Axel awoke feeling refreshed. Better than ever, even. The stiffness in his back was gone. The soreness in his legs, where they bent, was also gone. He felt like a new lizard, reborn.

All of this was, of course, thanks to Alverost changing him last night. He had been awoken late, summoned to the core room, since it had to be done after Silver.

It wasn’t the lack of sleep that left him with a burning appetite. He slid his long, reptilian tongue over sharp teeth. His stomach rumbled loudly, causing some of the other Kobolds who were currently sharing the mess hall with him to stare. He looked down on them and their lesser forms. None could match his ebon beauty, and he flicked his tail in excitement. Just like his right hand, the end of his tail itched, and not for excitement at the changes to come.

Alverost had changed him again, remade Axel in his image, and he would feel the changes soon, like the itch of chitin growing on his skin, and the endless hunger he currently felt. Mala plodded towards his table, hands full of an extra large bowl of mushroom and stew, and Axel rose, ripping it out of his hands before Mala reached him.

The stew burned, still boiling hot as it was, but Axel couldn’t wait anymore. He devoured all of it, slurping back mushrooms. “More.” Axel gasped, pushing the bowl back into Mala’s hands, who met his gaze with a tilted head, before turning around to refill the bowl.

It was only a moment after he sat down that the door to the mess swung open, Valleria stepping inside. Axel glared at her distrustfully. If Alverost distrusted her, Axel would too.

Valleria looked down her nose at him, still slightly taller than Axel, despite him standing taller than all of the other Kobolds in the Pit. It made him self conscious. He would be tall soon, too. And unlike her ridiculous red color, he was beautiful in ebon black.

Valleria sat across from him, staring.

Axel dug his fingers into the table, his sharp, reptilian claws scoring lines in the soft fungiwood as he stared daggers at Valleria.

“So… do they just bring us food, or…?” Valleria asked, nervously looking between Axel, Mala, and the other Kobolds behind the counter. One of them looked up at this, a dark blue Kobold with black stripes on her scales.

Axel’s only reply was an irritated stare. He reached out to the blade Alverost made him— it never was far from his side— and grabbed a firm hold of the handle.

“Okay. Weirdo.”

What total disrespect! Mala dropped a bowl onto the table. Any thoughts of violence were immediately forgotten as he grasped the bowl, knocking back another supersized mushroom stew.

Valleria ate hers much slower.

“Axel.”

Valeria jumped at the noise, startled, tipping over the bowl and scrambling over the table, spinning around, crouching behind it, grasping at where she kept her knife in her sleeve. It was, of course, not there. In fact, she didn’t even have a long sleeve.

“Yes?” Axel croaked in reply to Alverost.

“Its time for another expedition.”

“Ready. Silver?” Axel asked, standing and making for the door. He dragged his sword behind him, scraping against the stone floor.

“Waiting for you. In the… farm. The mushroom field.” Alverost said as if it was a rancid idea. A farm for monsters, full of mushrooms. While Alverost spoke, Axel continued his trip out the door, following the path Alverost indicated. The hallway was still mostly bare of decoration as he headed outside. It was surprising to see them stay the same for a day, considering Mark and Alverost normally changed little bits of the fortress over the time the lizards slept.

He heard Valleria’s unbidden foot steps following him to the courtyard.

Axel discovered what he had changed instead as he went outside. In the center of the courtyard rose a little fortress, several Kobolds tall. It was impressive, stone featuring a black sheen. Soft light glowed inside through thin, slit windows, which revealed that the stone it was made of was especially thick.

“Woah, I swear that building is… growing. Its rising out of the ground.” Valleria said, trailing behind Axel. “So many mushrooms… the glow is almost mystifying. Have you guys always lived down here?”

Axel grunted an affirmative before he continued past the building, following the path highlighted by Alverost.

The courtyard was devoid of mushrooms. Centipedes the size of Axel’s arm could be seen curled here and there in the dirt. Axel stepped into the farm, following the trail.

They found Silver asleep in the dirt, surrounded by torn up chunks of mushrooms. He hadn’t waited until Mala could cook them, or Splotch could cut and harvest them, instead ripping them apart with his bare hands, leaving chunks everywhere.

A purple Kobold bustled past Axel, dragging a fungiwood sled tied with cloth rope. It was loaded to overflowing with mushrooms. Valleria reached over, grabbing a piece off of the cart and eating it.

Axel kicked Silver’s sleeping form in the stomach. He coughed, grunted, and looked up through half slit eyes, delirious. He twisted, looking behind Axel at Valleria trailing behind, her gaze wandering through the fence and into the field of mushrooms.

“C’mon. Wake.” Axel said, picking up Silver’s spear. “You. Red.” Axel pointed at Valleria. “Bring Silver.”

Valleria grabbed Silver’s leg, who flailed wildly at this. “My name is Valleria! You can call me Val, I guess. But not red!”

“I can walk!” Silver yelled. Valleria ignored him, continuing forward with Silver’s leg in hand.

“Oooh, where are we going? What else is down here?” Valleria asked.

“Thats what—”Silver was interrupted by himself bumping along the ground as Valleria stepped over uneven terrain. “We seek to know!” he said, kicking his feet and finally freeing himself from Valleria’s grasp. He stood, walking up to Axel and angrily grabbing his spear from his hand. “Where are we going?”

Axel shrugged. “We go expedition. That way.”

“He does seem more cognizant.” Alverost interrupted. “I’m still glad you tested on him, first.”

“Silver, explore the floor with Axel… and Valleria. Let us know if you find anything. Valleria… can you count how many steps it takes you guys to reach the wall?”

Valleria scratched at her head while Silver only nodded. “I guess so.”

“Good… good. Do that. Then we can estimate the distance to each wall based on your speed.” Mark said. “We are working on reaching towards the rot-city. I’ll let you know when we get close.” Mark said.

Valleria looked from the area where the voices of Mark and Alverost came from, back to Axel, who was already walking. She ran to catch up. Then she froze, turning around and running back. “One, two, three, four…” she called out as she walked quickly to catch up with Axel.