Growth and Surprises

Obeying Throzahk's order, the skeletal kobold got out the egg chamber, and went swiftly to the archives.

Once he left the egg chamber, he jogged quickly with its short legs "proper draconic eh! Well I will study more than that!" said greedily the Kobold, he remembered that the archives contained more tomes.

Suddenly he heard throzahk's voice, thunderous rage overflowed from it, however, he couldn't make any sense of what he heard, so he decided to continue on his way to the archives.

He arrived to the archives in no time, but the way had been filled with great urge to open the doors caused by his curiosity at the sealed and his great greed at the prospect of loot and treasure, he had stopped for several moments to look at the runes, but the skeletal kobold had resisted with great endurance his cravings "NO! NO! that seems like problems, yes yes, best to avoid touching the thingy, yes… yes…" tought the skeletal kobold, it seemed like he had forgotten the displeasure he felt at his speaking habit.

But what had unnerved him the most in his way to the archives was the statuette depicting the goddess Quilrorry, he felt an unnatural calling, as if it was drawing him to touch the base of the statuette and making him feel the need to prostate himself in reverence "No time for this! No! this must be the effects of becoming an acolyte… NO! must learn first! Yess yess…" tought the skeletal kobold, resisting his urges, arriving soon after to the archives.

He was met once again by the rows of bookshelves, some more filled than others, but most were populated with webs and dust, instead of tomes filled with arcane and divine knowledge.

He began moving between the rows of book shelves, looking for the books that Throzahk had recommended him, Falka's introduction to Draconic and Jiagoss's Basic lections, he was looking for a red book and a blue and silver one, yet his vision was filled with a blue colored hue, the only other colors he could see where white and black.

Looking at the several shades of blue, he looked for the more easily recognizable tome of Jiagoss, after searching on the bookshelves for the tome, he found a deep black book, it had white runic letters that the skeletal kobold could read, he recognized the runic letters, the text was written in lower Draconic.

"Molkrad's Studies on the life stages of Dragons… seems useful... yesss…" thought the skeletal kobold, however when he opened the hefty tome, he was met with different runic letters, it seemed that the contents were not written in lower Draconic.

"Interesting… maybe the acolytes used lower draconic to find the tomes for their masters… seeing that I can't read jack squat! Yess…" said internally the skeletal kobold, angry that he cuould not read the contents of the book.

He then looked to the next book, it was a pure white and blue tome, it had two sets of runic letters, one over the other, the lower text was written in lower draconic, it had black letters instead of white ones, it contrasted with the colors of the cover.

"Jiagoss's Basic Lections: Draconic… this is it… yesss.. yesss… I wonder if I can learn it faster… wait! I need to use the growth points… Yesss… but how" thought the skeletal kobold, before shouting in his mind "GROWTH" yet nothing happened, he shouted once again "LEARNING!?" once more the response was silence.

The lack of response from the system or whatever force he was seeking made swift work on the skeletal kobold's patience, "OH! COME ON! I NEED TO EVOLVE! Yess yess, must learn! Yes, yesss!" once he finished his sentence a rectangular window containing a list appeared on his field of view.

{Growth Points Available for Evolution:05!}

{Growth paths available:}

{Path of Growth: Non Elemental Magic!}

{Path of Growth: Draconic!}

{Path of Growth: Assasination!}

{Path of Growth: Mana Circuit Manipulation!}

{Path of Growth: Acolyte!}

The transparent window contained what the kobold wanted, a way to evolve and grow "AHA! Yess, yess… good… good.. I chose Draconic… after all what are we kobolds but dragons eh?! Yess" shouted in his mind the skeletal kobold he then saw the window close and for mere seconds the window changed.

{Five Growth points Used!} showed the translucent window before disappearing. Then suddenly the nostalgic mechanical voice rang with deafening speed.

[Skills Acquired! Minor Draconic Vision!, Shortened Spell Casting! Muttered Spell Casting! Paltry Draconic Presence!]

[Skill Merged! Mage's Eye and Minor Draconic Vision] [New Skill! Minor Draconic Mage Eyes!]

After hearing all the announcements that had come with tempestuous speed the skeletal kobold was almost speechless "WAIT! I used them growth points all up!? Sweet baby Jesus! Well… whatever… as long as I get to become stronger… Yesss… yesss…" thought the skeletal kobold, his initial anger had been quenched by the expectation of strength.

The kobold then took the tome, searching for an appropriate place to read, not soon after he found to his disappointment that nowhere in the archives provided for a decent place to read "No! this place is absolutely dirty dust everywhere… Hmmm… it does not matter, no lungs after all… let just sit right here! Yesss…" thought the kobold, sitting on the floor, and opening the tome.

Once he opened the pure white and blue tome, he saw runic letters, he could read this ones, the text was written in lower draconic, in simple phrases, written almost with little care for the reader, the first pages explained the more simple rules to proper draconic.

"Hmm… yess… I see… yess… it seems… almost mystical… yesss…" thought the skeletal kobold at the structure of the simpler rules of the draconic language, it seemed like power flowed from the words, impregnating the atmosphere around him, he continued to read the hefty pages and walls of text that were contained in the book, exercises were written, explained and encouraged, simpler phrases were explained in some detail, but all contained the little care of the author towards the reader, it explained with some degree of disdain towards lower draconic, and the runes contained no power, nor sensation of strength.

The book continued its explanation of the proper draconic language, on the pages near the third of the tome laid the history and reason of the mystic power that flowed out of the runic letters, it was a simple one, this was the true language of magic, it was itself a channel for the source of mana, that flowed on every being, living or undead, mana itself did not discriminate, however the improper use of the power words and the use of incorrect gestures on spell casting could make short sport of the spellcaster, this was the innate risk of spellcasting in Draconic, it added some spells that required simple gestures and short chants, next to those spells were letters that he recognized, this were not runes, they were the letters of the romans, the alphabet, they were written in small phrases, similar on length to the draconic spells.

This surprised the skeletal kobold "Wait a moment… I thought this was supposed to be another world, why is there Latin written here… yesss… Wasn't I taken from some river… yesss… yesss… this is confusing… I'm not getting any answers from the tome, instead there are more questions to be raised…. Yesss…." Tough the kobold, suddenly he heard a thunderous voice coming from the hallway.

[ACOLYTE!] the voice rang with deafening volume [ACOLYTE! COME IMMEDIATELY!] shouted again the voice, clearly Throzahk had called the skeletal kobold, who then closed the tome and put it under his boney arm, and went towards the bookshelf where he had seen the tome that contained information on the dragon's lifestages, once he found the bookshelf, he then quickly grabbed Molkrad's tome, putting it under his unoccupied skeletal arm, before answering Throzhak's call.

"Going… yess, yess, going… master… yesss…." thought angrily the kobold acolyte, he was pulled away from his reading, this angered him, but he still obeyed the call.

He ran with the tomes, hoping not to anger his master, however the thought of calling a ghost his master didn't disturb nor perturbed him, he was after all still a skeleton and a kobold skeleton at that, such a paltry worry could not stir his mind any more, he had grown accustomed to that fact, it was as if he had surrendered.

He once again was tempted to open the sealed doors and to touch the goddess statuette that laid on the hallway, but this time resisting temptation was easier, or so it seemed to him, and shortly after the skeletal acolyte arrived to the egg chamber, he saw his master on the ground, he was on all fours, his fist were clenched with seething rage.

Seeing that his acolyte had arrived Throzahk calmed down a bit and spoke [AH! There you are… what did you bring… show me] said Throzhak, his vice still had hints of anger, he then pointed at the tomes that the skeletal Acolyte had under his arms.

The skeletal acolyte obeyed, he placed the tomes on the stone slab, being careful not to disturb the three white tomes, seeing his unusually orderly behavior Throzahk commented [Truly unusual… for a kobold that is…] at which the kobold acolyte simply made a gesture with his shoulder, shrugging off the comment that Throzahk had made.

Once the skeletal Acolyte had placed the tomes on the slab, he moved away from them "I will need them later master… after all I need to learn! Yesss… yesss…" thought the kobold Acolyte, looking towards his master, bowing his skull slightly in a show of respect.

Looking at the kobold acolyte bowing his skull Throzahk spoke [Raise your head, I need not submissiveness of a neophyte, instead I need you to lift the curse on the egg… but that will come after I solve another dilemma…] Throzahk's voice was filled with both anger and worry while he looked at the half born egg [It seems I was a fool for not expecting unusual effects for such an unorthodox curse… I… examined the egg… it still lives… but somehow… now it lies as a soulless husk… truly a most sinister thing… I don't know if this was caused by the curse of petrification or the curse of undead… but… well there should be some tome or scroll that may bring light to this most sad thing… indeed] his voice was once again filled with palpable sadness.

Throzahk then looked at the tomes [Jiagoss's lessons and Molkrad's studies on the life stages of Dragons…. Interesting choice… useful nonetheless…] said Throzahk to the kobold Acolyte [Maybe Molkrad's studies will be of some use…] finished Throzahk, who then ordered the skeletal Acolyte [Leave this tome here and return to your studies, soon you will learn to manipulate mana and cast some beginner spells… but first you must be able to talk… but that will come after you learn proper draconic] finished Throzhak, pointing towards Jiagoss's tome.