The Worst Kobold Chapter 2: Chapter 1 - A Simple Log Hauler

Read chapter 2 of The Worst Kobold by Thalaas on NovelPedia.

The current nameless logging camp had been in operation for only two days. And would be completely gone in three more. They never lasted more than a week. The far patrol scouts would find a suitable location with easy access to the nearest tunnel to the kobold colony. Geomancers and good old fashion dig crews would spend a month making a tunnel as close as possible. Then, working day and night nonstop, kobolds would fell, debranch, and haul off as much lumber as they could before they were discovered. After which they would collapse the entrance and leave nothing behind but a bare patch of land. It was incredibly dangerous as they were completely exposed to the humans this way. But the wood was necessary for the colony to thrive. And Fluke, like all the others, was happy to participate as he hauled massive logs back and forth all day without complaint. “Heave!” shouted the kobold foreman Tasque, as she stood perched on the back of the wagon. Her name had once been Taskmaster but over the years it had been shortened and stylized to the more casual Tasque. She was an older one with ivory coloured scales with some light blue mixed in on heather along with two bluish-white horns that stood straight out almost like cat ears. She stood slightly crooked due to an injury to her left leg from years ago when a tree fell wrong and crushed it badly. “Come on! Put your tails to the ground and heave!” Thirty stout kobold workers were attempting to drag another especially bulky log onto a waiting cart. But the night before had been heavy with rain. The kobolds’ feet sank in the mud as they attempted to load the offending log onto the cart. The cart was open on the side with a wooden ramp leading up to it, with a small dip to hold cargo in place. Half the kobolds were pulling from the opposite end with thick burlap ropes lashed around sections while others were attempting to push it up front the other side with pure brute force. Fluke was straining with his own load in the heavy load. Well, not really. He didn’t want the others to feel bad that he wasn’t struggling but he went through the mock performance of grunting and panting. A recently debranched log was hitched behind him as he positioned it beside his own cart. A couple of younger kobolds moved to start unhitching him since he was so malformed that he couldn’t do it himself without shredding the leather straps. It was even more difficult since Fluke's back, instead of being smooth, had unnatural skin flaps that almost seemed to be like a pouch of sorts. After the young ones hopped off his back, he shuffled to the center of the log and shoved his snout under it. The smell of wet earth assaulted his nose before he rolled his own log into its proper position on the cart in one single motion. It clattered down with a bang and settled perfectly in place. The two kobolds who had undid his harness quickly moved to raise the side gate and secure the log for transport. “Pull!” Tasque shouted again with a bit more gusto from behind Fluke. But the log was slipping. It stood half on the cart and was threatening to slide down the ramp. The ropes were becoming slick with mud, their fingers losing their grip and their footing faltering. They couldn't stop though. If the log slid back it was quite possible not all of them could get away in time. Fluke looked behind him with a swivel of his elongated neck to analyze the situation. He quickly jammed the end of his tail in the mud behind him right in the middle between two of the haulers. He could feel the slimy sensation as the mud caked between his ragged scales. The tip of his tail wiggled until he could feel the pressure of the log pressing back down on him when the workers lost their hold on it. It slipped a foot down and then came to an abrupt halt as Fluke bore half the weight on his tail. He continued to secretly hold it in place as the other kobolds strained to lift it back up. Not too hard. Control yourself. Don’t hurt anyone. The worst kobold