Until recently, Kori had never spent much time with her sister. Beys had been a bit of a bully for much of their early years, but she'd grown out of it since the beginning of their apprenticeships. And as the only two of their clutch who had failed in their initial calling, they had a shared experience that the others didn't really understand. They had spent some time over the past months after Kori's return to the brood chamber commiserating with each other over their circumstances. While Kori did not find the topic of moss farming particularly fascinating, Beys it turned out found it to be worthwhile work. Though she'd readily admit that she'd much rather work raising livestock. She thought the giant moles and salamanders the clan raised were adorable.

With their growing closeness it made sense to invite her along with the rest of the group, Losq, Plk, and Qot, as they explored the festival. The others had gotten to see a bit of it last year, but for Kori it would mostly be a new experience.

What little she had seen last year had been a loud and raucous gathering with music, dancing, and the smell of spilt mead permeating the air. This year she'd get to see the earlier portion of the evening and everyone was looking forward to it.

Losq led them along to the first place he wanted to stop, he'd been hauling casks and kegs throughout the caverns all day and knew where some of the more interesting food would be. Every hall had platters piled with food laid out for the taking, but some had better things on offer than others. There was no point to grabbing the same old steamed or roasted fish that they could get any other day after all.

"Come on, I saw them smoking a pair of massive crawlers earlier. I wanna get there before they crack open the shell." He said excitedly as he hurried the group onwards to a communal hall nearer to the deep lakes. They rushed along, following the line to their destination. Weaving through the crowds that passed in the opposite direction. Many of the older members of the clan were traveling inwards to crowd the great hall for the opening blessing from Elder Kles. Most of the halls would have a blessing from one of the matrons, but the practically ancient Elder was deeply respected and the crowd listening to her would be tightly packed, even in the massive chamber.

Arriving to their destination, they found it still commanded a sizable crowd. More kobolds than Kori had seen in one place at any time other than her brief passage through last year's festival. She knew that there would be even more of them there soon enough, once the main crowd dispersed outwards. A small elevated section sat off to one side, a stone platform that Kori didn't remember seeing before. She suspected that it had been raised magically to provide space for the drums and several odd instruments that were already arranged there.

Losq pointed to the side of the raised stage to an area laid out with cushions and leather mats as he led them towards it. By the wall there were a pair of what looked to be giant kegs constructed of black metal turned onto their sides, each of which billowed out a pleasant-smelling smoke. The fumes were being visibly drawn into the ventilation shafts by the various nearby air runes. Kori had often had to lug about and then hold steady a ladder for the inscriptionists to service those runes in her first apprenticeship. It was one of her least favorite memories of that time. Right above expelling all of her mana at once and passing out.

There was already a crowd forming around the giant smokers, everyone looking forward to the impending reveal of their contents. The younglings managed to squirm their way near the head of the crowd, watching as the cooks readied themselves to serve up their delights. Before that could happen though, there was still the matter of the blessing from one of the matrons.

This far out from the great hall it was no surprise that one of the most junior of the matrons had been sent to deliver the blessing. The only surprise was that Kori knew her. She hadn't seen Vri in a few months, but her former tutor would have gotten her class just weeks prior and ascended to the rank of matron.

With a wave that swayed her whole-body Kori yelled out to be heard above the crowd, "Vri. Vri!" She screamed trying to get the woman's attention. Given that she was less than a dozen meters away, it didn't take long before she noticed Kori's antics and returned her wave with a bright smile.

At the same time her nearby siblings gave her questioning looks, unsure why their sister was so happy to see a matron that had never taught them. "She was my tutor while I was with Ortik. She taught me how to write proper, unlike you guys who just drew in the dirt." She explained, sticking out her tongue at the end teasingly.

Her comment set off a round of well natured bickering about their ability to write, only Plk had managed to actually earn himself a level in the calligraphy Skill. The others didn't really need it in their occupations. Soon their teasing was silenced as Vri's voice boomed unnaturally loud through the hall.

"Welcome Everyone…" Those nearby quickly covering their ears as her voice thundered by, Vri wincing at her mistake. Beginning again in a softer voice, still amplified by some means but not nearly as loud. "Sorry, haven't had much practice with this yet." She says bashfully. "I'm certain you would all like to get to the enjoyable part of the evening so I will try to keep things short." She continued, garnering a few laughs from the crowd. "Today we gather to give thanks and remembrance to our progenitor and patron of our ancient kin. Today we celebrate Maladoxis Emberscale, the Garnet Tyrant." She exclaimed reverently, bowing her head after speaking the dragon's name. Kori watched as many of the adults surrounding her did the same and quickly followed suit. "In the days of ancient past, we who bear his name and blood, did toil for his benefit. We delved the earth, as we do to this day, in order to furnish our cousins so that they might fulfil his desires." She proclaimed to the assembled crowd.

She paused briefly, taking a moment to find her place in her prepared speech, before continuing. "We kobolds were at our best in those ages, the purpose granted by the great dragon propelling us forward as we did as our patrons bade. It is said that in the ages since, we have lessened." She said sadly, slowly shaking her head back and forth. "But I say that we instead survived. We persevered. After the night of the blood sky, we remained. After our cousins, the Drakkiri, departed for reasons unknown, we remained. And here today, we remain." Her voice growing stronger as her words progressed, emphasising her statements. "And as the last blood of the true dragons upon this world, we shall continue to remain. Proof of the greatness that once was. Proof that the might of dragons still lives on. Proof that the mark of the great dragons will forevermore, remain."

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Vri took a moment to catch her breath and allow the energy of the crowd which had hung upon her every word to settle before she concluded her sermon, "So today we give thanks, as we who remain to do so, to the Matriarch of dragons, Anazul the Iridescent and to her progeny, the great dragon with whom she brought our ancestors into being, Maladoxis Emberscale." As she finished and the crowd erupted in cheers and hollers of the dragon's names, Kori noticed the blinking light of a notification.

<<Bonus to daily allotment of Racial Experience gained>>

Wait, we get extra experience for listening to her give a speech? Why don't we do this every day?!

Torn between wanting to bombard Vri with questions about the experience gain and the mouth-watering aromas coming from the smokers in front of her, she hesitated and quickly saw it was too late. Once she had finished, Vri had quickly jumped down from the stage and was lost from Kori's sight in the crowd.

She still asked her question of course, hoping a sibling or someone nearby might provide the answer, but not really expecting it. "Did you guys just get bonus experience for her speech?"

Plk was the first to respond to her, "Yeah. That happened last year too." He shrugged.

Before Kori could ask what everyone knew she would, Beys piped in with her best impression of her sister, "But, why?" She tried to hold a straight face for as long as possible before she, and the others, all broke into laughter at Kori's expense. Even Kori after a few moments of pouting joined in. After she had delivered a kick to Beys' shins that is.

Seeing as her siblings knew as little as she did on the matter, Kori let it rest, telling herself she'd need to remember to pester Korse about it when she got a chance.

With the blessing done and the crowd chomping at the bit for the delicacy awaiting them in the smokers, the team of cooks tending to the food hauled open the lids with a flourish revealing their contents. Within each rested a single massive brown-red crustacean, each easily the size of two or more full grown kobold, their eight legs already separated and laid out on a rack below the body and its two massive claws. A tangy sweet smell of herbs and spices mixed with the char of smoke wafted out alongside the succulent aroma of the meat waiting to be devoured.

Kori, having never seen a deep crawler before, was taken aback at the size and ferocity of the things spiked carapace and deadly claws. She'd heard of them, crawling around the deepest depths of the lakes, feeding off of the fish and anything else they could get their claws on, but she had no idea that they were such threatening creatures.

Her mouth hanging open at the sight, "How the scale did the fishers catch something like that? It looks like it'd give Blonc's warriors a tough time." She exclaimed quietly, intending it mostly for herself.

Several of the adults nearby laughing at her shock, "First time seein one of em youngling?" One asked, "I damn near dropped my net and fell in the first time I hauled one of these beasts up myself." He continued, setting off a chain of laughs and agreements from many in the crowd around them. "We usually let em loose, too much fight in em for us fishers. We get the little ones coming up on the shore now and then and grab em to toss in a pot. Those bugs are right tasty." As he spoke, he pointed off to the side where several large pots were boiling away, likely containing the ones he was talking about.

"If we can manage it, without wastin fish, not nearly enough in the nets lately to waste any, we'll toss em in a cage and let the warriors deal with em later." He explained, "It's been months since I've gotten to taste a big'un, looking forward to this!" He received more shouts of agreement from the crowd.

As they spoke the cooks used a pair of long poles, lifting the heavy shelled body out of the hot smoker and setting it on the floor of the cave. Several bulky kobolds, their scarred arms and massive frames hinting them to likely be the very warriors who fought the thing in the first place, approached with large mallets and metal wedges. They used their tools to crack open the crawler's armoured shell, releasing a plume of delicious vapour from the confines when it finally gave way. The crowd cheered and presses forward as the meat within was revealed, the warriors keeping them back with stern looks as the cooks quickly slices away portions and began serving to the waiting masses.

The fisher that had spoken to the younglings gave them a look and a wink before moving forward to the cooks, waving one over and speaking into her ear. Kori wasn't able to make out what he said over the crowd, but saw when he pointed in their direction. The cook turned to look at them before smiling and giving a nod. Disappearing into the crowd, the fisher didn't return or explain what he had done, but soon after the cook approached their group, half of one of the legs from the crawlers held steaming in front of her with a roll of leather to protect her hands.

"Jua said you younglings hadn't seen a crawler before, thought you might like to share a leg instead of waiting for some of the body." She said, gesturing at the segment she held out to them. Even though it was only half, if they stood it up it would be nearly tall enough to reach Kori's shoulder and was as wider around than one of her wrists. "The legs are the best part, but they're more work." She told them. "Take the leather and wrap it around, then smack it with a rock a few times to crack the shell. Watch the spines, those things are sharp." She explained, a broad smile on her face as she saw the wonder in their eyes as Losq took hold of the surprisingly heavy crab's leg.

They all gave her excited thanks as she handed over their prize before quickly retreating back to her work, with Kori yelling a quick, "Tell Jua we said thanks!" As she departed.

The five found their way to a less crowded corner, taking with them a large stone found nearby for likely the very purpose they were going to put it to. There was a slight disagreement as both Losq and Beys wanted to do the honours of cracking open their meal, with Losq eventually bowing out and letting their sister have at it. She gave it a few tentative smacks with the rock, with not nearly enough force to do much besides blunt a few spines on the shell, before ramping up to a full-bodied swing. As the collision of rock on shell rang out, muffled by the leather protecting the contents from spilling out, they heard the sounds of the carapace cracking.

Peeling back the scarred leather, covered in pin-pricks of the spines caused by its many uses for this purpose, they saw the fractured surface of the shell, still intact but spiderwebbed with fissures, Beys let out a sigh, "Damn that things tough." Before handing the stone over to Losq, "You give it a couple." He gave her a nod as they returned the leather to its place, before giving it several smacks, each not quite as heavy as his sister's final blow, up and down its length.

When they revealed the leg once again, they could all see the now shattered carapace ready to be pulled apart to expose the awaiting meat. It was easily half a centimeter thick. They quickly peeled back the shell using their claws and dug into the succulent flesh of the crustacean within, easily one of the best things they'd ever eaten.

Talking as they chomped and chewed, they each exclaimed their enjoyment of the feast in front of them.

"Oh, that's good…"

"I'll never look at fish the same way again…"

"Scale me, this is delicious…"

And various other exclamations of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Not far away, watching as the younglings gorged themselves, a fisher and his cook of a mate laughed heartily at their antics. Each fondly remembering when they had done much the same many years beforehand.

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