a waste of a living creature. But we will not kill him here, He throws words around, yet can not seem to do anything useful. Just watch him. if he makes a move to attack, then by all means, bolt him deep, and I will back you up. We shall wait for the right time. I think we both can agree, ambush and timing are all that make it worth while." Burble cautioned Meepo.

"Um, no need for that, Embrill. Not in my view. I appreciate your presence and help, myself. And I really do like wolves." He stroked his pet bird. "They're at least as smart and loyal as falcons, perhaps smarter." Meepo wondered what the bird would taste like.

"Don't presume to order me around, little man. As far as picking my pockets go, you'd find precious little there to interest you, since I'm not laden with coin, which seems to be the only thing that warms your black little heart. Let's not forget that the naieve elf-girl died under your 'leadership'. Did you strip her corpse right away? Or did you at least let the body cool first?" "Everyone in this group may have their shortcomings - be it failed paladinhood, youthful ignorance or an attraction to the same sex," he said, casting glaces at each of the respective targets in turn "But the only one I genuinely dislike is -you-.
You know as well as I that you would kill your precious 'lackey' or sell him and his tribe up the river for a sack of coin. And you dare call me similar to the goblins?" Glaring at Burble he continued "If you want me to leave so badly, then make me do so yourself if you can stop setting off every trap in this complex long enough."

"Your full of s*** and you know it. Very well, you can take the lead then if you think I am so incompetent ass. Or stay there and lick your damn curs rear for all I care." Burble replied.

Lorn was puzzled. "Attraction to the same sex?" he asked skeptically as he scratched his head. Meepo made note once more of how stupid Lorn was.

"I think you two spating will draw the goblins here and let them catch us all by surprise," Bryant sighed. Meepo had been keeping his voice quiet, but Worthless Druid hadn't.

"Well the Goblins know we are here with the warnings the escaped one brought them, so I am not ashamed by the spat as you call it. I agree that we should head on, if you are wanting, I am done here. This cretin wants the lead, he has it, You want to trust him more then I have tried to do, or if you lack faith in my overall goodwill, then so be it. I have never tried to hide my opinions, or what motivates me, but I have stood on the front line and risked my life for this mission, Has he?" Burble asked Bryant. He shook his head and stuck near Meepo.

Rowland tried to defuse things, "Now, now boys...behave yourselves and be nice to each other." He smiled and Meepo ignored him.

"Bah! Be nice to that piece of crap, I think not." Burble must have thought much as Meepo did of the boy's comments. His blood might be useful, but his thoughts were worthless.

Everyone came over the goblin wall behind Embrill and found a small room with a goblin body laying on the floor, sprawled out. It was one of those that had cast a javeling mere minutes ago. Meepo looked to Burble, meek as he could manage. He spoke in a low whisper. "Meepo go make sure dead?" Only a stupid human would be loud this close to goblins.

With Burble's permission, not that he would have stopped anyway, Meepo finished the goblin with a series of brutal spear thrusts. The last thrust cleaved open goblin skull and sent red goblin brains spilling out on to the floor. "Meepo not make nice with dragon-stealing goblins!" Meepo proudly proclaimed. Burble looted the body.

"You did real good Meepo and your right, You make really good Not Nice on those Dragon stealing scum and you just keep on killing them left and right." The halfling was either bereft of his senses or trying to flatter Meepo. He hadn't hit a single goblin with his crossbow. Meepo wasn't sure which. "Ok folks, shall we try to head out and see if we can find Calcryx or the goblins and clear out this area?" Burble asked the rest. He motioned for Meepo follow him as he moved towards the only door out of the room.

Embrill had had enough through. He moved past Burble with Riki in tow. Bryant deliberately hung back with Burble. Meepo placed Bryant in Burble's faction. Burble and Meepo stayed to the back. The worthless druid could catch a javelin or two for Meepo. As the druid stalked forward, Burble leaned over and muttered to Bryant.

"I am sorry to have caught you in the situation between Embrill and Myself. I mean you no ill will and you have not done anything to me that deserves the insults and abuse I may have spread." Meepo admired how quickly he sought to cement his alliances. Bryant looked surprised by the words, but nodded in acknowledgement. A warrior would be useful.

Down a short hallway the party went, Meepo and Burble at the rear. The hall opened up into a long room cut across by another breastwork. There were more goblins behind it who began yelling amongst themselves and brandishing javelins. Meepo recognized the one on the far end. He was the goblin that got away from the last fight. Riki growled as Meepo yelled, "Goblins! Meepo kill goblins!"

[Samnell]

Wherein Meepo proves his worth.

Meepo pointed northward into the darkness beyond the limit of the humans' light as a chorus of harsh voices begin to yell and scrabble in the distance. "Goblins have wall!" Meepo cried out. He knew the fools couldn't see in the darkness. Humans had useless eyes, only good for staring at their stupid sun. Meepo heard they even had a god for the sun, but he didn't think even humans would be stupid enough worship something so dumb.

Burble laid a quick hand on Meepo's shoulder to hold him back "Do not charge Meepo, at least till there is light for the rest of us. Shoot at the biggest target and I will shoots as soon as I can see. I would hate to see you get killed before we can exact our revenge for the hit you already took. We still have to save Calcryx, so watch yourself." Meepo was beginning to be troubled by the halfling's manner. He was acting very strangely, as though if Meepo lived or died made a difference to him. Meepo made a mental note not to kill Burble unless he had to.

The Worthless Druid was yelling for light to be brought up while he tried to control his wolf mate. Meepo had to stop himself from smiling at the humans' predicament. He could see the goblins just fine over their little battlement, but all the mighty, powerful, and fearsome humans were blind and useless. The giants wouldn't last ten minutes in a kobold warren. Even goblins could manage that.

The race was on, though. If the humans could get light up before the goblins could hurl javelins, it was an even fight. If not, the humans were done for. Meepo didn't have much confidence in the goblins, but he started planning an escape anyway. Unlike human gods, Kurtulmak liked his kobolds smart and alive, not dumb and dead.

A javelin raced out of the darkness and just missed Rowland. Meepo's heart skipped a beat. That human had better live. Meepo wanted to kill him and drink his blood to get dragon magic. Worthless Druid made a fool of himself cowering against the wall like a hatchling while Rhea sat down her lantern and loaded her crossbow. She didn't fire, though. Worthless human, she must be waiting for the light. A javelin took her in the arm and Meepo nodded to himself. She deserved it, standing out where she could get killed like a typical human fool. Then another javelin narrowly missed Rowland and Meepo's mind seized once more on his fears of having to try to lick some blood off the floor before he ran for his life.

The stupidest human, Lorn, brought up his shield and tried to put it between Rhea and the goblins. Idiot. Meepo hoped he'd get a javelin stuck in him for his troubles. His shield wouldn't do him any good protecting someone else. The fool couldn't even manage that, though. He bumbled with the shield and ended up shielding more of the wall behind him than Rhea.

Yet another javelin flew and this one hit Rowland. Meepo was so shocked to see some of that precious blood, blood that should be his, slithering down his throat and carring the power of the dragons into him, spill out on the floor that he almost forgot to dodge a javelin himself. It missed his snout by less than an inch.

Worthless Druid's wolf mate went mad. Meepo thought it was mad all the time to take a Worthless Druid as a lover, but maybe it had human blood. That could excuse that sort of stupidity. Almost. It rushed off into the darkness, snarling and gnashing its teeth. It ran like the wind straight into the goblin's battlement. Meepo slammed his right foot down on his left to stifle the laughter building to near bursting within him. The wolf whimpered once before going back to its snarls.

Then another javelin hit Rowland, tearing into his leg! Meepo nearly fainted. All that precious blood was pouring out on the floor! The stones didn't need dragon magic, Meepo did. Then, it got worse. The wound finally knocked loose Rowland's wits enough for him to realize he should be doing something. He clumsily threw the lantern he was carrying towards the goblins and spoke a single word as he did. The lantern flitted suddenly upward in the air like a feather caught in a cave draft. For a moment Meepo appreciated the dragon magic the boy must have used to do that. Then the lantern tilted too far and burning oil came pouring out all over Rowland's leg.

Kurtulmak hated Meepo. That was the only explanation. This boy had the dragon blood. His thoughts were powered by dragon magic. Meepo could get that magic by drinking his blood. But all of the boy's blood was falling out on the floor and now the sun-besotted fool set himself on fire! Meepo almost threw down his crossbow right then and begged the goblins to kill him before the stupid humans did it accidentally. At least the goblins were trying to kill him.

Rowland came running for cover at the opening of the hallway, where Burble and Bryant already were, but Meepo was too dumbstruck by the boy's misadventure to notice. The light changed everything for the humans, though. Rowland's toss had landed the lantern just close enough that it lit up the goblins to the human's sun-blinded eyes.

Burble, Bryant, and Rhea all fired their weapons at the goblins...and each one missed. Maybe Meepo had heard wrong. Maybe humans couldn't see in the light any better than they could in the dark. They all waited for the light before trying, but with humans who knew what they were thinking?

Worthless Druid found his manhood and charged the goblin battlement and the dragon-stealers manning it. He brought his club down, shattering one of their skulls. He was still a Worthless Druid, though. Anyone could kill goblins with a club. One of the goblins pulled out a morning star and slammed the thing's business end into Riki's side. The druid's wolf howled in pain and Meepo heard ribs crack. Another goblin missed a swing at the Worthless Druid. What good were goblins if they couldn't even kill the druid?

Meepo's own shot at the goblins missed, but the humans were doing too many stupid things for him to dwell on it. Lorn was yelling and charging the goblins again. Once more the human gods rewarded stupidity and the man jumped the goblin's wall to come down amid them. The two goblins he landed between couldn't even have the decency to kill him before one of his rediculous stunts got Meepo killed.

The wolf was over the wall too, now. It mauled a goblin to death and started looking for others while Rowland slunk further under cover. One of the goblins moved up to block Lorn while another broke into a run out of the room. Meepo knew he must be going for reinforcements. It's what Meepo would have done. Soon there would be more goblins.

Then Burble lost his mind and ran up, leaping atop the goblins' wall and firing down at them with his bow. Meepo knew he was going to die here. All of these humans wanted to die and they were going to take him with them. Bryant might have just dropped a goblin with a bowshot, but the rest of them all wanted to die. That was the only way he could explain it. Worthless Druid was over the wall too, now. He dropped another goblin with his club.

At that moment, something snapped in Meepo's brain. Blood was rushing in his ears. He screamed out a battle cry and threw himself forward. The rage of battle was in him and he loved it. He bounded over the battlement in a smooth leap and tore after the goblin that had fled. He wasn't dying here. That goblin wasn't bringing reinforcements if he had anything to say about it. The goblins scored no more wounds while Meepo was charging past, but the wolf tore out the throat of another. Meepo's feet fell in already forming pools of goblin blood.

Meepo burst into a corridor on the trial of the runaway goblin. He drew up short as six tough looking goblins burst into the corridor in front of him. The first bowled past him, but Meepo took a piece of his hide before he and the others rushed clear, utterly ignoring him. The stupid goblins let Meepo get behind them.

The new goblins drew some more of the wolf's worthless blood. Meepo hoped the thing would die. Then maybe Worthless Druid would go into mourning and shut up for a moment or two.

Meepo came up behind a goblin fighting Lorn and shoved his spear through its side. The thing howled in pain and Meepo loved the feeling of the spear as it jostled against goblin ribs. Off to his side, the wolf dropped yet another goblin.

From far back in the room, a dwarf emerged. It was a huge dwarf. He must have been following the humans. He drew a sword and stalked purposefully towards Meepo for a few steps before he realized that the kobold was fighting the goblins. Then he shouted out as he rushed into the fighting, "What's with the killer kobold? Is he charmed or have we threatened to kill him if he doesn't help us out?"

So the dwarf was with the humans. Another pawn. He looked big and stupid enough to be easily manipulated. At least he wasn't brandishing some great flaming battle axe like some dwarves Meepo had heard stories about. A human boy, younger even than Rowland, followed behind the dwarf.

Burble answered the dwarf's question and named him, "Meepo is our Ally Sal, Just kill the fricken Goblins and I will explain later. Meepo, Sal is a friend, so let him through when he needs it."

Meepo calmly acknowledged Burble's words. "Meepo make nice with Sal!"

The boy, the new boy, Meepo amended, pegged a goblin with his sling as Sal charged up and clobbered a goblin. As that goblin fell Meepo's heart leaped. A goblin had just struck Worthless Druid. Maybe he'd die here and eliminate a threat. Burble dropped another with an arrow and Bryant fired an arrow of his own...straight into Sal's shoulder. Meepo was right. These humans would be the death of him.

All around the humans were being stupid. They didn't withdraw and attack the goblins with arrows or prepare an ambush. They stood their ground. Rhea ran up and leaped over the battlement. There were too many goblins. How long could they keep this up before everyone died? Meepo once again gave up on caring and let the wild rush of the battle roar through his veins. His spear tasted more goblin blood.

Maybe this wasn't so bad after all. Goblins were dying, maybe the druid too. Meepo could get to like this. Lorn and Rowland both felled goblins and Meepo could feel the tide turning. But still another goblin struck the wolf. Things were looking up indeed. The goblins only needed to live long enough to kill Worthless Druid and his wolf mate. Bryant was chaging up too, now. He threw aside his bow and drew his sword while he ran, making a great leap high into the air and landing with one leg over the battlement, the other still behind it. Meepo chuckled quietly at the human's plight.

Kurtulmak's blood scream burst through Meepo's mind, a wild bestial howling that could only mean death was near. Be nearly fainted. But then Meepo felled a goblin of his own and all was well with his little world. Revenge was his at last. A goblin died for his suffering. The last two goblins broke and ran, but Meepo, Sal, Lorn, and Riki collectively took one down as it ran. The goblins were gone.

Meepo gleefully finished off the goblins still writhing on the floor while introductions were made. The dwarf, Sal, had been with the humans before. But he got sick and stayed behind to get well. He found the boy, Jaryth. The two of them returned when Sal was feeling better. Meepo lowered his opinion of human intelligence. Even their young begged to die. How did they survive with young like this? He shook his head and took up a fallen goblin's sword. He liked it more than his spear. The inch of blood and gore it was laying in didn't bother him. He just licked his fingers. The goblins were a bit overripe, but not at all unpleasant.

As Meepo looked up, he saw Bryant staring at his own arrow sticking out of Sal's shoulder. He seemed to grope for an apology, but finally settled on a simple shaking of his head and one word: "Damn"

The dwarf heard Bryant and turned around slowly. There was murder in his eyes, like those dwarfs Meepo had heard about. He wondered if Sal was about to find a burning axe somewhere. The burly dwarf hauled the arrow out of his shoulder with a single smooth motion and Meepo wondered if Kurtulmak's blood scream was for Bryant. Sal stalked towards the archer with arrow in one hand and sword in the other. He drew to within reach of the human and threw the arrow to the ground. "Clean this up and next time let's hope it hits one of them..." He told Bryant.

Meepo wasn't relieved at all. The blood scream didn't just come out of nowhere. Something was going to die. he looked nervously towards the door the last goblin had fled through and put a few quick strides between it and himself.

At least Rhea was bright enough to check the doors leading out of the room, seeing it they were locked, trapped, or if she could hear anything beyond them. Meepo scoffed at the notion of goblins making traps. "Goblins too stupid make traps. Meepo know how make traps. Kobolds have dragon blood. Kobolds know how make traps. Kobolds smart."

Rhea answered him without looking up from the door she was checking. "...if Kobolds are so smart why doesn't he know how to open the cold door?" She was referring to the door that Burble had tried to breathe fire on earlier to get opened. Meepo didn't have the damndest idea how to open the thing, but he thought up a simple-minded excuse that even Lorn should be able to understand.

"Meepo not know. Meepo think door elf magic, not powerful dragon magic. Kobolds too powerful to open door." That seemed to satisfy them.

When Burble suggested a withdrawal Meepo was eager to go along with it. The boy wanted to keep going, but Burble outright refused, pointing out how wounded much of the group was and how low Rowland was on dragon magic. Even Lorn wanted to retreat and rest. Meepo almost considered suggesting they press on on hearing the dumb human come out in favor of it. Anything someone that stupid wanted to do must have a dangerous flaw somewhere.

Lorn only wanted to fall back a single room, though. He thought the group should fortify there against the goblins. Burble wanted to go back to Yusdrayl or to his mule, wherever that was. Meepo'd rather not see Yusdrayl again, but he'd rather not sleep with the goblins only a few steps away either. They argued, and in the end it was decided that the better part of the humans would remain in the room Lorn wanted them in, using goblin caltrops to fortify the entrance. A smaller party would go up into the sunlight to get supplies from Burble's mule.

It was a stupid plan, but arguing with someone as stupid as Lorn would just be even stupider yet. He'd never see reason. How did a human that dumb live so long?

In the soon fortified room, more thorough introductions were made. Meepo didn't care how Sal came on the human boy any more than he did how Lorn managed to remember to breathe, but he nearly fell over in shock when the boy confessed that he had made the noise Meepo thought was Kurtulmak's blood screem. Once he recovered from the shock, though, he thought it was funny. He offered to share some goblin with the boy, but Jaryth refused him and climbed up a wall to get away from the dripping morsel of goblin flesh. Humans had no taste. The goblin was a little underripe, but not at all bad.

Discussion soon shifted to the party that would return to Burble's mule to get supplies. Meepo didn't want to be alone with the Worthless Druid, so he was happy to go with Burble. That is, until he learned that the mule was in the daylight world with the sun burning down on it. Meepo hated the sun. It was hot and burned his eyes. Why couldn't it be nice and comfortable like the dark? Finally he agreed to go, though. Better that than stay with Worthless Druid and his wolf mate or hang back in Calcryx's old chamber where his beloved clanmates could beat him again.

It was decided that Burble, Bryant, and Meepo would go and fetch supplies. Meepo braced himself for time in the too-hot, too-bright sun that the humans worshipped as though it would send down plagues and disaster on them like a proper, upstanding god would if they didn't fall into line.

Meepo saw the rats too late. He and Burble had just stepped into the hallway that would take them past the room with the cold door and fountain that spewed dragon water when he heard the telltale scrabbling on stone. He turned just as the rats, three of them fell on the trio.

These were not small rats like he fed Calcryx before the goblins stole her. These were huge rats as big as a kobold that lived out in the rubble beyond the citadel's walls. Their bites carried sickness and they'd had more than one foolish kobold for a meal. Meepo screamed a warning as the rats fell upon all three of them.

Bryant foolishly used his bow against them and got bitten badly in the leg while Meepo fell back and readied his crossbow. He rushed all the way into the fountain room and turned back to face the rats. But the rats stopped at Bryant and Burble, tearing and snarling at both and blood flowed. None of the three could get so much as a single hit in while the rats kept biting and pushing them back. They were now between Meepo's party and the rest of the group.

Burble screamed for help. "SAL! Help, I am being killed by rats!" Meepo would be glad for any help that came, even from the Worthless Druid...but he had a bad feeling about that scream. They were only fighting maybe thirty feet from where the rats could get into the citadel through a collapsed corridor.

Soon enough Sal screamed back, "I'm on my way, keep talking and see if you can head back our way..."

But Sal wouldn't arrive soon enough. Rats came pouring down the corridor, coming at the three in a wave of matted fur and filth-filled haws. Meepo could hear feet rushing from beyond them, but he wondered if the others would arrive in time. The rats pressed Bryant back even though he was using his sword now. Burble was bit again and tried to fall back. One rat lunged up at Burble and sank its disease-ridden teeth into the halfling's stomach.

Meepo saw blood gout out of the wound and Burble's hands flashed down as he dropped his dagger in shock. Burble reeled and desperately threw himself back and away from the melee, tossing caution to the rats with the rest of him they'd already eaten. He stumbled and staggered back with rats at his heels and finally collapsed, thick ropes of innards falling out from his grip and spilling to the floor.

Meepo fended off the rats pressing towards Burble and then immediately dropped to the halfling's aid. He ripped apart an old sack he'd been carrying and desperately piled Burble's insides back...inside. He was as delicate as he dared and then wrapped the halfling's wound in strips of sack.

Meepo worked desperately on Burble, doing all he could. He bitterly regretted not paying more attention to how old Ygridda bounds wounds as Burble's lifeblood oozed away and Meepo saw his innards still poking out. Frantically he tied bandage after bandage over Burble's gaping gut wound until finally he could do no more.

Genuine fear and desperation filling his voice, he screamed out "Meepo not let rats eat Burble! Burble make nice Meepo. Meepo make nice him! MEEPO GOOD LACKEY!"

Neepo stood and wheeled on the rats as they came past Bryant at him. "Meepo not make nice rats! Rats no eat Burble! Meepo kill! Come die, rats! Come die!" He slew the few that came for him and then fell to Burble's side again. He took Burble's head into his hands and cried out "Burble no! Burble come back! Meepo make nice! Meepo put insides back in! Meepo make blood stop! Burble come back! Meepo be good lackey!" Meepo checked the bandages again, all the while muttering to himself, "Burble come back. Burcle come back. Burble come back. Burble not die. Burble come back."

Finally, with nothing else to do, Meepo sat down and took Burble's head in his lap. He made sure the halfling could breathe as the battle raged on twenty paces away from him. Meepo whimpered while cradling Burble's head "Burble come back. Meepo make nice. Meepo be good lackey. Burble no leave Meepo with worthless druid and wolf he mates with. Worthless druid have wolf eat Meepo. Meepo be good lackey. Burble come back. Worthless druid not make nice Meepo if Burble die." He was hardly aware he was even speaking and his now-traditional name for Embrill came off his lips for once without a trace of scorn.

[Samnell]

Wherein Meepo demonstrates behavior entirely unbecoming a kobold.

The battle was over. The rats had been killed off or chased away. Sal had gone into some kind of berserk fury and Worthless Druid used some kind of magic, but Meepo didn't care. He was watching over Burble.

Fear writhed in Meepo's gut. What would he do if Burble died? Burble was the only one who protected Meepo and defended him from Worthless Druid and his wolf mate. Without him, Meepo was doomed. Sal had fallen in the battle, so even Burble's friend wasn't around. If the halfling didn't make it, Meepo was going to have to do what all smart kobolds did and run like hell.

With the end of the battle, Lorn spoke first. He was showing his customary insight. "So what now?"

Burble shivered and groaned as Lorn spoke and Meepo made sure his bandages were holding.

Embrill looked at Lorn as if he'd lost his mind. It was the first smart thing Meepo could remember the Worthless Druid doing. "What now? I'll tell you what now, Paladin....we get the HELL out of here. That's 'What now'. We'd be as insane as that damn halfling if we thought spending the night here would work. I don't know about you, but I've had my share of fending rats off his festering carcass while trying to keep myself alive in the process. If you want to come back once we're all healed and prepared, fine. But I'm not staying here one moment longer."

The boy smirked at the Worthless Druid and said something about Lorn not being a paladin, but Meepo was too engrossed in caring for Burble to note the exact words. He did hear what Bryant said afterwards, though. "We don't have the supplies with us to stay here long enough to heal, and going to the surface for supplies in smaller groups is just going to give these beasts weaker groups to attack. Now two of us are going to have to be carried, meaning that at least four of us won't be fully ready for the next attack if we try to move from here." He rubs at the back of his head, still wound up from the battle, and lets out a long sigh to try to calm himself, "I don't know. My vote is to get the hell out of here. How long would we have to wait till Sal and Burble can at least walk again?"

Rhea interjected, "Something tells me ol' blood n guts here isn't going to be walking anywhere for a long while..."

Rowland looked up from finishing off the few rats still gasping on the ground. "I agree. We should return to the village."

Lorn sighed in response. "I guess it is the only option we have." Meepo was starting to pay more attention now. He couldn't let them leave Burble behind. If they left Burble behind they'd leave him too. Sal wouldn't let them do that, but Sal was unconscious. Damn dwarves were never awake with all their blood inside them when you needed them.

"No idea. And frankly, I don't care if Burble ever walks again. But regardless, we can't afford to sit around and wait for the next wave of rats to come back and clean up the scraps. I'm too worn out to try and charm them again. My plan is to make straight for the ravine and get topside. Forget this crawling at a snails pace nonsense. If there were traps, we would have set them off by now." Worthless Druid answered Lorn. He examined Sal a bit before continuing. "There's more than enough of us to carry the wounded. I suppose we should be comforted by the fact that Burble's small if we do decide to bring him along. We make this quick. Either Rhea or Riki and I should take the lead to be on guard for things.
Anyone has a better idea, make it known."

"Fine by me..." Rhea responded. Reflexively Meepo noted her agreement with the druid.

Meepo thought it was an excellent idea. With the Worthless Druid in front, he'd surely die first. The rest of the group might not like Meepo, but they didn't hate him either. He would have a chance if Embrill died. The thought excited him. If Burble died, all was not lost. That very same thought left him feeling sick inside, though. He wondered if one of the rats bit him when he didn't notice and infected him with their disease.

"We really should help out Burble and Sal, and everyone else hurt." Jaryth said as though no one else had thought of it. If Meepo weren't busy tending Burble and calculating how he would survive if the halfling didn't he'd have noted the boy was as simple-minded as the rest of the humans.

"Here's what I suggest. Embrill and I will take point, drawing out any enemies that my be hiding along our paths. The rest of you will follow with Byrant and Rowland carrying Sal while Rhea and Meepo carry Burble. Jaryth should take the rear guard position. Now let's get moving." Lorn had a plan. Meepo was thrilled. Lorn's plan to camp in the citadel was what got them into this mess in the first place.

"If that's what you want..." Rhea agreed with Lorn. Wonderful. Meepo could feel death looming over him again and casting a cold shadow over his dreams of revenge. As Meepo carefully took up his end of Burble, he decided to make a gamble.

"We take Burble to Yusdrayl? She make nice Burble." Yusdrayl might kill them all, but it was a shorter trip than up to the surface world. That meant less time for rats or goblins to catch them holding two bodies and unable to fight. Meepo would feel bad about it if he had to drop Burble, the halfling's skull shattering on the stone and his brains leaking out, to run for his life. Afterward he'd feel bad, anyway.

"Take him wherever the hell you want. I'm going topside." Worthless Druid was never shy about sharing his opinion.

Meepo let out a hissing sigh and shook his head. "Meepo hate sun." Meepo hated lots of other things too. Druids, wolves, humans...but now was not the time to mention them.

"Wait... They might have some kind of healer or something that can heal them enough to make it easier to go topside. I'm not saying lets not go up, what I'm saying is let's stop there first to see if they can help...." "Or..... they might eat the wounded.... I'm not well versed in kobold customs..." Rhea came to Meepo's rescue. The fool actually thought Yusdrayl might help out of the kindness of her heart.

Lorn smirked like the idiot he was. "Maybe we could trade them for supplies."

"Knowing them, that sounds pretty likely." The Worthless Druid was right. It was likely. Halfling and dwarf weren't at all common dishes. Meepo had a taste for dwarf himself. "Well if we do, and anything else shows up, the kobolds can fight them. I'm done for today. But I'm not spending any more time down here than I have to. I want to rest and that's NOT happening in this deathtrap. Those spoiled brats are probably long dead by now anyway."

An added bonus. The goblins could follow the group and kill a few dozen kobolds for Meepo. Maybe they could kill the druid too. After he was dead Meepo would have to thank him for pointing out an unforeseen benefit of his plan. But Meepo had to dispel some of their fears or the humans might be too on guard.

"Meepo no eat Burble. Meepo good lackey!" Meepo said indignantly. "Kobolds only eat dead goblins...maybe worthless druid if he not make nice." Let them think he wasn't planning on drinking Rowland's blood and defiling the druid's corpse after politely thanking it for its insight. After all, Meepo was a civilized kobold.

"I suggest we ask the kobolds for shelter for a couple days, at least. If they say no, we can always head back to the village." Rowland was coming to Meepo's aid now. Maybe he could use the boy for something other than his blood. Meepo wouldn't discard his plan to drink Rowland's blood, but he might put it off if the sorcerer proved to have other uses.

Meepo nodded his head enthusiastically. "Kobolds make nice! We bring back Calcryx. Kobolds make nice. Yusdrayl help...maybe not make nice worthless druid and wolf lover, but kobolds make nice."

"ALL of us... or we're not finding a damned thing." So Rhea would stand with the Worthless Druid still. Meepo noted her as a devout anti-Burbleite.

Meepo grudgingly guaranteed Embrill's safety. "Kobolds make nice worthless druid and wolf mate."

"So off we go to Yusdrayl's house under the earth?" Rowland asked eagerly. Meepo retracted his previous doubts about the sorcerer's stupidity.

But Embrill wasn't satisfied with Meepo's word. The druid glared at Meepo and wheeled on him. His eyes narrowed into thin slits as he stalked up to the kobold. "Listen to me now and listen good, you scaly little waste" he hissed coldly. "I have no compunctions whatsoever about slitting your worthless throat right here and now and watching you bleed out right next to him." Embrill pointed at the unconscious Burble with his speartip and took another step forward. "In fact, I don't see why I don't just go ahead and do it. After all, you're not quite so brave of a 'lackey' without him around are you?"

Meepo got ready to run. Embrill's hand darted to the hilt of his skinning knife as he
spat the word 'lackey' out with as much venom as he could muster. "You're nothing but a whining, yapping, *stinking*, vile, filthy little coward who forgets that he's not boasting with his whole tribe here to back him up. After all, *you* were the one who lost the dragon. I'm sure Yusadryl would *thank* me for ending your miserable existance."

This was no good. The druid was realizing too much. Meepo surreptitiously looked for an escape route.

He stepped closer still and leaned down so as to be on eye level with Meepo. He punctuated his words with firm prods to the kobold's chest with his fingertip. "And if you *ever*(poke) refer to *me*(poke) as 'worthless druid or to *Riki*(poke) as my 'mate' again*(poke)...you'd best pray to your God that you never fall asleep, because if you do, you'll wake up choking on your own blood as you die."

If Meepo made it out of this alive, he was killing the druid. He didn't care how, or when, but it would happen.

Embrill stared hard into Meepo's red eyes for a long moment before slowly rising back to his full height. After a moment he turned to the group. "If we go visit them, we take only what we need. And once Sal is able to move, we head back up."

"Meepo call you Embrill. Wolf is Riki. Now make nice Burble?" His red eyes smoldered with determination. Let the idiots think he was set on helping Burble. Meepo was determined to get out with his skin. He'd miss Burble, but not more than he'd miss living. Rhea was barely containing her laughter.

"Don't druids usually preach kindnes and acceptance to all living things? Interesting..." Jaryth mused. No one answered him.

"My only promise is that I won't 'not make nice' with you....for now. Now let's get moving." That gave Meepo time to work at least. The group made it the rest of the way back to Yusdrayl without incident. But she wans't just going to let them rest and heal in her territory out of the goodness of her heart.

"I do not see Calcryx with you. Is he back in his cage? And why do you bring your dead here?" Yusdrayl demanded. Rowland stepped forward to talk.

Rowland bowed his head respectfully. That was a good start. Yusdrayl liked groveling. Then he spoke, "Your eminence, we simply have not yet completed the mission. We have struck a terrific blow against your goblin foes, but we have been grievously wounded ourselves, and we have spent our spells. We seek an opportunity to recover from our wounds and regain our spells, so that, in a few days' time, we may complete the mission and return Calcryx to you." He paused, then added, "And our two companions are not dead. However, they are grievously wounded."

"Dead or wounded is nothing to me. You ask another boon when you haven't completed your last task? Very well, but you shall bring me the head of Durnn, the goblin chief. That is my price for your shelter, no less." Yusdrayl sunk the group further into her debt. Meepo expected as much.

"Before we can accept your generous offer, your eminence, we must confer briefly among ourselves."

"Confer until your bones grow moss, but have an answer before you test my patience."

Rowland gathered the group close. "Well? Opinions, anyone?"

Bryant was the first to answer. "All choices I see I do not like at all, but at least these kobolds need something from us, those rats out there only see us as food."

"Burble and Sal are in bad condition. The less we move them the better." Lorn must have had to think hard to come up with that. He even scratched his chin before he said it.

"We probably should stay here. We can't get Calcryx if we're half-dead. Y'know?" Another cunning observation from Jaryth, complete with a grin.

"I don't think we need to be any further indebted to these vermin that we have to. "Can any of you say you honestly trust sleeping near them? If you do you're more insane that Burble was. I can do what I can to help get Sal back on his feet, but I'd be a lot more comfortable up in the open air. We're safer in the woods than here." Meepo hoped some wood monster would eat Embrill.

"Meepo say stay here." He wasn't giving up this fight just yet.

"But getting there is the real trick. I don't see all of us surviving another rat attack." Bryant was the voice of reason and in the end the group decided they'd listen to it. Meepo would keep an eye on this one. He was in Burble's faction and might make a suitable replacement dupe. Embrill wanted to run, Rhea didn't want to risk more time exposed to rats, but in the end the group opted to take Yusdrayl's offer and was shown to an empty room where they could rest and heal.

The night passed quietly. Embrill tended the wounded, except for Burble and Meepo. In a few hours, Burble woke with a start. "Meepo? Meepo, are you ok? What happened? Sal? Sal! Is he alive?"

"Meepo not hurt, Burble. Dwarf alive. He hurt bad. Rats not make nice him. But W-" Meepo stopped suddenly and his red eyes darted up to look at Embrill. He continued after a moment speaking more carefully. "Embrill make nice Dwarf and he look better now. Meepo make nice Burble. Meepo put Burble's insides back inside when they fall out." The kobold finished proudly. He started out just reporting facts, but on some level he was proud of how he'd put Burble back together. Meepo wondered if he had the rat sickness.

Burble was taken aback, "Meepo, you have done what I never thought possible or expected from you. You saved me? I am very, very proud of you. My thanks my friend. Yes, I think I can say with pride and true feelings Meepo, you are my friend. You saved me, you helped Sal, who has been my traveling companion and friend. You make me proud to have you at my side my friend and I give you my hand. " Burble held out his hand and Meepo shook it.

"No longer can you be my lackey. You are my companion in blood and I am in your debt. Your talents, my faith, and the blessings of the Gods have shined here. I swear to heal you when you are hurt to stand by you and your goals. I give you my blade to guide and fight with. You have my word my friend, that no matter what may happen, that I will be at your side for as long as you will have me. Olidamara rolled his dice of chance and graced me with life again. Lorn showed me this with his healing and care, but it would have been for naught without your binding my gut wound."

Meepo had hardly paid any mind when Lorn bound Burble's injuries after Embrill refused. He was worrying about his own life at the time

"Thank you Meepo, Mighty Kobold and descendant of Dragons." Meepo didn't know what to say or think. He was shocked at the halfling's words and he felt...he felt...warm and...happy... He nearly vomited.

"Meepo not Burble lackey?" Meepo mulled it over. That cloying, warm feeling grew inside him and he could feel it washing away all his sensible plans. Meepo actually liked Burble. "Meepo make nice Burble! Burble make nice Meepo!" He wheeled on Embrill. "Meepo not lackey now. Meepo Burble's companion. Burble make nice Meepo."

On some level, Meepo knew he was being stupid. He was trusting and caring about a halfling he'd known for all of a day...and he liked it. He wanted to do it more. He'd lost his mind, but Meepo couldn't help but feel happy inside. It was like when he was lost in bloodlust fighting the goblins, only better.