Both the naga guards and Kaerith were in their human forms. The lizards, with their disdainful attitude, seemed to have hidden intentions toward her. Their comments left no doubt.

“Come on, darling, show us your true form and come play with us,” one of them said with a malicious grin.

“You’re a goddess compared to other species,” added another, reaching a hand toward Kaerith.

“Keep your filthy hands away from Lady Kaerith!” warned the naga guards, crossing their spears to block the path.

I frowned. Damn lizards, they don’t know how to control themselves. I hurried to intervene, but the situation escalated too quickly. The guards, seeing that the lizards wouldn’t stop, took action. One of them delivered a clean cut to a lizard’s arm as a warning, but it had the opposite effect. The lizards drew their weapons and charged at them without hesitation.

Chaos erupted. Nearby villagers watched in horror, frozen in fear. Some giants rushed to stop the fight, but they didn’t make it in time. Two lizards tackled the naga guards, pinning them to the ground and sending their spears flying. Meanwhile, the other two lizards lunged at Kaerith with clear intentions of taking her and doing who knows what.

I wasn’t going to make it in time. Damn it.

Kaerith, however, didn’t run. She stood motionless, calmly watching the lizards. When they got close enough, her body began to shift into her naga form. Her tail appeared suddenly, and with a swift motion, she swept one of the lizards off his feet, slamming him hard to the ground. The other lizard lunged to grab her, but Kaerith dodged gracefully and coiled her tail around him, leaving him immobilized upright.

“Let me go, naga! Know your place!” the lizard roared, struggling to break free.

Kaerith held him firmly. Her nails grew into small, sharp claws. With a cold smile, she sank them into the lizard’s torso and slowly withdrew them.

“Do you think those little claws of yours will make me complain?” the lizard mocked, laughing.

Kaerith’s expression didn’t change, except for a confident smirk.

“Let’s see how your body reacts… reptile,” she replied with disdain.

The lizard’s laughter stopped abruptly, his expression shifting to uncertainty. The other lizards got up, enraged, roaring with fury. They prepared to attack again. I arrived just in time, stepping in front of Kaerith with my palms raised, trying to calm the situation.

Two more giants managed to reach the scene, grabbing the lizards who had pinned down the naga guards and tossing them away.

“Enough! Are you trying to break the deal we have?” I shouted firmly.

Before I could finish speaking, I noticed something strange behind me. The lizard Kaerith had wounded began to stagger. His skin turned a purplish hue, and streams of blood started pouring from his eyes, nose, and ears.

The rest of the lizards quickly approached, led by Zardak, their chief. Their hostility was evident, and their roars echoed throughout the village. This was spiraling out of control. The naga guards, bruised and battered, shifted into their original forms, ready to fight.

“Release the lizard, naga! I won’t repeat myself,” ordered Zardak, his voice carrying authority.

I glanced at Kaerith, worried.

“Please, Kaerith, let him go. This could get worse,” I pleaded.

Kaerith did so, but not without hurling the lizard back toward his group. He hit the ground heavily, convulsing, as the other lizards roared in frenzy, weapons in hand. The wounded lizard’s movements slowed, eventually stopping altogether. Zardak approached to check his condition. He searched for a pulse and, upon confirming his death, rose slowly, his face hardened with rage.

“What the hell did you do, you bitch?” Zardak growled through gritted teeth.

Kaerith let out a subtle laugh.

“You’d better control your tongue… and your little lizards. That one got what he deserved.”

The lizards roared in unison, ready to attack. I saw Zardak raise his hand, about to give the order. This is going to end badly. I prepared myself, channeling magic into my hands.

Just before all hell broke loose, a voice rang out, firm and authoritative:

“Enough!”

The ground shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Everyone lost their balance, except for Eldrek, who advanced steadily toward the center of the conflict. His expression was pure disdain. When he arrived, the tremor ceased.

“This ends here, Zardak. We won’t allow another second of these misplaced actions,” Eldrek said in a tone that brooked no argument.

It was the first time I’d seen him so furious. There was something about his posture that commanded respect, almost as if he was ready to face anyone at that moment.

“Tell us now if you will honor the deal. If not, I’ll ask you to leave immediately,” Eldrek added without hesitation.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone awaited Zardak’s response.

The lizards seemed calmer, but it was clear they were still ready to fight if necessary. Their tense postures made it obvious. Zardak spoke stubbornly, his tone laced with contempt.

“That stupid naga just killed one of ours. She deserves proper punishment. Maybe I’ll tear her to pieces myself and feast on her!”

Eldrek didn’t flinch and replied firmly. “I didn’t see you stopping your lizards when they were trying to assault her.”

Zardak scowled in displeasure. Eldrek pressed on without hesitation.

“Your people started the incident, Zardak. There will be no repercussions for this… Let’s make that clear. What will you decide?”

Eldrek’s tone was sharp, leaving no room for challenge. I was surprised by how direct he was, and I realized Zardak’s response would determine whether this ended in a massacre or just an uncomfortable memory.

After a moment of thought, Zardak responded, his tone intimidating but unapologetic.

“If we sign a contract, we honor it. We are a race of honor. Let that be a lesson.”

Without another word, he turned and walked back to his tent, his people following behind him, speaking in their own tongue. They left the fallen lizard’s body behind as if it didn’t matter at all.

When it was all over, I felt an immense relief for having avoided unnecessary bloodshed. Eldrek, wearing a serious expression, picked up the lizard’s body and headed outside the village to bury it.

Meanwhile, I turned to Kaerith, who was reverting to her human form alongside her guards, who were injured from the skirmish.

“Are you okay, Kaerith?”

Kaerith shot me a sharp glare and responded brusquely.

“Keep your damn pets under control, or I’ll be forced to leave.”

She turned away and began walking toward the tent where she was staying, on the far side of the village. Before leaving, she paused and gave me a serious look.

“Later, bring Eldrek and that other idiot semi-human to my tent. I have updates on the analysis.”

I widened my eyes in surprise and nodded. That news could be crucial. As Kaerith walked away, I decided to thank the giants who had helped.

“Thank you for your help. It was essential.”

One of the giants replied with a calm smile.

“No problem. We just did what needed to be done.”

As we talked, Gronn appeared, rubbing his head and looking half-asleep.

“Good morning, everyone! How’s it going?”

We all stared at him incredulously. One of the giants spoke up, frowning.

“Didn’t you see the scene that just happened?”

Gronn looked genuinely confused.

“Uh… no. What happened?”

The giants rolled their eyes and replied in a mocking tone.

“You must sleep like a rock, Gronn. Let someone else fill you in; we’re getting back to work.”

I shook my head with a chuckle, amused by his cluelessness.

“Well, Gronn, you missed quite the show. Come on, I’ll explain.”

As I summarized the events for him, Eldrek approached, walking alongside Thalrik, the leader of the semi-humans. Eldrek seemed calm, but it was obvious Thalrik was upset and worried.

“I’m not okay with what happened, Eldrek. This could’ve gone completely out of control.”

“I know, Thalrik. I’m not happy about it either. But unfortunately, we need them, and that’s something you’ll need to address with your people.”

I interrupted their conversation to inform them.

“Kaerith called for us. She has the results of her analysis, and I think we should head there immediately.”

Gronn stretched as he spoke.

“I’ll head over to the watchtower construction for now. Let me know later what you find out.”

I nodded in acknowledgment before continuing toward Kaerith’s tent with Eldrek and Thalrik. On the way, I told Eldrek how impressed I was by Kaerith’s ability to fend off the lizards.

“From what I saw, it looks like she has venom in her claws. Did you know nagas were that skilled in combat?”

Eldrek shook his head thoughtfully.

“Nagas tend to be very reserved. Like the giants, they mainly engage in trade. I don’t know much about their abilities or culture.”

“Great, another thing to worry about,” Thalrik muttered with obvious sarcasm.

I kept walking in silence, pondering what Kaerith might reveal to us.

When we arrived outside Kaerith’s tent, Eldrek stopped in front of her guards, who stood like statues, silently guarding the entrance. Without hesitation, he raised his voice.

“Kaerith, we’re here. May we come in?”

From inside, Kaerith’s firm voice replied.

“Come in.”

We stepped inside the tent. The air was heavy with a metallic scent, mingled with something sharper and more penetrating. At the far end, Kaerith was bent over a table, deeply engrossed in her analysis. Around us, the bodies of the creatures lay on stretchers, strangely well-preserved, showing no signs of decomposition.

A sudden sound drew my attention. Thalrik, holding his stomach with one hand and covering his mouth with the other, looked pale and uneasy.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, though I had an idea.

Thalrik shakily pointed toward a corner of the tent. There, separate from the others, were dissected bodies. Their organs were neatly arranged on tables, in a methodical but unsettling way. Now I understood why Thalrik looked like he might vomit. It was equally revolting to me.

“Just don’t look over there,” I suggested, trying to calm him.

“I can do that, but the smell here is awful,” he muttered, pinching his nose.

Kaerith, without even glancing at him, spoke brusquely.

“Save your tears, weakling. Suck it up or get out.”

Thalrik, still fighting his nausea, raised his hands as if to show bravery.

“Fine, fine. I’m good.”

Kaerith wasted no time and began speaking, her tone as direct as ever.

“These bodies are clearly contaminated, but not by poison, potions, or anything similar. This was caused by magic.”

Her expression showed a mix of intrigue and focus as she continued.

“It’s some kind of spell I’m not familiar with.”

Eldrek looked at her, skeptical.

“Are you sure about this?”

Kaerith raised an eyebrow, her face saying it all.

“I wouldn’t have called you here if I wasn’t sure. Magic leaves a trace when it’s used, and these bodies are full of it.”

She gestured toward the stretchers, pointing out the various parts she had examined.

“After analyzing the remains—scales, skin, tissue—I confirmed that all these creatures were human at some point. This spell transformed them, bit by bit. Darius, when he was captured, saw them in an earlier stage. They still spoke and acted with some level of awareness. But these creatures…”

She paused, as if searching for the right words.

“They seem to be in a later stage. Their scaly bodies are more resilient, their vocal cords altered. They can’t form words anymore, just growls and groans. And their brains appear to be dead.”

A heavy silence filled the tent as we processed her words. Finally, she continued.

“This leads me to believe that, at this stage, they were under complete control of the sorcerer who cast this spell.”

Kaerith fell silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on the remains before her. Then, almost absentmindedly, she murmured aloud,

“How I’d love to study that sorcerer.”