After several hours of digging, Lady Zira finally called for a break.
The announcement was met with cheers from the exhausted hatchlings who immediately abandoned their tools and rushed toward the resting area set up beneath a cluster of trees. Several older kobolds were already waiting there with baskets filled with food.
Ka'z dropped his shovel and stretched his sore arms.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he could honestly say he understood why construction workers complained so much.
His baby muscles ached and his claws were dirty. Even his back hurt and somehow he still had several more hours of digging ahead of him.
"This better not be bugs again," he muttered.
A few moments later, food was distributed and to his surprise, there were no worms, beetles or strange cave insects. Instead, each hatchling received several strips of fresh raw meat.
The reaction was immediate. The children practically exploded with excitement.
Several kobolds began devouring their portions before they had even finished sitting down. Ru'k somehow managed to stuff an entire piece into his mouth at once and immediately began choking but nobody seemed concerned.
Apparently this happened often.
Ka'z stared at the bloody meat in his claws and his human instincts screamed in protest. Yet his kobold instincts were equally excited. The conflicting emotions left him deeply uncomfortable.
'One year ago I would have called the police on anyone trying to feed me this.'
Eventually hunger won.
With a sigh, he bit into the meat. The texture was unpleasant but the taste wasn't. To his horror, he actually enjoyed it. His reptilian body eagerly accepted the meal while the remaining fragments of his human dignity quietly died inside.
While the hatchlings ate, movement from the edge of the clearing caught everyone's attention.
A group of kobolds was approaching.
Around twenty armed warriors moved through the forest in an organized formation.
Most carried spears and others carried bows or slings
At their center walked a much larger kobold. Ka'z immediately noticed the difference. The warrior stood over four feet tall. His scales were dark gray and covered in countless scars. Some looked years old while others appeared relatively recent. Several sections of his armor had been crudely repaired, suggesting he saw combat often enough to make replacements a regular necessity.
The man's presence alone drew attention. Not because he looked intimidating but because he looked experienced.
Lady Zira immediately straightened her posture. The change was subtle but Ka'z still noticed. Even more interestingly, her cheeks developed a faint blush.
'Ooh?'
Ka'z's eyes narrowed.
The gossip-loving part of his soul immediately awakened. The warrior approached and Lady Zira cleared her throat.
"Children, this is Tud'or, Chief Warrior of the Vaal'kor Clan."
The hatchlings immediately sat up straighter. Tud'or slowly looked across the gathered children. The silence lasted several seconds.
Then he spoke.
"Children."
His voice was deep.
"Everything you do must be for Vaal'kor Clan."
The hatchlings blinked.
"Every meal you eat. Every step you take. Every breath you breathe."
There was only silence as a reaction. Tud'or folded his arms and continued regardless.
"You must ask yourself one question. Will this benefit Vaal'kor Clan?"
Nobody answered but Tud'or continued.
"If sleeping benefits Vaal'kor Clan, then sleep. If eating benefits Vaal'kor Clan, then eat."
The children remained silent.
"If dying benefits Vaal'kor Clan then die."
Several hatchlings visibly shrank. At this point, half the class looked traumatized and the other half looked confused. Ka'z could physically feel the atmosphere dying.
'This is the worst motivational speech I have ever heard.'
Even Lady Zira's smile had become strained. Unfortunately, Tud'or remained completely oblivious.
"Because Vaal'kor Clan comes before all things."
A few seconds later one of the younger hatchlings started crying and that finally broke the spell. Several warriors immediately rushed forward.
"Chief!"
"We should go now."
"The patrol route!"
Before Tud'or could continue, his own soldiers physically dragged him away. The large warrior protested the entire time.
"My speech wasn't finished!"
"Of course it wasn't, Chief."
"The children need more inspiration!"
"They're inspired enough."
The warriors continued dragging him deeper into the forest while Tud'or shouted increasingly distant words about sacrifice and duty.
Several seconds later, laughter erupted across the clearing. Even Lady Zira covered her mouth. Ka'z honestly felt bad for the man.
Not much but a little.
After the break ended, the hatchlings returned to work and the afternoon passed surprisingly quickly. By the time Lady Zira finally called for the end of the day's work, the sun had already begun disappearing beyond the distant horizon.
The group gathered their tools and began the journey home. As they walked back through the forest, Ka'z noticed something interesting. Every watchtower they had passed earlier was now occupied.
Kobold soldiers stood atop the platforms with bows in hand while others patrolled the surrounding area carrying torches.
The forest itself seemed different at night. The adults clearly took security far more seriously after sunset. Only now did Ka'z fully appreciate how much effort went into protecting the colony.
Eventually they reached the cave entrance and descended into the underground settlement.
Instead of returning to their usual bathing area, however, Lady Zira guided them toward an unfamiliar chamber deeper within the colony.
The moment Ka'z entered, he stopped walking, his eyes widened. Embedded throughout the cave walls were dozens of glowing crystals.
Aether crystals!
Thanks to Dragon Eyes, he could immediately see the dense concentration of Aether filling the room. Most surprising of all, the water within the large bathing pool contained countless smaller crystal fragments.
The density there was even greater.
Suddenly everything clicked.
'So that's how they're doing it.'
The children eagerly jumped into the water while Ka'z followed more carefully. The moment he entered, he felt it. Warm energy flowed into his body. It invaded his scales, pores and then went directly into his core.
The sensation was subtle but undeniable.
Lady Zira smiled as she watched them settle into the pool.
"Core refinement requires balance. The body, life force, and core must all grow together. Physical labor stresses the body and drains your energy. Afterwards, resting within an Aether-rich environment allows your body to recover stronger than before."
She pointed toward the crystals.
"The same process strengthens the core."
The children listened surprisingly well. Mostly because nobody wanted to leave the warm water.
"If you continue following the training schedule properly, every one of you should reach the Iron Core within a year."
Excited whispers immediately spread throughout the pool. Ka'z quietly absorbed the information. The logic made sense. The process was surprisingly similar to physical training back on Earth.
While everyone relaxed, one of the smaller hatchlings slowly drifted toward him. The young kobold had pale brown scales and barely reached Ka'z's shoulders.
Unlike Ru'k, he was painfully shy.
Kurg stared at Ka'z for several seconds, then he reached out. His tiny claw touched one of Ka'z's golden scales and the boy's eyes widened.
He touched it again but this time with both hands.
Ka'z blinked.
"What are you doing?"
Kurg ignored him completely. Instead, he stared at the golden scale like he had discovered the greatest treasure in existence.
Unfortunately, several other children noticed.
"Oh."
"They glow."
"Can I touch them?"
Before Ka'z could answer, another hatchling approached. Within seconds he found himself surrounded. Tiny claws touched his arms, shoulders, tail and scales.
Some were comparing colors while others were poking him. One child was apparently counting scales.
Ka'z immediately panicked.
"Zira!"
No response.
"Zira, help!"
He looked toward the teacher.
The woman sat comfortably at the edge of the pool while watching the scene unfold. A warm smile rested on her face.
The hatchlings continued their assault as Lady Zira simply watched the future Messiah of the kobold race suffer the consequences of being shiny.