Somewhere beneath the building that saw the dragons appear was a complex of cellars.

"Grim! It's dark. Do you think anyone saw us?"

A small figure no taller than a five year old accompanied his family. There couldn't have been more than nine of them.

These scale-covered creatures looked like mini bipedal dragons.

They were very intelligent, as much as humans, and had the reputation of being dragon worshippers, whom they worshipped as deities.

Having dragon blood in themselves, but in small quantities, they did everything to please and imitate their lords.

Their "masters" having disappeared, they felt lost and, not letting themselves be defeated by fate, they took their courage in both legs and started to discreetly follow the banished dragons.

They quickly understood the situation and that they had not been abandoned but "separated".

Each of them served one of the runaway dragons and Grim, the leader and shaman served Valtrax but she had joined her other companions under Frisor, Valtrax being away all the time, looking for her son Torin.

Most of the Kobolds had stayed on Britannia but this group was tight, reckless and unaware, crazy.

In their bags, not much, except eggs... Kobold eggs...

What they didn't know is that by crossing the portal .... their blood became pure dragon... the system doesn't take into account the dissolution...

But they did not know it... They were mini-dragons,

They kept their Kobold appearance and physique but... their strength and mana were amplified.

Grim cast a light spell and was surprised with the ease with which the spell was cast.

In the basements, the vibrations of trucks and cars could be heard but to them it was like the sliding of a huge predator one of their dragon gods.

"HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

She motioned for the troop to crouch down and make no noise then all at once.

"GRRRRRRRRRRR-----BRRRRRRRRRRR"

Flame then trembling and an orange-red light lit up like a demonic eye.

The kobolds were terrified and fell flat on their faces, imploring

"Please... Please... we are good and loyal servants...."

They pleaded with the... boiler that had just started up.....Whose "Eye" was just the mica window overlooking the burner and pilot light.

After many minutes, Grim laughed.

The blacksmithing and technical skills of the kobolds were second to none to the dwarf engineers and she soon realized that it was a water heating system with a sophisticated grease burner.

They also admired the electrical circuit system, which was totally unknown, but Grim saw a box with a skull and crossbones and a man struck by lightning as they followed the line.

"This must be a warning. We need to get away from the wires... Lightning can strike us!

They tightened their grip, surrounded by the wires and lamps.

The youngest, Zat, saw an orange light in a box. It flickered and he put the tip of his claw hand against the button, which pressed down.

Grim: "STOOOP ZAT, don't touch!

Too late!

The neon lights came on and they discovered .... the cellar.

Zat: "Sorry big sister..."

And he started to cry against his big sister who caressed his neck.

His horns were still small compared to his sister who could boast of having the most beautiful ones of the group. She had real dragon horns and that was her pride.

Grim: "It's not going to be easy to find Master Valtrax and Exodus.

Zat: "Do you think Thor will accept me as a slave ????"

Grim : "There is no doubt about it... Valtrax was a good master and I'm sure she will do everything to make sure you have a good master too."

Zat: "I'm afraid I'll remain a stunted lizard without a master."

The little kobold saw a door with an identical light: "Look, big sister...there is a door with the same light square. If the light appeared, then the door could open???"

Before the shaman opened her mouth, Zat had already pressed the button

"Hey, look, I can do magic too! : BY ZANZAR, let the door open.... "

A silence of terror invaded the small group and Zat was about to be scolded.

Then.

"DING!"

The elevator door opened.

Zat rushed in and the others followed...

Everyone found themselves in the mysterious box and suddenly the doors closed.

Panic-stricken, they hit the walls, but the next thing they knew, the doors opened on the ground floor, in front of a surprised woman who saw little children covered in a brown woolen hood with a funny growth sticking out the back.

She wondered if they were costumes of fan fiction, manga. The ground floor was an exhibition of toys and the kobolds did not wait for their rest and went to hide among the decorations.

Parents were lining up with their children and many others were running around.

They looked at and tested toy cars, jeeps, police motorcycles and there were plenty of costumes made to try on.

There were dinosaur masks and posters showing dragons with a farm that could be visited exceptionally for the holidays.

Grim sneaked a peek and saw one of the posters and recognized Valtrax and Frizor licking ice cream from the dragon farm...

The line moved on and they recognized a priest of the cult of the 8 virtues. He had a donkey, a bishop's miter and was accompanied by a palfrenier. His skin was covered with soot and he had a whip... The Kobolds were immediately frightened and spat at the sight of the whip.

Zat: "Do you think he's a guard???"

Grim :" Maybe, considering the number of humans, we have to keep order".

Zat: "See the little human on the four-wheeled machine? It seems to be amusing them".

Grim : "NO! ZAT!! stay here!"

But Zat ran and snatched the poster and brought it back to his big sister.

"MOM!!! LOOK!! a little dragon! "

"Stop it, this is nonsense...."

"But yes, mamaaan!!! everyone is talking about it..."

"They are too young, they don't have children yet..."

Then a group of 4-6 year olds surrounded Zat and a little girl grabbed him from behind, belted him and lifted him up to his mommy

"See... it's a mini Godzilla! All red."

"-I want one! I want one!"

The other kobolds were terrified and Grim, the tallest didn't know what to do.

Zat, caught and held by the little girl didn't want to bite or hurt her and did what every child does... Cry.

Zat: "Mama... mama... grrrr IIIIII!"

The mom bent down and saw the little kobold crying...

She was pregnant and took the little kobold by the front paws... with one hand and took her handkerchief to comfort the little creature.

In her paw, she could see the torn poster..

"Oh... poor little creature.... Are you looking for your mommy???"

The kobold understood English but not French but the word mama was identical to his runic English..the common one of Sosaria.

With his little claw, he pointed to Valtrax on the poster.

"You look lost. Are you alone???"

"MOM... Can we keep him??? can he come home???" shouted his son and daughter.

Attracted by the noise, other children surrounded little Zat, no taller than a 2 year old.

She sighed and gave in.

She put the hood back on the kobold and put him in the shopping cart, on the child seat.

Zat was paralyzed with terror...

The other kobolds followed him, jumping from shelf to shelf, discreetly, and Grim cast an invisibility spell.

Unfortunately, Zat was out of reach...