Rei and his cuties, as he liked to call them, for the exasperation of Kow, were not having a good time.

  After the steadier friendship forged last night, over the next few days Rei made himself even more of an asset by sharing his knowledge [In bite size pieces] to the team and offering his perspective on how they could achieve more with Mana.

  Spells and Skills that before were almost impossible for them to figure out, Rei made it almost too easy … almost, they still could not deal with the Mental onslaught of information the Dragon provided on a whim, nor really comprehend it.

  Dream Speech with the express purpose of teaching the amount of knowledge the dragon was trying to impart, was basically an attack to the Kobolds Minds, a literal Bomb going off in their psyche.

  More often than not, they would spend an entire half-day knocked out Cold and then need the rest of it to get back on their feet as their minds digested the experience.

  Even then, it was too little time, the Kobolds week off was at the end and Rei spent very little actual active time with his new friends.

  They took notice of it. On the last day, they decided that the team would go out for a Hunt.

  To hone out the new skills and bond some more on high intensity combat.

  It was simple like that, the Three F’s, Fight, Food and Fu-rendship, very close friendship, almost too close for comfort with weird dynamics and stop thinking about it and go back to the first two F’s.

  *** *** ***

  The hunt started out on the wrong foot right out of the cave.

  They got used to the Dragon's presence, and forgot he was HOPELESS at hiding it.

  Anything huntable in sight moved, and everything that stayed was aware of them.

  They got on with the program quickly, and adapted to it.

  Kow was riding the dragon while Las was on top of Has head as always.

  [Rei] “We both mounts now?”

  [Has] “I like someone riding me”

  A pat on Las legs and the dragon was huffing and slightly embarrassed.

  [Rei] “You too ?”

  Has shrugged.

  [Has] “Friends.”

  He said it explained everything.

  *** *** ***

  Most of the traveling was spent in conversation, Stealth was all but impossible with the Dragon there, so the team spent the time bending over aggravating their new companion, the new guy initiation they called, even when they never had a new guy ever.

  [Rei] “Fuck you It's … ”

  The dragon tried but was immediately cut.

  [Kow, Las] “You wish”

  [Rei] “It's completely unfair that you guy know what I think and I can't do the same”

  [Kow, Las] “Skill issue”

  [Rei] “STOP talking at the same time, it's Weird.”

  [Kow, Las] “Fine …”  “We can …”  “Take turns” “Speaking”

  [Rei] “That's it, i'm pulling my card on you miss ‘I'm prepared, I can take it’, now shut it”

  The Female one put a hand on her heart.

  [Las] “Well, excuse me, I didn't expect you to be so rough when you shoved all of ‘that’ inside little me, I was stuffed to bursting …”

  [Rei] “Stoooooooooop”

  The Dragon moaned.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  [Las] “I don't think I will, think of it as extra motivation”

  [Kow] “Yep, this thing of yours is funny when we are not out here hunting, but you are completely ruining this outing for the team, you scared every easy meal out, and made everything else aware of us, that means ‘fun’ times ahead”

  [Rei] “I'm doing my best, but it's exhausting to keep it in …”

  Them Has out of all of them quipped.

  [Has] “Need to train stamina, last longer, don't get exhausted too soon”

  It was dry delivered with the objective bluntness that was normal for Has … the actual joke was the other two snickering Kobolds.

  [Rei] “Barbarians, you even got the gall to say I'm the horny one … “

  [Kow] “What was that you said ? Pot, Kettle ?”

  [Rei] “... You Black …”

  The Dragon tried to not smile and keep a serious expression, which was entirely useless as they could just read his unrestrained presence and intent, and they had no idea what a dragon's body language was.

  They could peer right on his mind, no hiding for him apparently, at least not from Las, but when everyone could talk with their minds, if one knows everyone knows, it was … freeing to not have to care about it, even if it was a constant annoyance.

  And with that the Dragon was back at moaning half hearted complaints while going back to try and reining in his presence.

  *** *** ***

  [Kow] -Alright, we are starting to enter the Forest Groove proper and I'm keeping tabs on some interested parties, this Big and obnoxious lug … -

  He patted the Dragons Head.

  [Kow] -Is getting a lot of attention, and there are some know figures there, that's for you Rei, there is a Wolf Pack and the Feline Pack here that don't see eye to eye, they compete on hunts and even small skirmishes on the Hot season, but with the cold approaching they are going to be extra territorial, but we are going deeper, so that’s not our problem-

  The Kobold stopped talking out loud.

  [Kow] “If they focus on you try to be scary but not too much, they know of us, but don't know of you, make a big impressionante with a roar or something, but not so big as to make them think we are claiming territory”

  The Kobold paused, pointing at a distance, a Dark Green Wolf and a Wood Brow Tigger were hiding nearby, at Kows voice and pointing, they backed out.

  [Kow] -Besides those two, there is the Goblins and the solo Beasts on these parts, the Bushes grow in different intervals and different places, it's the Forest Groove's way of keeping things dynamic and not let anyone Settle anywhere-

  [Rei] “Wait, I got how the Groove works with our last talk, but can it think ?”

  [Kow] -Kind of, it's everything plant wise on it’s land, and it knows a LOT, i'm on the side that thinks its a type of Ancient, and I run with that, obeyed its rules and the ground won't try to bury you alive-

  The dragon falters on his step.

  [Rei] “Should I be worried here ? You guys are Nonchalant about it, but throw me a bone here”

  [Kow] -Rightm… How do I explain this … it can move, fight, defend itself and all that, but … if I could summarize its attitude in one word, it would be lazy, all Grooves are, they try to get the most meal with as little effort as possible-

  Kow stopped to think.

  [Kow] “We being here, you especially, benefits the Groove, we shake up the Mana and Mana makes more Mana, so even if we are just passing, it is already getting a small meal out of it … “

  [Rei] “And if it can make a lot of things pass through, or even make fights happen on its lands …”

  [Row] “It gets a bigger meal, yes, but the Forest Groove is old and reliable, we can predict it, it figured out its eating strategy and stuck to that, so unless you make yourself a danger to it, it will leave you alone, maybe instigate you to fight for a prize”

  [Rei] “Like the Berries …”

  [Kow] “Like the Berries”

  The small lesson was opening the Dragon's eyes to a LOT, the most bountiful place in the forest itself was not static, none could settle and keep a territory, because if you did, the ground you're on would no longer give you food.

  The Forest makes sure conflict always happens and when winter comes, is when it prepares the bigger meal, all out conflict with all of the fattening factions it sustains.

  [Rei] “It causes war and profits from it … that's …”

  [Kow] “Yeah, I got that reaction too my first time … say, wanna watch the two lovebirds ?”

  The Dragon did a double take, noticing that the other two companions got away while he was engrossed in the local Lore.

  [Rei] “You guys are always like this ?”

  The dragon asked in surprise, even his embarrassment took second place.

  Kow shrugged and got that honest look on his face.

  [Kow] “When Las discovered how to connect us like this, the Spell was a lot less refined, it was like sharing on the DreamLand, but somehow … more raw … think about how she can tell what you feel and figure out what you are thinking … but make it blatantly clear to everyone … we had … some weird seasons until we figured ourselves out … a lot of our issues and all that … “

  The Kobold gestures.

  It was the kind of talk they had no opportunity to have because they also had no idea how to do things, Kow couldn't treat me like a Beast he just tamed and was teaching, I would resist being molded like that.

  Las was pressing my buttons to figure me out, Has is being Has.

  [Rei] “Las put you up with the honesty part ?”

  Kow laughed, shaking his head.

  [Kow] “No, that's on me, I got us all together, taught then what I knew, Big Brother kind of thing, we really should have had this talk before, but it didn't feel like something to brought up unless you asked or something, we never had a ‘new guy’, it was just us and maybe a beast i tamed when i got the heart for it, so we were kinda waiting on you”

  [Rei] “And I just kinda asked, even if as a joke”

  The Dragon shook his head and Kow shrugged.

  [Rei] “So what ? Everything was a plot to make me ask about your history ? Las already poured her life on my head the first time …”

  [Kow] “Not all of it, a very selected version of her story, remember that she doesnt suck at it like you do”

  [Rei] “Shut it, go back to mushy stuff”

  [Kow] “Maybe later, the lovebirds are getting back and now that you already curious, night time we can tell a story over the fire while eating some Berris, team bonding experience”

  The Kobold laughed and jumped out of the dragon's head and into the ground.

  [Rei] “ … Tiny Bastard … wait, they’re finished already ?”

  The Dragon looked around, seeing two kobolds walking back with hands held.

  [Kow] “How crude, you thought they would be mating in the middle of a hunt ? right in the danger ? Just for the thrill ?”

  [Rei] “What ? … But you said … fucking bastard, the hell they were doing them ?”

  [Kow] “Giving us some time alone, Las figured I could get more done with you on a one on one, you tend to retreat more and measure yourself when all of us are together”

  Kow shrugged and smiled at the blinking dragon.

  [Rei] “What ? … How ? … Just … How much she figured me out ?! … that's so fucking unfair …”

  [Kow] “Skill issue, just get better at it”

  He took the front while Has got on his side and Las the back of the impromptu Diamond formation.

  [Las] “Don't worry, Kow is just being mean, this deep reading only works because of my Spell, most would only get your surface emotions and intent, you are mostly angry, I know what each flavor of anger means now, but on the surface? Just Angry Dragon”

  Las gave him a quick pat on the side, likely reading what he was thinking before he could even voice it.

  And when the Dragon was ready to retreat again, they sprung the true trap.

  [Has] “Come on friend Rei, good fight and good eating ahead, we four out to have fun … have fun”

  The Dragon Huffed when the Big Buff Kobold smiled at him like the damn golden retriever he was.

  [Rei] “Fucking skeeming kobolds, manipulating a Angry Dragon into their weird group friendship … Rei and his Pet's”

  [Kow] “You're still not hiding it, and we're yours now ?! Weren't you supposed to be our Pet ?”

  [Rei] “I WASN'T TRYING TO, AND I'M A DRAGON, I HOARD STUFF NOT YOU”

  The dragon voiced a yell while focusing.

  A middle claw could be seen raised out of Kow's hand.

  [Rei] “ … Cute Bastards … “

  No response, now the Dragon truly smiled, he was getting it.

  The group got deeper into the Groove.

  Is it just me or the love of ‘shameless’ banter is universal ? I can’t not find it funny in some way.

  Update on my Paint Drawing … it’s going … like that download you made on the Dial-Up Internet in the olden days sooooo … yeah … Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee