{Arthur's POV}

Arthur watched as Shaman Leader cleared their eyes of tears. "Are you ready now? If you need, I can wait longer to do this." Shaman Leader's head snapped up to him and she hastily said,

"No, please! I am ready for this gift!" An answer Arthur expected. He nodded once to her and realized he had no idea of the process to make her a draconic sorcerer. Let's see, it either had to do with his blood or his magic. Perhaps both? Arthur got an idea and rumbled,

"Bring me a bowl. There should be one in the goblin camp somewhere." Shaman Leader scrambled up and went to do as he said without a peep, excitement and anxiety clear on the kobolds face. She came back not a moment later, sizeable bowl in her hands. Shaman Leader bowed her head and lifted the bowl ceremoniously to Arthur, who begrudgingly took it in between two claws.

Now Arthur had to put some of his blood into this bowl. He tried to make a small cut on his forearm with his razor-sharp claws, but his scales held. Annoyed, he tried again and failed, his own claw failing to dig into his scales. With a slight snarl, Arthur viciously struck his forearm with his claw, finally drawing blood.

Shaman Leader seemed to be uncertain as to what he was doing and slightly worried. Arthur's attention turned to his-wait, was his blood golden? This was actually the first time in this world Arthur had seen his blood up close, and it was ironic it was Arthur himself that did this. He positioned his already healing arm over the bowl, the massive droplets filling up a third of the bowl quickly before the small wound clotted itself and scabbed over at a slow rate.

Arthur could feel his blood itself pulse with magic, but Arthur willed for more magic from him to pour into his blood. He didn't want to overwhelm the kobold, but he wanted to be sure so he used a fourth of his magic, condensing it into his golden blood. He turned back to Shaman Leader, who through the entire process had been silent in awe. Arthur rumbled to her, "Now, drink slowly. My magic and blood should be enough for you to become more powerful."

He delicately, as not to spill it, lowered the bowl to the kobold. She took it with shaking hands and tipped the contents into her mouth, slowly drinking. Shaman Leader choked on the syrupy blood briefly, but powered through and kept slowly going. Soon she was done. Arthur felt his magic settle inside Shaman Leaders body, his magical blood running in the kobold's bloodstream.

Arthur watched Shaman leader, who seemed to be flexing her hands, looking down at them with a contemplative expression, as if feeling out her new magic. "It seems this experiment was successful. How do you-" Shaman Leader let out a sudden cry, falling to her knees and squirming, holding her hands to her stomach.

Arthur was caught off guard, reaching down to help her after a moment of hesitation. Had the magic been too much for Shaman Leader? Did he just kill or poison his kobold? Arthur's face turned into worry as he leaned down to examine Shaman Leader more thoroughly. Her dull red kobold scales seemed to take on a new sheen throughout her body, becoming bright red like Arthur's and hardening themselves. Shaman Leader also seemed slightly more healthy, looking a bit more energetic than usual. She slowly picked herself up while gazing at her arms, muttering, "What has happened?"

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. He spoke up and said lightly, "I think it worked, Shaman Leader. And I had planned another gift. Your name, Shaman Leader, is not a name that fits you anymore. You are now Kaia, dragon blood sorcerer. Keep in mind, you do not have to accept this name if you don't wish it."

Kaia looked up to Arthur, emotion in her voice as the kobold said, "It is perfect, Sire. This is the best day of my life, I can guarantee it." Arthur felt like he should say something here, but he felt awkward by the compliment and only nodded politely to the tearful kobold. He would have to work on that.

"Now that that is finished, I want all of the kobolds to gather around. I want to expand my cavern, downwards. We will excavate an area and eventually move my hoard to the second level when it is done." The kobolds had gathered when he was talking, and they clapped and cheered when he was done. Arthur noticed more than a few looking enviously at Kaia. They didn't exactly have privacy, so all of the kobolds saw the 'ritual' that Kaia went through.

Kaia nodded to Arthur, a beaming smile directed at him. "Come, kobolds. This is how it will be done. I have bought shovels and pickaxes which you will use, Newly named Kaia will bring all of the dirt and rock outside to dump with her magic, and I will help as well. I want this done as quick as possible, so let's get to work."

His kobolds went along with his instructions happily, each taking a shovel or pickaxe, he bought ten of each, and they followed Arthur as he leads the kobolds to the middle back of the lair. Arthur wanted a sort of rampway that lead down and expanded around underground, creating a space as big as the first floor.

Arthur knew this would take a lot of time and patience, and many problems were likely to arise. But Arthur also planned on staying here in his lair for a very long time, so he would be glad to have an early start to expand his home. He had many ideas for the future.

Arthur told his kobolds to stand back and flexed his lair magic. The floor where Arthur wanted suddenly burst open, shaking violently and cracking the stone floor. He made condensed earthquakes in a rough outline, over and over. The ground was broken enough that Kaia picked up the debris with her mold earth and floated it out of the way.

Arthur had created a rough outline of the ramp using the broken areas as markings. "This will be around the area we will excavate for my new lair floor. I want a ramp that leads down, I entrust it to you kobolds. Kaia will oversee the operations and direct you all of course." The nearest kobolds started, working in tandem to pickaxe the stone and shovel out the dirt and debris. Kaia used her magic to make a growing pile of stone and dirt twenty feet away.

Satisfied they could handle it, Arthur turned and went outside. He wanted to check on his other minions, and possibly make them help. He also hadn't seen Alek for most of the day and was wondering when he would get back. Turns out he didn't have to wonder for long, because the first sight that greeted him outside was Alek surrounded by goblins, all carrying crude baskets filled with fruits like apples and wild berries.

Arthur boomed out when he saw Alek, "Ah, Alek. I was wondering where you had gone to. Turns out you came back before I had to do anything." The satyr turned to Arthur and waved. He shouted lightly,

"Just picking some fruit with the goblins. We were attacked by a worg, but the goblins and I dealt with it with barely a scratch!" Arthur nodded, an impressed expression on his face as he regarded Alek.

"Well done, Alek. I completed my three quests, and I'm currently planning on expanding my lair. I'm going to build a second floor." Arthur said it in a slightly more chipper tone than usual. Today was truly a good day. A sudden howl pierced the air, guttural and deep. He had to jinx it, huh?

That sounded dangerous. Arthur growled out to his worried minions, "I will handle it. Go inside the lair, and stay there." The goblins moved to obey, and after a moment of hesitation so did Alek. The monster was getting closer up his mountain, Arthur could hear it. Arthur let smoke billow out of his snout as he walked down his mountain.

What creature would make that challenging howl and continue up his mountain? Arthur soon found out, as he was walking along a flat area of stone and dirt, a large centipede-like creature snaked up the side of the cliff Arthur was on, its long, blue body crawling along the floor. It had the head of a sort of dragon, its mouth and eyes crackling with electricity. It had two t-rex style arms to the side of its body, its reared up head staring hatefully at Arthur. A Behir.

...Did this creature really think it stood a chance against him? Arthur felt his pride flare at the sight of the Behir staring at him as if he were trash. Did this monster want to die that badly? The Behir spoke in draconic, still hatefully gazing at Arthur, its voice deep and rich, "Imagine my surprise when I notice a red Dragon flying above my territory. You disgusting creatures will never learn, I've already driven out two other dragons. And I'm about to add ANOTHER TO MY LIST!"

The Behir shrieked, crawling along the floor towards Arthur quickly. Arthur snorted, smoke still coming out. He willed his presence magic to affect this creature, and the Behir surprisingly resisted for a moment before being affected. Unnatural fear gripped the Behirs heart, and it stopped in place, looking at Arthur warily.

Arthur growled out magical words and he doubled in size, utterly towering over the Behir. Arthur took one step forward and then slammed one fist down thirty feet away onto the Behir as if it were a bug. Arthur could feel multiple bones break underneath his fist, and he heard a crackle before a bright line of lightning come out of the Behirs mouth, singing the arm he attacked with, hurting slightly.

Arthur roared, a booming and deep sound, and grabbed the Behir with both massive claws, squeezing down and then pulling in opposite directions, intent on ripping the Behir apart. The muscles and bone of the Behir pulled and tore, but the Behir's body held. Arthur bit down viciously, letting his mouth burn up as he thrashed the body with all his strength.

Arthur was holding down the Behir's head, but it was flexible and it gathered enough courage to bite down on his left claws, its razor-sharp teeth failing to pierce his scales, only leaving small paper cut-like wounds. Finally, Arthur tore through the now bubbling flesh and his teeth met each other. Arthur hadn't given up pulling, and the tough body finally gave out. Arthur ripped them open, sawing the Behir in two with teeth and strength.

Arthur let out a menacing and deep roar at his victory. The two halves of the Behir dripping gore. Arthur was glad that went so smoothly. Arthur felt like he needed more spells, more choices in battle. He wanted to be sure he would win in a fight. Arthur shrank to normal size, and he took the two body parts of the Behir and went back to his lair.

Alek was outside when he got back, looking nervously at Arthur. Arthur rumbled to him, "I'm fine. This Behir wanted to fight me, and it paid the consequences." Arthur felt his pride flare once more, but he checked himself this time and urged it down. Alek nodded at him, replying,

"I bet you could sell that for a lot at Mirfield, you should probably head over." Arthur thought about it and nodded. "A good plan. Can you watch the kobolds while I am gone?" Alek gave him two thumbs up, and Arthur took to the sky. "I'll be back quickly!" And he flew off towards Mirfield.

Arthur decided to have a feast tonight, to celebrate all of today's accomplishments. That would be fun!