+++
date = '2026-05-29T16:00:00-06:00'
draft = true
title = "Meppa the Kobold, Chapter Three"
tags = ['story', 'meppa the kobold']
showTableOfContents = false
showPagination = false
showZenMode = true
+++

## Chapter Three

He vanished in the night. No one knew where he went or if he went there voluntarily, but **Kip** was gone. **Meppa** was convinced he had probably been eaten by some monster, perhaps the same that had mauled her a week prior. Her neck had still not healed fully, even with medical attention from **Silbin** the healer of the group. Thanks to her, **Meppa** was likely to make a full recovery, but that was not her primary concern.

With the group gathered around their meager fire, one question remained, where do we go from here? **Meppa** just wanted to curl up and die, to dig a hole to hide in, maybe fill that hole with spikes...

It was **Dekkara** who took charge in the end. She said simply that, "If we head towards **Kaelrath**, we head towards our goal. She is watching over us!" This did seem to inspire the group with some hope, and even **Meppa** felt a bit of hope despite the desperation that she was drowning in. They decided the best course of action was to keep heading towards **Kaelrath** and avoid any **Tall Creature** towns.

Leaving the outskirts of **Holey Town**, they could see **Kaelrath** through a break in the mountain range decorated with thick fogs. This was their most promising direction to head, and **Meppa** was certain their path would not take them through fogs. Without their navigator or even a map, their best bet was to travel as directly as they could. They soon found a river that cut through the mountain range. Following it, they reached a point in the river where it was joined by another creating an impassible obstacle, water.

They put as much ingenuity as they could come up with to solve the problem, one considered a raft, but without proper materials or time this was not an option, another was to follow the river until its beginning. The idea that took the most interest was a catapult. They would simply propel themselves across, and its design was going to be significantly simpler than a raft. **Meppa** found herself as the unwilling test subject for the catapult, not only since she was unskilled at the arts of construction, but also due to the animosity that her traveling party had grown for her and her sister. **Dekkara** reassured her that it would be OK, **Meppa** was uncertain, she was not a strong swimmer, and the river was likely to sweep her away.

When the contraption was finalized, a rudimentary rope and a couple logs quickly assembled, **Meppa** found herself seated on the device with great uncertainty. The rope used to provide tension creaked and groaned under the stress it found itself in, threatening to explode at any moment. Her group released the catapult arm and **Meppa** found herself flying, she felt her stomach fly into her chest. The world went into slow motion as her heart raced 