The Scaly kingdom

The Damsel

Standing at the wooden gates of the huge wall that is the Scrovisis Clan main entrance. The Wastestone wall towering over them seemingly made from a single piece of stone. Shouts of many voices ring through the morning air calling for the captain of the guard to come meet the visitors that stand at the gate. The trio wait patiently at the gate as the guards move about the top of the wall seemingly more surprised of the new arrivals, far more so than the patrols seem to be.

The trio of Yogoth wait for a few more minutes before a shout from the top of the wall. “What brings a few newcomers to the great gate of the Scrovisis Clan? I am Kelsar head of the guard, you come at a dark time of the wastes”.

“It is not just a dark time for the Scrovisis Clan for it seems the great Scion has made his great return and is demanding sacrifice. In his demand he has taken the lives of most of our clan members in his greed”. I exclaimed with outstretched arms revealing my stigma that was blessed upon me by Sicon. As I do so I step back to get a glance at Kelsar.

“Ah so you must be the Herald that is said to show the coming of Sicon. So, tell me why you are here to demand that we present you with a sacrifice or are you here for some other purpose?”

“Sicon would demand we get a sacrifice, but I have come from my village with a plan if you would like to talk, we can do so face to face or we will try our luck with another village”. I say through bated breath awaiting their response.

We wait for a few more minutes till the gate starts to move as it slowly sinks into the ground on a pully and rope drawn by multiple of what seemed to be the warrior class with large stature and much larger muscles rippling as they hoist the rope and lower the gate. As the massive gate falls into the ground a mechanism slides over the hole and makes a stone bridge over the threshold. On the other side of the threshold, I could see a mass of warrior class troops with weapons at the ready and pointed at us. The mass parts just enough to allow one figure through the male stands as a tower of muscle with black scales and slitted green eyes, on his back is a massive Wastestone sword edged and carved to a great point. His white teeth seem to gleam in the daylight and his hide clothing a symbol of status from the rest of the rabble. “You have my attention, what is this plan that you have to fight a god.” The figure proclaimed with authority.

“My plan is simple to have the collection of tribes join forces to raid the fortress to the east that Scion has erected and put an end to the terror that is his will. We will create a war party the likes he has never seen, and we will bring him down a peg and show the gods that we are not so weak that they can trample on us like bugs.” I announce with a steady voice and sternness in my eye.

“You have a way with words, but do you have the metal to see it through, we shall see.” The figure brandishes his great sword and lunges forward catching us on our heel and I having enough Zeon left in the reserves to produce a shield of mystical energy to catch his heavy blow. “You’ve blocked one”, he proclaimed just before his head drops and the old warrior swishes his tail down low in a tripping motion. I produce the shield once more and block the incoming attack with a confident look on my face but just as I think I have him he uses the momentum to swing his great sword horizontally cutting through the air in a fluid motion catches me off guard. I try to use my mystical shield but to no avail and just slow the blade down enough to cause him to cut me ever so slightly on the throat. Blood trickles down from the wound and if in the same motion he puts the giant sword away. “Good you seem to need more practice, but you are still young. I would like to help you, but my mind is elsewhere you see many of our young have been taken by the bat creatures that haunt the night. Just two nights ago a group attacked the village and the ones that survived took some of our hatchlings, including among them is my own daughter. We cannot send out troops to the nearby caves to find them for fear they will attack us while we are undefended.” He states in a low and shaky tone.

“To earn your trust, we will find your hatchlings and bring back news of them if not themselves.” I announce in a stern voice.

“We have little hope that they are alive but if you could bring back any news on their condition then we will have the focus to do as you ask.” he proclaims.

“Right, what is your name and the location of the caves?” I ask.

“If you would have died, I would have never got the chance to say. Now, would I? I am Scrossis.” He looks to the north and back at me, “The cave according to our scouts the cave is north of here. It is full of the bat creatures so you will have one hell of a fight on your hands.” He proclaimed with solace.

“It will be done Scrossis, or we will die trying”, I say as I look around at the others and back to my companions who seem to agree with what I have proclaimed. Sharshas with a stern look on his face and Sormas with a look of concern as we start heading out towards the north in search of this cave.

After an hour Sormas pipes up “Are you sure this is worth it should we not find a quicker way of going about gathering allies”.

“Yes, we do seem to be doing things the long way we should have just smashed through and took their ligancy by duel if we are in a hurry”, Sharshas agrees.

“We are in a hurry, but you must realize that if we are going to gather allies then we need to gain their trust first or else we are no better than Scion regarding recruiting the unwilling. We need to be better so doing favors that don’t take more than a day to complete will be good for the relationship. That being said I don’t know how patent Scion is and he may lose his and come searching for us in time”. I explain trying to just pass the time as we walk. Although right on queue I spotted the hill with a massive hole on the surface that from this distance looked like a cavern into the depths of the world as we speak. “That must be it”, I say as I turn back to look at the others with Sharshas as stoic as always and Sormas with his maw agape.

“It is not too late we could turn back say we didn’t find anything”, Sormas says in a solemn voice but quickly perks up. “No, we got this how deep can it even go anyways”.

“You aren’t scared now are you we have slept in plenty of caves”, I retort jokingly.

“Yes, but none of them were absolutely filled to the brim with monsters, but you are right just my nerves getting to me let's just get this done”, Sormas bites back steeling himself. Once we get within one hundred feet of the cave we start to crouch as the sun goes down behind us and we are covered in darkness. We approach the cave mouth with Sormas up front leading us into the cave holds up one hand behind himself to signal us to stop. “They seem to be stirring”, he whispers to Sharshas and I. We stop for a moment to listen to the stirring creatures and then move into the mouth.

I can feel my stigma swell with power as I concentrate on the spirit world to try and sense any nearby spirits but to my surprise the concentration of spirits is very low. I turn my eyes over the blackness before me trying to spot any sign of the hatchlings, but all I see is the mass of living things perched hanging above us starting to stir and begin to move. Just as we are moving through the cave there seems to be a handful of creatures hanging twenty feet from our heads. I tap Sormas on the shoulder and point up when he looks my way he nods and draws his weapons. As he does this so do Sharshas and we begin to position ourselves around the chamber ready to ambush the ambushers.

It takes me a little bit longer to gather the Zeon needed to summon my spells but luckily, we have the time to prepare. The area around me becomes heavy with Zeon as I produce the around my hands the red orbs one for each creature, but they seem to be unusual from the previous ones. They spin with an intensity greatly increasing the size of each. As I unleash the spell the orbs fly from my person impacting each with a heavy blow that knocks them down from their perch and hitting the ground with a thud. They lay there for a moment before the two of them stood and ready to fight they let out a terrible screech that echoed throughout the cavern. They are quickly silenced by my companions with them jumping on each creature's weapons finding their mark.

Just as we thought it was over an echoing roar shakes the cavern with heavy footfalls that seem to shake the very ground. At first all we see is the red glowing eyes of the beast. As it charges into the cavern it comes into view a massive creature of dry hide and muscle tusks and sharpened teeth in its elongated maw, razor sharp claws protrude from its front feet, and a thick tail counterbalancing its massive form. It charges into the cavern filling up most of the space within head and back just inches from the ceiling. As it charges straight for Sharshas, but he jumps out of the way and the beast runs past but with surprising agility uses his tail and quickly turns before the charge is even over and running back shaking the cavern as it goes.

I hear some cracking of stone and I look up seeing the stalagmites seeming to be crumbling with the shaking of the cavern I begin to focus my Zeon for one more spell trying gather as fast as possible, but it is not coming as fast do to the lack of spirits in the area which gives the creature plenty of time to start its charge once more and this time looks towards me as its glowing eyes bounding up and down as it picks up speed I try to move out of the way not having enough Zeon to raise a shield it clips me, sending a stream of pain running through my body. It is almost crippling, but I hang onto consciousness despite feeling the blood trickling from my body as I look at my hand covered in my own blood. I look at my hand and see the blood being absorbed into the stigma on my hand and I am suddenly filled with Zeon as the stigma glows. I reach out to the stalagmites in the cavern and launch the red, black orbs into the ceiling causing the cracked pillars of rock to fall onto the creature’s back piercing it and causing a roar that echoes through the cavern just as I lose consciousness, I see Sharshas and Sormas jumping onto the creature with roars of pain, fury, then darkness.

My vision swims and is thrust across land to my village and into the fissure. Down to the bottom of the great tare where Scion had emerged and swallowed the village. A great glowing river of red flows from an unseen lake and far beyond however far I cannot see. Under the surface my vision swirls in a haze going against the flow and to a great lake, but the vision does not stop there as my eyes see a great fortress of reflective surfaces over the walls and into the castle. My vision moves through walls and into a large room with a figure sitting on a throne. A figure clad in armor before him is a thin figure of the same species kneeling before what I can only assume is the lord, they speak in a Tongue that I do not understand. As they speak the lord looks around nervously until they look in my direction and frown. The Lord shouts something and the kneeling person looks in the direction. Just as they draw weapons the vision fades and my eyes open.

I take a deep breath as the air rushes into my lungs. I sit up briskly with the flow of pain in my side. I look around to access my surroundings and I find myself on the floor of the cave that we were in. I find my companions sitting around me, Sormas with a worried look on his face and Sharshas looking around with a wary eye.

“You really need to learn how to dodge. What are you going to do if I wasn’t here to patch you up hu? But any case it is good to see you aren’t dead. We need to keep moving.” Sormas explains.

“I am just glad to have you around. Has any of the beasts come out of the woodwork after that creature came at us?” I say to the others rising to my feet.

“No, we seem to have taken out all of the bats that where in this chamber if not the cave itself.” Sharshas said without looking in my direction.

“Alright let’s just get to looking for these kids hopefully they haven’t been eaten already.” I say wincing in pain.

We move deeper into the cave, and it becomes darker but not at all quieter. As we go deeper, we start to hear shuffling echoing in a side cropping. Sormas signaling for us to stop so he can listen in on the echoes. He points towards the left and waves for us to follow. Sormas leads us through the darkened cavern until we come upon several figures huddled together shaking in the cold and damp space. The figures huddled in the back of the cavern are surrounded by some of the bat-like creatures moving in a circular and predatory motion. We look towards each other and move into action stalking about through the darkness trying to be unseen or in this situation unheard by the bats. I move into rage in the middle while Sormas moves to my left and Sharshas moves to my right. When they are finished circling around the creatures I nod to my companions, and we begin to move in to assault the monsters.

Clenching my hands together in front of me and as I pull them apart the concentration of Zeon that I have been gathering becomes tangible as lines of black, red lines form in between them. Like as a signal for the others to move they leap into action Sormas daggers drawn and moving in a whirlwind of steel and death. Likewise, Sharshas leaps into the air wicked axes drawn bringing them down upon his target. While my target is struck from beneath by black, red vein like ropes coming from the ground which wrap around the creature’s wings and drag it to the ground. Sharshas’s axes find perch sinking into the head of the creature and felling it in one strike. Sormas attacks with a display of blood and steel daggers slashing and stabbing at his creature first stabbing at the wings and taring large gashes in the folds preventing it from flight and with a quick stab at the creature’s head sinking the blade deep into the skull of the beast slumping it to the ground with a soft thud. With the ropes of Zeon attached to my foe and holding it in place while my companions and I close in on the bound creature it tries to lift its head, but I summon another rope that wraps around its neck and holds is head to the ground. When Sharshas reaches the helpless creature and lopes of its head with a single axe stroke. The creature’s body slumps to the ground with a wet thump.

Seeing that the s*******r was over the three of us turn to look at the source of the now loud whimpering as the hatchlings huddled together around a needling with stern eyes looking in our direction arms sprawled out in a protective manner. The older Yogoth moves to put themselves in between us and the hatchlings trying to get themselves in a sort of fighting stance with their claws in the middle of their body and their feet shoulder width apart. I look to my two fighting companions and they both look on approvingly.

I raise my hands in a defensive stance “Wait we were sent by Kelsar to come and rescue you”. The hatchlings seem to lower their guard, but their eyes shift from me to the older Yogoth. They let out a sigh and drupe their shoulders while looking in my direction, but seminally looking past me and their eyes go wide. I follow their eyes and connect my eyes with the eyes of a massive creature.

A four-legged reptilian beast with an elongated maul filled with tiny needle like teeth. Where there would be scales is replaced with large bone plates lining its body. Coming off its legs is large spines protruding from its knees. Sharp gnarled claws line the fingers of its claws. Its forked tongue licking the air. It turns its head to look at me and the group of hatchlings and it snarls.

My companions and I spring to live Sormas going left and Sharshas going right. This seems to confuse the creature as it tries to keep track of the two moving figures. They leap on to its back axes and daggers striking at its hide trying to find a purchase, but they can’t seem to find any as their weapons just bounce harmlessly off its hide. It shakes them off with a shiver and a turn and sweeps its tail in a large arc catching them off guard and crashing into both flinging them from the air to the ground with a loud thud. Finishing the concentration on my Zeon reserves, finally building up enough to enchant my companion’s weapons dripping them with the black-red aura. I look at them and see them rise to their feet as the spell takes hold, their eyes going wide.

“Now see how that will affect it.” I shouted to them. They nod in agreement and begin their assault hacking and stabbing with their weapons and it seems like the enchantment was successful as the creature writhes in pain with a shrill shriek as the attack seems to have surprised it. For it lashes out wildly trying to snap at the two attackers, but the wounds seem to have taken effect as it has slowed down considerably, they keep it at bay. “Get out of here.”, I shout to the group of hatchlings who look at me in surprise and start scuttling toward the exit. My companions continue to whittle down the creature’s defenses. I start to gather the last of my stored Zeon reserves getting ready to form as much of a wound as possible to help my companions. Just as I look back to see if the hatchlings have made it into the next corridor, I hear a heavy thud in the other direction and just a moment later as I look to where the noise came from. I witness Sormas and Sharshas standing next to the massive creature laying on its side blood streaming down from its many wounds. I approach the beast moving carefully toward the head or I should say where the head used to be. As I get closer to the body stepping in the large puddle of blood. The first thing I notice is the massive head of the beast has been removed. I can only guess that as I was focused on the hatchlings Sormas and Sharshas had begun to hack away at the neck of the creature.

“Sormas, we don’t really have a lot of time but, do you think we could take some of the teeth spikes and claws of this beast.” I say looking at the creature we just killed studiously.

“Sure, just give me about an hour and I can harvest these bits.” He says to me looking over the spots I point at. He suddenly turns his head, “how long can you keep this spell up?”

“I can keep it up for about ten minutes. Why?”

“It would a lot easier to make the precision cuts with this enhanced sharpness.” He says to me matter of fact in his voice.

“Well, we only have about ten minutes before I suspect we will have more of those flying monsters on our tale. So, just harvest as much as you can before the time runs out. When you see the enchantment on your dagger fade it is time to go.” I say to him while looking around for more of the batlike monsters.

“What are we going to use the monster parts?” Sharshas asks while walking to stand beside me.

“We are going to make some weapons and some utility things for me. But, to clarify the beast is teaming with magical energy and I can harness that from the parts.” I try and explain to Sharshas but, it seems to go over his head a bit as he just starts nodding passively.

“Alright, the magic is fading time to go.” Somas announces as he walks up to Sharshas and I carrying his cloak like a bag and hands it to Sharshas. “Here carry this.”

Sharshas takes the cloak and slings it over his shoulder “Alright off we go.” He announces cheerfully and starts to walk for the cave mouth.

We exit the cave to the sight of the waiting hatchlings with our bag of monster parts. They give us a scrutinizing look and run up to us with excitement in their voices. At least till the oldest of them approaches with a less than happy face. “What took you so long?” she questions while looking over at our loot.

“Well young one we have to get what we can from the monsters that we kill or else we would just be poaching.” I tell her without showing any sign of emotion.

She is taken aback by the lack of emotion while that seems to have quieted her. “Fine, let's just get home.” The trip back was horribly uncomfortable with the silence in the air. We traveled through the night until we could see the towering walls of the Scrovisis Clan’s settlement. Once we could see the walls the atmosphere of our little band started to become lighter, even the oldest of the Hatchlings seemed to have perked up.