Lincoln continues on his way on foot he still had all of his gear other than the bike, it had been 2 days since he met the Donkey men and he had hitchhiked his way to a small mining town in Manitoba called Flin Flon there was a bus leaving tomorrow that would get him to saskatoon, for now, he was staying in an arrow inn a few mortals were staying there. He was in the Cafe eating the included dinner when a tall woman with raven hair approached him.
"Hello there Lincoln," the woman said sitting down.
"So are you a hunter here to kill me," Lincoln asked.
It wouldn't be the first hunter to threaten him since he arrived.
"No no, quite the opposite, I know your quest and where you have to go. I can offer you a faster path but I would need something from you," she said, her kind smile morphing into a knowing smirk.
"And what would that be," Lincoln asked.
"The 777 mine that closed a while back some unsavory people have taken over that would be fine if they had it stolen from my little brother," she explains her eyes moving to a boy around 7 years old.
The boy had blond hair and was in a pair of overalls playing with another group of kids that were staying at the Inn. He was wearing sunglasses with a collapsible cane in his pocket.
"They stole from a blind kid ok whatever it is ill do it," lincoln answers anger bubbling up.
"Yes they stole two magical gems they were gifts from my husband the magic within is quite powerful," the woman explains.
"Who is your husband," Lincoln asked.
"He had many names but he is unimportant if you go to the mine find the gems and bring them back I'll have you at slave lake before sunrise," She explains.
"And can I assume these unsavory individuals aren't human,"
"No thair kobolds," she answers
"Wait like from DND," lincoln asked
"Not exactly you know them when you see them so will you do it," She explained.
Lincoln agreed to go and headed out, took him about an hour to arrive at the mine, and despite it being shut down lincoln could see a man standing outside next to the gate, he looked human error for the metallic shine of their skin. They were wearing a gray trench coat and had a shovel.
Lincoln walked up to the man drew Asteria and fired hoping to catch him off guard, the man fell to dust but then the man's coat charged at him swinging the shovel. Lincoln barely dodged it then another shovel came out of the coat knocking Asteria out of his hand. Coat then fell to the ground and Lincoln's jaw dropped. There were 2 men both about 2 feet tall, one on the other's shoulders. The one on top yelled and jumped at Lincoln who was just able to draw his sword in time to slice the thing in half. He then pointed his sword at the remaining one.
"No no don't kill cogs," It squealed.
"Why shouldn't I," Lincoln asked.
"Cogs knows mine Cogs help Godling," Cogs spoke.
"Alright, but why are you so happy to betray your friends,"
"Is way we follow strongest you strong so you protect Cogs," it explained.
"Alright, but if you listen to whoever is strongest who is your leader," Lincoln said, putting his sword away and picking up Asteria.
"Long man he strong but bad Cogs no like so Cogs follow You instead keep Cogs away from Long man," the kobold explained.
"Who is the long man," Lincoln asked.
"He comes to find us and tell us to work but take half, others just listen but Cogs miss others," Cogs explains his eye shining with tears
Cogs then grabbed the trench coat and put it on it trailing behind him. It picked up one of the shovels and walked towards the mine shaft.
"Follow Cogs," it said smiling.
Lincoln followed the kobold into the mine eventually they got to a fork in the tunnel.
"Sleep left Hoard right," Cogs explained.
"I'm looking for the gems you stole from the blind kid," lincoln told them.
"Eyes with horde… not good, many Kobolds they kill you… Cogs have idea," Cogs said a look of Joy in his eyes
Cogs then explained to the best of his ability that Kobolds were nocturnal and other than the guards protecting the horde the others would be sleeping and if Lincoln stayed quiet and let Cogs stand on his shoulders they wouldn't question Cogs and they could pocket the gems and escape.
Lincoln followed suit and was surprised about how well it worked there were 5 other men in trench coats, and Lincoln gused by their height that they each were 3 stacked on top of each other.
"Cogs what happened with Wrench why your top," One of them asked.
"Wrench sick he middle," Cogs said taping lincoln's head.
The other kobolds just nodded as Lincoln walked into the room. In the middle of the room was a massive pile of scrap metal. With work benches and what looked like a forge and smeltery on the other side, the gems were then on their own table. Cogs urged him on toward the table where cogs grabbed them.
"What Cogs doing with eyes," one of the guards asked.
"Cogs use eyes to make more Stygian," Cogs said guiding lincoln over to the pile, Cogs held the gems out and had Lincoln grab a scrap of iron.
Cogs Held the gems over the iron as they began to glow purple and after a moment the iron became ice cold and it began to glow. Cogs led Lincoln over to a table where he put it down.
"Cogs work too hard," another of the guards said they turned back to watch the entrance and cogs quickly handed Lincoln the gems, Lincoln noticing that his hands were now burnt.
"Cogs go switch with Nuts Cogs feel bad," Cogs said leading lincoln out.
"Wait Cogs has Eyes," One of th guards pointed out.
"RUN," cogs yelled.
Lincoln did as told and began to run at full speed eventually they made it back to the fork where more Kobolds joins the chase once lincoln was out of the mine the sun was still up and lincoln quickly made it off the mine grounds as many of the kobolds returns to the mine seeing the sun.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx back at the inn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Thanks for the help Cogs," lincoln said to the small Creature.
"No need Cogs likes you now Cogs save others from long man,"
"Tell me more about this long man and what he had you doing," Lincoln asked.
Cogs then explained that a few weeks ago the "Long man" showed up and had them steal the gems and use them to make a magical metal and work it into chains and a cage.
"That would be because Stygian iron is the best for when it comes to binding monsters to one's will," the voice of the raven-hard woman said.
"Oh good I was about to come to find you," Lincoln said taking out the gems and noticing the look of fear on Cog's face.
"Mistress is here sorry please don't harm Cogs Mistress," The Kobold said hiding behind lincoln.
"Now now calm down little Kobold you helped this Hero retrieve my brothers' eyes from your clan as far as I can tell you deserve a reward," the raven-haired woman said, producing a Ruby the size of an apple and handing it to the creature.
In an impressive show of speed, the ruby disappeared but Lincoln could see a new lump in his trench coat.
"As for you young man, if you will give me the eyes," She said, putting her hand out.
"First who are you," Lincoln asked.
"Well I guess you deserve that I am Persephone," She answers.
"Persephone as in goddess of the springtime wife of hades," Lincoln asked.
"Yes that Persephone,"
Lincoln handed over the eyes to Persephone then had him follow her out of the Inn to a nearby park where her brother was playing in the sand making castles.
"Plutus come here," The goddess called.
The child came up to her and she kneeled to him and took the glasses off the boy, she then took the gems and held them to his eyes, and inna flash the gems were gone and the boy opened his eyes smiling.
"Thank you, sister and this is the hero who found them," Plutus asked.
"Yes this is lincoln loud And Cogs the Kobold," Persephone explained.
"Thank you Mr.loud I think I'll visit your parents soon as thanks," the boy said, hugging Lincoln before disparaging.
"Now for your reward thair is a willow tree just east of here sleep under its branches you'll wake up In Slave lake," she said before she herself leaving.
"Thanks, I guess," Lincoln said as the woman disappeared in a black flash.
"Can Cogs come with Lincoln," the Kobold asked.
"Of course," Lincoln said as they walked towards where the tree was supposed to be.
They arrived at the tree and Lincoln sat under it followed by Cogs who curled up into a small ball using the trench coat as a sleeping bag. The 2 quickly drifted off to sleep.
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So Kobolds are in DND but they also appear in a bunch of European Folklore and I always was a fan, pulse this winter chapter is kinda riped from a dnd session
If you have any questions throw them in a review ill try to answer them