Chapter 109: Beginning Of A Love Story

Tu’ka sat alone atop the thick branch of an ancient tree in a distant part of the forest, his back resting against the rough bark as he stared up at the narrow patches of blue sky visible between the leaves. The sounds of the forest surrounded him, but none of them managed to pull his thoughts away from everything that had happened the previous night.

They had won a war, yet he could not celebrate with his brothers and sisters simply because he had chosen the worst possible moment to bring up a problem that had been bothering him. Even if that discussion needed to happen, it was never supposed to happen that night.

The realization sat heavily in his chest as he lowered his gaze and stared at his clawed hands.

"I should have been satisfied with just our victory for the night. I shouldn’t have ruined it for everyone," Tu’ka mumbled.

Everything he had said had come from fear, but fear had a way of twisting his words before they left his mouth. He never knew how to explain himself properly, and the more important something was to him, the harder it became to say what he actually meant.

Kong’gong had met him the previous night and told him that Ka’z had apologized for his own part in the argument. Tu’ka had spent the entire morning hoping to apologize to Ka’z in person after the meeting, but before he could find the right moment, Ka’z had suddenly announced his intention to attack the Ashmork village and left with his team. Now Tu’ka did not know if Ka’z had actually forgiven him or if the apology was simply Ka’z’s way of ending the argument before leaving.

Tu’ka released a tired sigh and leaned his head back against the tree. The silence around him lasted only a few seconds before a sudden rustling sound came from the thick bushes below.

His gaze immediately sharpened. The violet color in his eyes deepened as his head snapped toward the source of the sound, and his body instinctively became tense. The thick bushes soon split apart, revealing a familiar figure struggling through the undergrowth while picking leaves and broken twigs from her hair.

"Kora?" Tu’ka blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Kora had grown much bigger than she had been when they were younger. As a kobold with a shorter lifespan, she matured faster than Za’r, whose magic allowed her body to develop more slowly and live much longer. Kora’s body had begun taking on the shape of a young adult, perky breasts and unmistakable curves and while she was still visibly younger than the older kobolds, there was no longer any mistaking that she was growing quickly.

"I should be asking you that," Kora replied as she stopped beneath the tree and looked up at him. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Don’t you think you are a bit too far from the colony?"

Tu’ka opened his mouth but found himself unable to answer. He had not expected anyone to find him, much less Kora. His silence only made her stare at him for several seconds before she released a small sigh.

"Before he left, Ka’z asked me to keep you company because you would probably be depressed, and he said you have something to tell me."

Tu’ka’s eyes widened.

"He did?"

"Yeah," Kora nodded casually. "So what’s up?"

Tu’ka was completely dumbstruck. He had been sitting alone in the forest worrying that Ka’z was still angry with him, yet Ka’z had remembered the conversation they were supposed to have about Kora and had even gone out of his way to send her to him before leaving. The realization made something inside Tu’ka loosen slightly, and for the first time since the argument, he felt that perhaps things were not as broken as he feared.

"Hello?" Kora waved one hand in the air. "Can you get down or at least help me get up? I’m not as strong as you guys."

"Ooh, sorry!" Tu’ka quickly shook himself out of his thoughts before jumping down from the branch.

He landed heavily on both feet, raising a small cloud of dust around his legs. Kora instinctively flinched and stared at the ground before slowly looking up at him. The height he had jumped from made her legs ache just imagining it.

"If I tried that, my legs would probably snap," she muttered.

Tu’ka scratched the back of his head awkwardly while Kora stared at his black scales and the faint violet glow in his eyes. Even standing still, there was something unusual about him. The darkness around his body seemed slightly deeper than the shadows around the surrounding trees.

"Magic beasts are so cool," Kora said honestly.

Tu’ka immediately revealed an embarrassed smile. "Normal beasts are amazing too."

Kora raised a hand dramatically. "No, no, no. I’m not just going to stand here and let you act humble."

"I’m not acting humble," Tu’ka replied, and his embarrassed smile remained. "The Ashmork clan leader, Grash, wasn’t a magic beast, but he was so strong that not even Tud’or could beat him."

Kora’s eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. Just being able to control mana and master it to an extremely high degree can make anyone powerful. You don’t need magic to be amazing."

Kora’s eyes sparkled at the explanation. As one of the workers at the lower end of kobold society, she rarely heard the full details of what happened beyond the colony. Most of the information that reached the workers was vague, incomplete, or deliberately simplified to prevent unnecessary fear. She knew Kong’gong had killed Grash, but she did not know how terrifying the goblin had been or how much danger the warriors had truly faced.

"Wow," she muttered before curiosity quickly replaced her shock. "I heard your magic is special?"

Tu’ka hesitated. "Amazing is not the right word. It’s just different."

"How so?" Kora asked as she began circling him, openly examining his black scales with fascination.

Tu’ka remained still, though his tail shifted awkwardly behind him. "Well, for one, my darkness magic messes with my head. It kind of makes showing the emotions I feel difficult. Each time I feel something, it’s like something inside me steals part of that feeling before I can properly understand it."

His expression darkened slightly as he said those words. He had never really explained it to anyone in that much detail before. Except for Ka’z, the others only knew that Tu’ka had difficulty expressing himself. They did not fully understand what it felt like to have emotions constantly dulled whenever he used his magic.

Kora stopped circling him and stared with genuine surprise.

"I can’t believe I actually thought you were just a snob who didn’t like any of us," she admitted. "I think most of us feel that way, so we just avoided you."

Tu’ka shook his head with a bitter smile. "It’s not that simple."

Kora stepped forward and grabbed one of his hands. "Then if your magic is that horrible, you don’t have to use it again. I prefer the Tu’ka who can say long sentences more than the silent one."

Tu’ka froze.

His eyes slowly lowered toward Kora’s hand around his, and his face began turning red. He was not used to people touching him so casually, especially someone who was looking at him the way Kora was looking at him now. For several seconds, he could not find a single response.

"I... If... I don’t use my magic, how am I supposed to protect you and everyone?"

The words came out awkwardly, but Kora still understood them. Her eyes widened, and a faint redness appeared on her cheeks. However, Tu’ka suddenly realized what he had said and quickly pulled his hand away before taking a step back.

An awkward silence fell between them.

Kora rubbed her fingers together nervously before finally looking up at him again. "Then would it be okay if I talk to you every day?"

Tu’ka’s eyes widened.

"If your magic is affecting you all the time, maybe if I get you to speak all the time too, you can learn how to balance the two," she explained quickly, as though she was afraid he would misunderstand her intention.

A small smile slowly appeared on Tu’ka’s lips. This time, there was no struggle to force it out.

"I would love that," he said with a smile.

Kora smiled back, though the two quickly fell into another awkward silence. She shifted on her feet before walking closer again.

"So... can I see what your magic can do now?" she asked.

A violet flash passed through Tu’ka’s eyes as he nodded calmly, but he did nothing else.

"Look down," he said.

Kora immediately lowered her gaze, only to freeze when she realized Tu’ka’s shadow had changed. It had thickened until it looked almost solid, and instead of remaining naturally connected to his body, it stretched unnaturally across the ground like another entity standing beside him.

Her eyes quickly rose and Tu’ka was gone. Only his shadow remained where he had been standing.

"Tu’ka?" Kora called nervously.

"It’s okay. I’m here."

Tu’ka’s voice came from behind her, causing her entire body to flinch. She quickly turned her head but could not see him at first. However, her gaze eventually dropped to the ground, and her eyes widened when she noticed her own shadow had thickened and expanded just like Tu’ka’s.

Before she could ask what was happening, Tu’ka casually stepped out from the darkness at her feet.

Kora stumbled forward with her mouth open. If he had not moved, she would never have known he was there. Nothing about it made sense to her, but that was exactly what she had always imagined magic should be. Ordinary people doing things that should be impossible, like breathing fire or riding the wind.

"I take it all back," Kora gasped as excitement filled her eyes. "Don’t ever stop using your magic. It’s amazing."

Tu’ka stared at her for a moment before a genuine laugh escaped him. It was quiet and unfamiliar enough that Kora blinked in surprise, but she quickly started laughing too. For the first time since the previous night, Tu’ka felt the pressure inside his chest ease. The argument with Ka’z was still unresolved, and the future of their friendship remained uncertain, but at least now he knew one thing.

Ka’z had not forgotten him.