The Worst Kobold Chapter 12: Chapter 8 - Because. He. Is. A. Dragon!

Read chapter 12 of The Worst Kobold by Thalaas on NovelPedia.

After the failed attack, they had all run for a good half an hour before they finally stopped. Fluke was shockingly fast, even galloping on three legs. His injury was getting better but it still hurt to put too much weight on his front right leg. Still, he wasn't even winded, but the other two were gasping. “I… think we’re safe?” he said as he took a worried look behind him. There was no pursuers. Not that any of them were in any shape to chase them, let alone fight. “You!” Griffon suddenly shouted once she got her breath back. She paced quickly over to her target. “Huh?” Ember looked up as she tried to regain herself. Her heart was still pounding. She was in good shape but that was quite the run. Before she could react the strong kobold warrior walked up and pushed her with both hands in the chest. The goblin landed hard on her butt. She let out a surprised 'ouuff 'as she sat there, still not sure what happened. Griffon wasn’t done yet. She hovered over the big eared goblin and thrusted a finger menacingly in her face. “You could have killed Fluke with your stupid move!” A moment later, the two were separated by an four foot living wall of scale and claw. “Griffon, please don’t fight!” Fluke said pleadingly. He had placed a massive clawed hand in front of them, splitting the two of them up with sheer bulk. “I’m fine! We got away! We should be grateful!” “Grateful?!” Griffon put her hands between the dark claws and pulled them apart so she could look down at the still confused goblin. Fluke, as always, didn’t resist Griffon's motions. She just stared daggers at Ember through the makeshift hole. “What if that bastard had slit his throat? What then?” “Wh... what then?” Ember choked. She had had enough as she stood up and walked around the gigantic crimson hand. “What THEN?!” she shouted now as she stared down the slightly taller kobold. Getting into a screaming match at a dragon’s chosen kobold was… well insane. But the entire day was insane, so she figured she may as well embrace the chaos. “You... you know he was in no danger?! Right?!” She gestured at the dragon behind her wildly with one hand. “Those... thugs were... ants to you! Less than ants!” Fluke looked down at the goblin as she yelled at her friend as he struggled to find the right words. More hot air from his nose washed over them both as he spoke. “Miss Sneakgleam... Griffon is one of the best warriors ever but even then... She had to protect me...” Ember whipped her manic face around and just glared in bewilderment at Fluke. “Are you FREAKING kidding me?!” she howled and started to stomp around the dragon in an impressively large circle. “I’m not talking about her! I’m talking about you!” The fear she had for the last day had converted to pure frustration. Her past self would’ve known not to talk to a dragon in such a disrespectful tone but she was well past caring. The world had stopped making sense and she wanted none of that. “I expected you to tear them to shreds!” she screamed in an almost frantic voice. “Chew them up! Stomp them! Bring down a rain of complete annihilation on them! No! Not even that! I expected them to take one look at you and run screaming off in the opposite direction while crapping themselves!” She grabbed her long ears and pulled them taunt down to her chest. Now Griffon looked confused. “Listen, Fluke’s big but he’s not a warrior...” “Gah!” Ember let go of her ears and they snapped back hard. “He doesn’t have to be a fighter!” came the exasperated reply. “He can crush anyone with ease! With a gesture! With a single BREATH!” She had completed her lap around Fluke and now stood in front of them both. “Because. He. Is. A. Dragon!” She punctuated each word with a vicious stomp of her well-trodden boot. There was a long pause from both the warrior kobold and the cowardly dragon. Then they smiled as one, almost maniacally. A snort. A cough. And then? Laughter. Hysterical, uncontrolled laughter. Griffon was holding her belly as she let out a dee