Kobold Life

Chapter 4: A New City

As soon as I had seen the fort, I began towards it. Inside there would be food, shelter, and maybe someone who could tell me how the hell I had gotten to this world. It was like the countless Isekais I had watched back at home, except I didn't seem to have any of the ridiculous powers or advantages their protagonists had, I was lucky to have started with two days' rations, and some makeshift clothes. Maybe now I could get a foothold in this world and finally figure out what I was supposed to be doing here.

"Tupq sjhiu uifsf!" a strangely guttural voice called from atop the fort's wall.

That didn't sound like English, I thought as I looked up to the source of the noise. A human man stood over the fort's main gate with a crossbow held in his hands.

"J tbje, tupq!" the voice called out again.

The voice sounded angry, and while I had no idea what words were being said, I stopped as he raised the crossbow on the second command. I threw my hands up, in the hopefully universal sign of surrender as he kept the crossbow trained on me.

"I can't understand what you are saying" I called out, hoping that they would recognize English, and repeat themselves.

"Uvso bspvoe boe mfbwf zpvs ljoe bsf opu xfmdpnf ifsf", a second guard called from a few crenulations over.

"Please, I called out, I can't understand you, I need help, I will die out there," I tried desperately

Now the second one put his crossbow down, looking annoyed. Clearing recognizing the language barrier. I hoped that he was going to attempt to find someone I could speak to, but instead, he raised his hands and began to move them around. He pointed at me then placed a hand up like an officer stopping traffic, before bringing his other hand toward it, alternating the extension of his pointer finger and middle finger like a man walking. At first, I thought it was an invitation, that he was giving me permission to enter until he immediately followed it by pulling his pointer finger across his throat and feigning collapse. That sign was universal, and the message was clear, if I kept approaching the fort, they would kill me.

The understanding hit like a truck, shattering any small amount of hope or dignity I had left. This town was my only chance at salvation, I had no more tools, only a small amount of food, and untreated wounds. I was exhausted, in pain, and confused and I couldn't take it anymore. I dropped to my knees, and threw myself down in supposition, I wordlessly begged them to let me in, I put my hands together and formed a kneel as if in prayer, trying to show the guards I needed help, but they seemed less empathetic and more annoyed by the gesture. I kept trying, attempting to look as pathetic as possible in some hope of sympathy, it wasn't very hard to do in my state.

The twang of a crossbow bolt and subsequent earthy impact drew me out of my fervor as I looked up to see a crossbow bolt embedded in the ground less than a foot from where I had been kneeling. I gazed at the first guard who was now reloading his crossbow, as the second still attempted hand signals. This one was quite clear and demeaning. He was shooing me away, as though I were some common pest. I had no pride left after the encounter, but I still had the will to live. The first guard finished reloading, but did not immediately fire, a clear indication that the first had indeed been a warning shot, I doubted I would get another. I lifted myself to my feet with a struggle, grabbed the crossbow bolt and turned tail, and ran.

I moved back towards the jungle's edge looking back to the fort as I scrambled away. The two returned to their positions as if nothing had happened, and a minute later I was back in the jungle. I didn't go further after that however, I still wasn't willing to give up on this town, not when the alternative was trying to survive on my own out here. I needed sleep, and then I would try again just before nightfall, perhaps two new guards would wait for me, and one would be willing to accept me into their town.