“What is this?” Alverost asked, his voice echoing.

“The creation pane. You’re the one… that opened it…” Mark said, his voice trailing off as he observed new additions to it. On top of the spiraling patterns of DNA, there were detailed sections on the meridians of the creature and the mana it was filled with, along options and abilities to fill it with different types of mana. “Oh woah. What is this?” Mark edited a slider. The Wartskin Kobold on the other side heated up, nearly glowing as mana was dumped into it.

Mark felt their mana drain significantly. “Oops.”

“There’s so much… information…” Alverost said, panning through sections of DNA.

Mark panned to it. “Oh yeah. Look at that. Deteriorative skin disorder.”

“Where do you even see that?” Alverost asked.

“Right there. This section.” Mark expanded it. “Just remember what the section of our Kobolds looks like… copy and paste to over write it… and… fixed. It will probably take most of them a few days for the changes to take over.”

“I’ll leave the DNA changes to you from now on, Mark. You seem to be capable at that, at least.”

“Hey! I’m capable at lots of things.”

“You almost infused enough mana to make him explode.”

“Oh.” Mark watched as Alverost reversed the slider he had played with, mana seeping into the air.

“And for now… we will heal this ones skin as a show of power.”

New mana infused into the Kobold, accelerating the change and healing process, and the creation panel closed. Rotten flesh sloughed off the Kobold in a heap as new flesh grew and replaced it. Alverost pulled his mind out of the possessed Kobold, who shook his head in a fervor before looking around the room.

The Kobold groaned. “My skin… it burns…” The Kobold scratched at its flesh, rotten chunks sloughing off as it rapidly regenerated. “It itches! It— it isn’t sore?” He stopped, pausing, looking up at the Kobold in front of him. Then back down at his plate of food.

He stepped away to eat it.

“Yes, we did. Now, in return, tell me about the situation inside of clan Wartskin.”

The Wartskin Kobold jumped at the sound of Alverost’s voice, seemingly echoing from the empty room.

“Hello?” The Kobold asked

“Hey!” Mark replied. The Kobold jumped again.

“Yes yes, you are hearing us talk. Hurry up and reply.”

“The situation in clan Wartskin? Well… things started changin a few weeks ago. Only a lil at first. Clan leaders started eating more and more. We got plenty of food from the plants that grow near the end of the river and the bugs that eat ‘em. Well, had. The clan leaders started eating everything… until it was completely gone. At first they just got fatter. But then they got bigger and bigger and bigger… last time I saw the clan lord he was bigger than four Kobold’s back to back. Which wasn’t a problem… until they started eating us.”

“Interesting. Like pig orcs.” Mark said.

“Did they continue talking after they reached that size? Or were they closer to the feral Kobolds…” Alverost continued his line of questioning.

“Talkin? Mostly just screamin for more food. Demanding we bring ‘em more Kobolds… and changin more and more. Clan Lord was so big he had to walk on four legs… jus’ draggin his belly… Kobolds tried to run. Lots of ‘em. Kobolds at the border of clan Bighorn been raiding us for a few days, taking Kobolds captive and leaving, so Tinyfingers is the only way we have to turn. Most of ‘em are too scared to run. ‘Fraid they’ll just get killed when they get here. I figured that running would be better than waiting to get eaten, though. Got out while I could.”

“If we kill the Clan Lord of Wartskin, would your clan members be amenable to joining us?” Alverost asked slowly.

“Join you? You offer to fix their scales what you did mine and they’ll be begging to.”

“Good. How many are there? Does your clan specialize in any type of weapon?”

“How many? Few hundred, least. Weapons… occasionally a knife. Long piece of sharpened metal if you’re lucky.”

“And what about armor? Leather?”

“Armor?” The Wartskin Kobold asked.

“Good… good. Go and tell the other Wartskin Kobolds. Those who want to stay can accept the change. The rest can try their luck with clan Blighteye or Longtail. They have a day to decide.” Alverost said with finality. The Kobold looked at his change hands before turning to the Kobolds next to him.

“I have to do it?” He asked.

“I can always change your skin back and have you thrown over the walls.” Alverost replied.

“I’m on it!” He said, starting with the Kobolds who were watching him from the stairs. They stepped back away from him as he stepped towards them, as if he was about to eat them. Mark and Alverost watched for a minute as he explained the situation before he headed up the stairs to explain to the rest of the Wartskin Kobolds.

“So now what?” Mark asked. “We attack clan Wartskin and ‘liberate’ their citizens?”

“Liberate… yes, liberate. I see I’m rubbing off on you. Maybe I can give you some rudimentary lessons on politics.”

“Huh? No. My country back at home used to do that kind of thing. Pretend that aggressive military action was actually for their populace’s own good.”

“But it is for their own good. We might put them to work, Mark, but at least we’re not eating them. ‘Liberating’ them sounds just right. And it sounds like Wartskin is already under aggressive relations with clan Bighorn. Between Bighorn and Longtail, the less intelligent Bighorn seems an easier target. After we assimilate Wartskin, we should move to sweep Bighorn. We can also see if any of the captives are still alive and recruit them as well.”

“We will need more Kobolds for the farm.” Mark said. “We’re growing enough mushrooms, but we need more hands to harvest them. And cook. We’re assimilating the ranches of clan Tinyfinger, and they’re providing the hands for that, but we’ll need chefs as well.”

“Good points. A hungry soldier is a weak soldier. I’ll give five of the Wartskin Kobolds to you.”

“Only five? How many do you think will join?” Mark asked.

“All of them, of course.”

“I’ll take fifteen.” Mark replied.

“Ten.” Alverost countered.

“Deal.”