"They were shooting white beams? Like lasers?"

Jake shook his head and grinned. He was sitting on the beach, together with Mason and Emma. The group of Kobolds had just headed back after ogling him for what seemed like forever. Apparently, to them, a Kobold with the water element was serious business.

"Yes, like lasers. But if you get hit by them, you are paralyzed!" He said while looking at Emma.

A sudden voice interrupted their friendly banter.

"I would like a word with you, Jake."

Startled, Jake looked up at Bolyr standing next to them. The other had appeared out of nowhere like a ghost. Wondering what the blue armed Kobold wanted, Jake nodded.

"Ok..."

"Not here, alone."

Jake blinked a few times, what was it now? He looked around at the others sitting around him and saw they were as confused as he was. Mason shrugged, a scowl on his face. Getting up, Jake looked at Bolyr. "Mason is coming too. If I need to hear it, he needs to."

Bolyr silently thought for a moment before nodding. "Fine," he said in his deep raspy voice before turning around and walking to the sea.

Mason quickly jumped up, and they slowly followed the other Kobold.

"What the hell do you think he wants?" Mason whispered.

"How should I know? I just got here." Jake shot back. But deep down, he wondered if it had something to do with what he and Tergin had done.

Bolyr kept moving along the water's edge for a few hundred meters before he stopped. They were a few hundred meters away from the rest, and Jake was getting anxious. The burly Kobold stood quietly, looking over the water causing the guys to become even more uncomfortable. Then he looked Jake straight in the eyes.

"The... elders... have sent me to propose a deal," Bolyr said, waiting a moment, his mouth turning as if he tasted something horrid.

Jake swallowed, getting a bad feeling.

"You have awoken your ancestral dragon bloodline, one of an unknown water dragon at that. We, the Antraci tribe, are descendants of the great water dragon mother, Cerulia. But our tribe has almost been hunted to extinction, and all of our awoken were slain. To live in this world?"

Bolyr gestured all around him, to the sea, the jungle, and the sky above, before clenching his blue fist and growling. "One needs power. Without power, you are nothing but food for the strong, and even your memory will fade away."

Jake felt his heart rate speed up. They weren't going to make him join their tribe, were they?

With a sigh, Bolyr dropped his fist. His shoulders sagged a little, and he gazed at his blue arm, a sad look in his eyes.

"We know you are unfamiliar with this world and have no idea what is happening to you. So we propose the following. We will give you all the information you need to survive your upcoming transition," he finally continued.

Mason cursed loudly, and Jake felt his hackles rise. Survive?

"Besides this, if you transform, we will help you find your people on the other island. That way, you can form your own tribe if you want."

Getting confused, Jake looked at Bolyr. As he did, he saw the other was intensely scrutinizing him.

"And in return?" Jake asked after a while, somewhat confused.

"Come on, don't you get what he is going for?" Mason whispered, a sly grin on his face.

"They want your babies, mate!"

Jake felt the color rise to his cheeks, and took a step back, staring wide-eyed at Bolyr. The other ignored both of them and continued.

"When someone is in the transition phase, any children they have will be strong, stronger than others. These hatchlings will have a greatly increased chance of becoming Awoken. There is never a guarantee, but in our current situation, we have no choice. This evening we will hold a feast in honor of Cerulia. We ask that you come and partake. During this feast, the women of age will examine you. If one or more finds you worthy, they may take the risk and breed with you."

A silence fell, as Jake looked at Bolyr in shock while Mason muttered something unintelligible. As the silence lasted, Mason began fidgeting, shuffling his feet, and finally, he was unable to hold in his question.

"No offense, but what do you mean with, 'take the risk'?"

Staring back at him, a half-smirk on his face, Bolyr shook his head.

"You are from another world. Who knows what might happen if you breed with us."

-

Jake looked out over the water. He faintly noticed that Mason and Bolyr were still talking, but he didn't pay attention.

Had Bolyr told the truth? Was something still going on with him, and was he changing? All of a sudden, a question erupted from his confused mind, and he turned to Bolyr.

"Can I decide not to bed a woman, or do I have to accept all?"

Bolyr looked at him startled, before grinning a bit. "You think highly of yourself, don't you? Who says any of the women will be interested at all?"

"If it is so important, why is it even a choice?" Mason interjected.

A low growl followed by a quick blur, and Bolyr was standing inches away from Mason's face, his teeth bare. "What did you say? Do you think we are Goblins? No one is ever forced in our tribe, ever!"

Mason wasn't moving, eyes wide, and a shocked look on his face. "I am sorry," he stuttered. The other had moved so fast and unexpected that he had no chance to react.

From the side, Jake slowly moved next to Bolyr, trying not to startle the other.

"He didn't mean you should force them. He meant if it is so important, why would the women in your tribe refuse?"

Looking at Bolyr, Mason nodded his head, and Jake noticed that although his friend was startled, he didn't seem all that scared.

Another minute passed before Bolyr slowly backed away, taking a deep breath. Then he turned towards the water with a pained look on his face.

"We will come and fetch you when it becomes dark. Let us know if you agree to our terms when we do. Now leave me. "

Walking up to Mason, Jake put a hand on his friends shoulder before guiding him away When they had moved far enough through the white sand so they could speak without being overheard, Jake sighed.

"You and your big mouth. I wish you could think more before you say things."

Mason snorted. "That's the pot telling the kettle."

Then he sighed and dropped his head. "But that might have been a close one. You know, I did mean what I said. It feels so barbarous here that for some reason, I thought they would be like that."

Jake nodded. "I know. But we have to remember we aren't on earth anymore, and these aren't humans. Fuck, neither are we."

When they saw the others in the distance, chatting, Mason stopped and pulled Jake to a stop with him. "But important things first. You will do it, right? I mean, if what he says is true, you will need all the help you can get during your change. And besides, this way you get to find out if everything still works as it used to." He pointedly stared at Jake's lower regions at the end.

"Yes, probably. It's just... I don't want to father some children and then leave them. That makes me sound like my old man, and I've always said I wouldn't do that." Jake sighed before pulling Mason along again.

"Let's go, perhaps Sandra has a good idea."

--

"Are you kidding me?" Sandra stared at the guys as if they were crazy.

"No, and I haven't decided yet. Bolyr said that they would pick us all up before dark, so that leaves me with all of one hour to decide what to do."

Looking at him, Sandra shook her head. "Ain't that just great. You must be feeling thrilled now." Then she grinned. "I wonder if this works the other way around too."

Jake shook his head before grinning back. "I don't know, but that would certainly explain Bolyr's interest in you."

Sandra snorted and replied something, but Jake wasn't paying attention anymore. He sighed and gazed off in the distance, wondering what he should do.