Thin rays of sunlight poked through the few, sparse punctures in the ceiling of dark green overhead as the old wagon was pulled across the muddied trail. Horse hooves tread over the soggy terrain with audible squishes and plops as they pulled the wagon along. Fortunately, the mud was not so deep as to get the old wooden wheels stuck, but the horses had certainly slowed their pace since having set out through the muggy swamp. Since having started on the road again, the trio that rode in the wagon had been mostly silent, save for the occasional overly exaggerated gulping of cold water from canteens or frustrated panting.
Warm and humid air hung all throughout the swamp, no breeze able to blow through the many trees that were either partially submerged or resting atop the marshy soil. Small flying insects buzzed across water lilies that floated on the surface of the murky waters and a small snake quickly slithered across the damp road as the horses drew near. Occasional croaks of the swamp-dwelling frogs and toads broke the otherwise silence as did a rare splash somewhere out of view. The water’s surface was only disturbed by the small, rippling waves caused by whatever had just jumped in and was otherwise still and reflected the image of the wagon and the group traveling in it.
Just the same as before, both Magdalene and Vladimir had taken their seats in the back of the wagon. Magdalene still sat with her back leaning against the wagon wall right behind Aridean and was busy trying to rub dirt out of her blue skirt. Beads of sweat trickled down the girl’s temples and forehead, yet she had managed to stay her tongue concerning her discomfort with the surrounding climate for the time being. Vladimir sat near the opposite end of the wagon again, although he had engaged himself in trying to clean his own uniform rather than return to his reading.
As her companions continued their efforts to scrub their clothes clean of the wet dirt that stained them, Aridean sat in the driver’s seat to the old wagon. Her tired eyes focused on the muddied road ahead of the group, beyond the occasionally flicking ears of the two horses that pulled them through the marshy area. Aridean’s own ear flicked at a familiar sound echoing from beyond some trees just ahead; it was the unmistakable sound of metal clashing with metal. Vladimir had mentioned it: the lizarian people were quite brutish and openly hostile toward others. Aridean’s body grew uncomfortably warmer as she pondered whether a battle had broken out or not, and if so then between who?
“Uhm… V-Vlad, d-do you hear that?” Aridean asked anxiously as she turned her head back to the human behind her. Vladimir lifted his gaze from where he was focused on cleaning one of his boots, his one free eye meeting with Aridean’s two before he looked beyond the minotaur. Curious, Magdalene first glanced to Vladimir before shifting in her seat just behind Aridean and looking out into the swamp ahead of the group. The young half-elven girl’s brows rose slightly at the sight of a massive bonfire and smokestack coming into view.
“Oh, yes, now that you’ve mentioned it, I do hear that. Does the sound of battle alarm you, Ms. Gray? Although I cannot say for certain, I would not worry about it until we reach Miahnn’uli. It may just be a simple spar between lizarians; they can be quite temperamental with even their own kin,” explained Vladimir while slipping his foot back into the boot he had been trying to clean. Aridean watched the human for only a moment as he seemed to grumble over the muddied state of his coat before returning her attention back toward the road. She could feel her own heart beating against her chest as her ears pounded by the sound of the weapons clashing against one another somewhere in the distance.
Despite the appearance of the bonfire ahead indicating that the group was approaching their destination, Aridean’s entire body began to heat up uncomfortably. Her legs felt weak and her hands now tightly gripped the reins to the horses. Her fingers were curled into her palms so tightly that she could hear the creak of the leather strap that her furred digits wrapped around. Her breathing had picked up in pace and throat had gone dry. Her eyes slowly shifted over to the near emptied canteen sitting next to her. With no haste and in an almost meticulous fashion, the minotaur released her grip on the reins with one hand and reached over for her canteen.
I… I’m not sure about this anymore… I wanted to do this for Mikali, b-but now that I’m here I’m not sure I can do this. I-it’s just me now; Rana and Vidor aren’t here anymore… I… I don’t know if I can do this, Aridean’s mind buzzed like a nest of hornets. She could feel her fingers brushing against the neck to her canteen before she slipped her palm around the small leather-encased flask. What little water remained in the container sloshed against the walls as she brought the drink to her dry lips. Frightened eyes remained fixed upon the muddied road that fed into a sort of tribal ground of some kind to which the centerpiece was the massive and burning bonfire.
As the horses dragged the wagon through the shallow mud, Aridean began to take in the scene. In all honesty, it was not what Aridean had expected from the lizarian people. As the group began to enter the lizarian town of Miahnn’uli, both the minotaur and half-elf found themselves entirely astonished with the accommodations that the lizard people had prepared in such a strange location. Mud walls reached from the wet ground up to the roof of the peculiar structure and wooden doors hung on old hinges. What made these strange structures unique was that the mud wall was supported by the irregular, thick roots of the massive trees that stretched high above the overhead, lush canopy. There were even small holes cut into larger sections of dried mud which must have represented the window.
Aside from mud buildings that were built under the roots of trees, the unusual town had some other note-worthy scenes. First, just off the mud trail that the wagon continued to lazily roll down was a small fishing hut, multiple canoes and nets strewn out across the space next to the hut. The scent of both fresh and not-so-fresh catches hung in the warm and moist air, much to the mild despair of the trio that rode in their wagon past it. Only a single signpost had been installed along the road. However, the script upon the posted signboard was in the lizarian tongue and even somewhat faded from the wear of the weather and years. Finally, only a handful of the local inhabitants wandered through the village; each and every single one not without battle-scars, large weapons on their person, nothing more than loincloths to cover themselves, and cold, piercing eyes fixated upon the wagon that had just made its way into Miahnn’uli.
All the while that the group had been riding through the small village, the clashing of metal against metal continued to ring out. Aridean’s ear flicked at the uncomfortable sound of someone crying out in pain and frighteningly familiar slicing of flesh. With unease in her eyes, the minotaur hesitantly turned to see a small collection of the locals huddled around two others. A chill ran down Aridean’s spine at the sight of one of the scaled individuals collapsing on the ground with large gashes running across an arm and leg, both leaking a copious amount of red down his dark green scales. Beside the now incapacitated lizarian lay a large great sword; it was readily apparent that this one must have been the losing party in a duel of some sort.
Aridean’s eyes shifted over to the other lizarian that still stood in the center of the small crowd. This one seemed exceptionally pleased with himself as he hoisted both of his hand axes over his head in triumph. All around the victor, his fellow lizardmen either roared their applause or simply nodded their acknowledgement of his accomplishment. As the uproar slowly began to die down, the crowd had started to disperse with haste. Although the onlookers and the victor began to leave the scene, just the same as the previous lizarians Aridean had observed, they too glared coldly at the three travelers as their wagon continued to roll across the muddy trail.
They’re just leaving him like that? H-he can’t even get up like that… How could they be so cruel to their own kind? Aridean pondered to herself after she managed to compose herself enough to refocus on the lizarian lying upon the ground. She could see that a small pool of crimson was slowly starting to form upon the ground around him, slowly flowing down the incline and into the cool, swampy water that rested just a few feet from the defeated lizardman.
“Wow… it’s a literal mud-hut village,” Magdalene commented aloud as she began inspecting the scene that the group had found themselves in; seemingly oblivious to what Aridean had just observed. The young girl had turned over and supported herself with both hands on the wall of wagon, her knees resting on the wooden floor. While Aridean’s eyes did shift with curiosity from side to side as she inspected the unfamiliar surroundings, Magdalene shifted in the back of wagon to get a better view of everything. It seemed as if the half-elf was entirely unaware of the attention that the group had managed to collect from the locals. Every burrowing and hostile gaze was enough to set Aridean’s nerves into a panic.
Despite her discomfort and both of her companions seeming obliviousness to the air of aggression that the lizarians exuded, Aridean found a suitable spot along the muddied road to stop the wagon. As the minotaur pulled back on their reins, both horses came to an abrupt stop. Each of the noble and reliable steeds let loose an audible huff as they shook their heads, sending their manes whipping back and forth. As the two equines that had steadily dragged the wagon all the way through their journey came to a stop, Aridean hesitantly and reluctantly jumped down from her seat.
Mud squished loudly under her hooves and the cool sensation felt nice given the unfortunately abysmal climate that Aridean found herself in. She could feel her hands trembling slightly by the inhospitable stares and muffled snarling in a tongue she did not understand. Although the minotaur’s fur stood on ends from the top of her back down to her tail, Aridean picked up her hooves and started to move around the wagon. Every squish of mud under her tread and deep breath helped to calm her nerves as the minotaur started to make for the unconscious lizardman laying next to the swamp. Vladimir and Magdalene both shifted in the back of the wagon to watch as she stepped off the road and into the wet grass.
“Ari? Where are you go—w-whoa! W-what happened there?” Magdalene asked, the young girl visibly tensing up at the sight of the reptilian soaking in his own blood. Aridean had paused her advance for only a moment to look back at her companions; the minotaur took a deep breath and clenched her fists. Aridean began to move her lips, yet nothing escaped her throat. Although the only visible brow on Vladimir’s face rose in curiosity, Magdalene gasped her surprise. The young girl grit her teeth before vaulting over the wall of the wagon and dropping to the muddied ground beneath her. Wet dirt jumped up and splashed the half-elf’s shoes whereupon she immediately moved to catch up to Aridean. A wry smile spread across the minotaurs lips as the half-elf zoomed past her, an incandescent glow surrounding her palms as she neared the lizarian.
“O-oh! Ms. Gray, Ms. Yorre! Y-you needn’t--,” Vladimir called out to the two young ladies from the wagon. Nevertheless, both Magdalene and Aridean reached the collapsed lizarian. Having disregarded Vladimir’s comment, both the half-elf and minotaur knelt down on both sides of the reptilian.
“Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?” Aridean called out softly as she gently rolled the lizardman over onto his back. Rivers of crimson oozed from the deep wounds on his body, some collecting on the minotaur’s fingers as she repositioned the unresponsive lizarian. Aridean glanced up toward Magdalene, who gave a nod of her head before extending her brilliantly glowing hands over the bleeding injuries on their patient. While the young half-elf channeled her magic and resealed the lizarian’s scaled flesh, Aridean had produced a rag from her bag and begun wiping clean the blood that stained him.
“Outsider!” came a loud and deep snarl from somewhere nearby. Magdalene had chosen to ignore the distraction, but Aridean turned her head in surprise that a lizarian now seemed to care about their fallen kin. However, the minotaur gasped at the sight before her and immediately dropped her now red-stained rag to the moist ground beside her.
“Maggie!” Aridean cried as she frantically repositioned herself on her hooves and leapt over the unconscious lizarian between her and her companion. Aridean heard Magdalene gasp in fright as she grabbed hold of the half-elf. Now with Magdalene secured, Aridean nimbly rolled through the air and managed to bring her legs up as her upper back brushed the cold grass beneath her. She grit her teeth as her body came into contact with the ground once more and finished out her dive over the lizarian with a somersault that ended with her hooves splashing down in the swamp water. Although the minotaur felt a bit of discomfort from where she had rolled over the haft of her battle axe strapped to her back, she quickly released her hold on Magdalene and reached for her weapon.
“Ms. Gray! Ms. Yorre!” Vladimir called once more with a sense of urgency in his voice. The man leapt from the back of the wagon and had begun to make his way over to the scene. Magdalene, still surprised by Aridean’s sudden actions looked up to the minotaur that now rose from the ground and moved in front of her. As she slowly began to recompose herself, Magdalene’s gaze slowly shifted back over to the fallen reptilian whereupon she gasped in fright once more. Precisely where the young girl had been sitting as she attempted to tend to the wounded now rested a long broadsword, the hilt of which was held firmly by tensed, scaled hands.
“W-what are you doing?! W-we were just trying to help!” Aridean anxiously pleaded with the new lizardman that had appeared. Her eyes slowly scanned the immediate area to find that this one was not the only one to have taken a keen interest in her and her companions. Fortunately, none of the others had drawn blades quite yet, but their intense glares and audible hissing told the minotaur that it would not take much to set them off. The one lizarian to have attempted to strike at Magdalene lifted his blade from the wet soil, mud caking the edge of his weapon. Rather than answer Aridean, the new reptile shifted his stance and held his sword out in Aridean’s direction. Just as Vladimir had come within three meters of the ongoing dispute, the lizarian had begun to rush Aridean.
“Ms. Gray!” Vladimir called with his own astonishment prevalent in his tone. Snarling, the lizarian almost seemed to fly toward the minotaur. His blade was held at his side and prepared for a simple horizontal slash. Still utterly baffled by the sudden encounter, Aridean kept her eyes intently focused on her assailant’s blade as it started to arc forward. Muscles in her arms, legs, and back had all stiffened in preparation as she repositioned her own weapon. Magdalene, still somewhat dazed with shock behind Aridean, shut her eyes tight and covered her ears. The lizarian’s sword had clashed with Aridean’s axe and rang out in a loud crash of steel against steel. Without much effort, Aridean managed to push back on the blade that she had managed to parry, stumbling the lizarian backward a few steps in the process.
“Tch! Kallak riin tyu, gav’tuu!” the reptilian foe snarled as he regained his footing upon the loose, cool mud.
Huh? Isn’t that something that other one said when he saved us from that giant, man-eating flower? What does that mea--, Aridean had begun to ponder. Her thoughts had been abruptly interrupted as the lizarian roared and again shot forth in her direction. He had already repositioned his sword on his opposite side and was prepared to attempt another strike. Just the same as the first time, Aridean had managed to level her axe with the incoming blade meant to strike at her. The clang of metal against metal rang out once more, but it seemed that the lizarian was prepared for the clash and the minotaur’s attempt to throw him loose again.
“Ms. Gray! Be careful! Whatever happens, you mustn’t relent!” Vladimir called from a safe distance. Hearing his strange instructions seemed to snap Magdalene out of her shocked stupor. As Aridean continued to hold the lizarian that had drawn his weapon out upon the two, Magdalene quietly and quickly climbed to her feet and skirted around the skirmishing individuals.
“W-why can’t she just surrender? W-what is even happening right now?” Magdalene asked Vladimir as she made her way around the scene to stand with the human as a collection of the reptilian locals began to crowd around as well. Magdalene scanned the onlookers both confusedly and curiously; they all watched with either malicious smirks or focused intensity. Although some seemed to snicker as if watching a play unfold, others kept silent and observed the minotaur and their kin duel. Magdalene had only returned her attention to Vladimir as the man grunted and shook his head after his own survey of the group’s unusual company.
Y-yeah, w-what the hell is he doing?! W-we were just trying to help the injured one! Aridean screamed in her head as the lizarian kept his broadsword firmly pressed against her battle axe. Her opponent snarled aggressively, his muscled frame tense and posture clearly practiced. What little Aridean knew about the lizarians was that they were no strangers to conflict and the one before her was clearly experienced with his weapon.
After another second of snarling, Aridean’s opponent forcefully shoved his shoulder into her. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the minotaur stumbled back on her hooves, splashing back into the swamp again. Although she had managed to regain her footing, Aridean had lost focus for the mere second that the lizarian had used to act. With a combative war cry, the lizardman had brought his blade over his head with both hands wrapped firmly around the hilt and leapt into the air. As the reptilian came down, so too did his weapon. Panicked and anxious, Aridean simply tried to back away from the attack only to find that her hooves were caught in the mud she had backpedaled into.
“Ari!” Magdalene cried out in shock as the sword and falling lizarian came back down to the ground. The young girl had covered her eyes but could hear a loud splash of the swamp water. All around her were the amused snorts and unclear, rumbling hums from the lizarians that also spectated the sudden battle. The young girl had kept her eyes shut and averted from the scene until she heard Vladimir heave a relived sigh. Initially confused by the man’s sudden relief, the young half-elf glanced up to the silver-haired human before returning her gaze to the duel. Magdalene’s eyes had gone wide to see rather and a blood-stained minotaur floating in the swamp that Aridean had avoided the attack simply by falling backward into the cold water.
“W-what is going on?! W-why are you doing this?!” Aridean pleaded with the hostile reptile. Rather than answer her, the lizarian retrieved his weapon from the mud beneath the surface of the water where it had landed, Aridean scrambled to her hooves and jumped for shore, fortunately never having lost her grip on her weapon. Still snarling in hate, the lizardman shook his head, a mask of intolerance making up his scaled features, before lunging once more toward the minotaur.
Again and again, the two duelists met with their blades. Clanging of steel against steel rang out all throughout the area as Aridean adeptly managed to parry the swings made by her lizarian opponent. After ten minutes of simply doing her best to deflect any strike, a crowd of the reptilian locals had amassed around the two. Chanting in a foreign language or the interested, deeply rumbling hums are what met Aridean’s ears as she continued to block each blow or sidestep out of the way. Magdalene and Vladimir continued to watch, each with varying degrees of concern in their expressions as they could only spectate the event. Eventually, after what felt like the thousandth time she had managed to successfully guard herself from her aggressor, Aridean and the lizarian paused to catch their breaths.
“Rgh! Bannu ghotta, gav’tuu,” the lizardman shouted in frustration after having taken a moment to breathe. With a firm grip on the handle to his blade and tense muscles in his arms and legs, the lizarian launched himself at Aridean again. This strike, although Aridean had managed to block it with her own blade, was deceptively powerful and the lizarian was forcing as much weight as he could down onto Aridean.
He's still going! I-I don’t understand why we’re even doing this! Much longer and I’m going to be too worn out to keep going myself but this guy just won’t let up! Aridean thought to herself while attempting to shove her attacker back. Unfortunately, it was all Aridean could manage to just keep the lizarian at bay; the force behind the blade that pressed down on her axe was unlike anything she had thought capable. Grunting her own frustration with the peculiar situation, Aridean’s ear flicked at the sound of a deep, rumbling, yet all too familiar, laughter.
“You seem to be in a bit of a bind… Might you need some help?”
“Wha--? That voice… Vici?” Aridean whispered, her eyes having gone wide at the sound of her strange companion calling out to her. Despite the confrontation that she had found herself stuck in, Aridean’s wide eyes shifted over toward where she thought she had heard the voice of the monstrous creature having originated from. A quiet gasp escaped her throat as Aridean saw both Magdalene and Vladimir observing her duel with the hostile lizarian. Neither of her companions nor even the entire crowd of stoic or strangely hyped locals seemed to register the presence of the white furred beast that was without flesh and fur on its face and in places running down one arm and leg standing behind the human and half-elf.
“These little skinks only acknowledge one thing: brute strength. I will lend you but a fraction of my power to teach them that you are not to be trifled with,” Vici’s voice called as the creature bent down and rested its clawed hands upon the shoulders of Aridean’s other companions, neither of which seemed to notice the monstrous entity’s presence. Although the spirit’s lipless mouth moved, its words sounded as if they had been whispered right into Aridean’s ears despite the distance between the two. Aridean could hear Vici laughing mischievously and she gasped quietly once more as small, pitch-black specks began to radiate off of the abominable form.
For a moment, Aridean almost thought that cinders and ash swirled around Vici’s body. Although she still struggled with her hissing and cursing in a foreign language opponent, Aridean watched as Vici’s clawed fingers and toes began to disperse into a dark, smoke-like fog. The sooty looking cloud quickly worked its way up the spirit’s body, swallowing his arms and legs and eventually his body and head as well. Entirely bewildered by what had just happened to her extraordinary acquaintance, Aridean made one more effort to push back on the lizarian that continued to press his blade down against her axe. Fortunately, her efforts were rewarded as the lizarian stumbled back and began panting but with his weapon still readied for combat at a second’s notice.
Returning her attention to where her fellow travelers stood, the cloud that had engulfed Vici began to compact in on itself. Both Magdalene and Vladimir watched their minotaur companion with obvious confusion drawn upon their faces; not only was Aridean looking toward them with a blatant look of befuddlement of her own, but she seemed almost entirely ignorant that she was still in the middle of an impromptu battle with an aggressive lizardman. However, what the half-elf and human did not seem to notice was that the compacted fog cloud had coalesced into a small, dark sphere that was only about an inch in diameter. Before anything else could be said or done, the small orb was practically fired from a catapult directly toward Aridean.
“Ah! Aghh… rgh…” Aridean gasped in slight pain as the orb had launched itself straight into her right eye. Whatever Vici had done, it left the minotaur in great discomfort and prompted her to reach up with an open palm to cover her eye that now burned in its socket. She stumbled backwards; the loud squish of mud joined in with the cacophony of the amused crowd that surrounded her, yet she could only hear the pounding of her own heart and her own quiet gasping for breath. The minotaur’s distress, however, seemed to be just the opening that her lizarian foe had been looking for. Hissing loudly, the reptilian assailant lunged forth again as Aridean continued to cover her distressed eye.
“Miss Gray!” Vladimir called with concern in his voice.
“Ari!” Magdalene shouted in fright before averting her eyes again. The young girl let out a quiet gasp at the sound of metal clashing with metal. Lifting her face from her cupped hands, Magdalene looked back up to the minotaur. Aridean, with only one hand on the haft of her massive battle axe, had deflected the lizarian with such speed, precision, and force that her attacker stumbled to the ground. What was most peculiar about the last defensive action, however, was that Aridean continued to press her open palm to her right eye. A few gasps could be heard escaping from some of the other spectators as their kin rolled along the marshy soil and wet grass. The impressive might and constitution of the minotaur race was well known throughout the country, yet to deflect a blow from a clearly well practiced lizarian warrior with but a single hand and minimal attention was otherworldly.
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“Rgh! Outsider! Gav’tuu! Kiu da’mal!” Aridean’s opponent shouted as he regained his footing. The lizarian quickly rose to his feet and readied his blade once more. With another war cry, the reptilian charged the distressed minotaur once more. However, as the lizardman initiated his next attack, the hand covering Aridean’s left eye was lowered to her side. The minotaur slowly turned to scan the one rushing her, furrowed brows over an open right eye and tightly shut left.
Still roaring madly, the lizarian began to swing his sword in a single horizontal sweep aimed at Aridean’s stomach. Before he had even managed to sweep his blade past his own side, Aridean swung her own weapon with such tremendous force that the lizarian could feel the air that the swing had pushed blow past his scaled face. Although, Aridean had missed the reptilian’s body, her opponent continued to drag his blade through the air in front of him with a fearsome scowl drawn across his face.
Only as the lizarian finished his strike and his feet once more rested upon the loose ground did he notice something strange. Something about the weapon he carried had changed as it felt strangely lighter than normal. Looking down toward his sword with confusion, the lizarian’s rage was quickly metamorphosized into astonishment. All around him were alarmed gasps at the sight. Aridean had not swung her axe with intent to strike the lizarian, she met her mark and struck the broadsword her foe sported with such precision that it had broken off at the hilt. The lizarian merely continued to survey his broken weapon as Aridean planted her battle axe into the muddy terrain before uncharacteristically cracking her knuckles.
“W-what is she… is she trying to be intimidating? She… needs to work on that,” a befuddled Magdalene commented as she watched Aridean. Still baffled by the events leading up to the current situation, Magdalene found it strange that the minotaur she had traveled with for some time now was only now beginning to show any sort of physical strength in a display of intimidation. Although Aridean had accomplished several feats demanding certain physical prowess, the half-elf could not think of a time that the minotaur had ever acted so upfront and confident in her ability as she was doing currently.
“That did seem a touch out of character for her, didn’t it, Ms. Yorre?” agreed Vladimir as he continued to closely observe the minotaur. Still acting as if she were some sort of thug, Aridean proceeded to tilt her head to one side until a pop of her joints rang out. Having concluded her intimidation tactics, Aridean lifted her fists up and shifted on her hooves into a combative stance with eyes intently focused upon her opponent. Her display only seemed to anger her aggressor and even a few of the more serious onlookers.
Hissing his agitation with the minotaur, the hostile lizarian cast aside his broken weapon and raised both palms up in a fighting stance of his own. Unlike Aridean, who kept her fists balled-up tightly and close to her center of gravity, the lizardman kept his palms open with clawed fingers only slightly curled inward. Each of the combatants focused on nothing but the other as their audience began to snarl and whisper among themselves in a language foreign to the minotaur. After a short period of time passed, Aridean’s right ear flicked.
With a roar and the audible squish of mud beneath his uncovered, scaled feet, the lizarian lunged forward. His clawed hands were brought down from where he had held them while swiping his sharpened claws at Aridean’s torso. In response, the minotaur simply made a few swift steps backward, successfully dodging the initial swipes made by her opponent. Having failed his first attack, the reptilian turned his hands over and surged forward once again while attempting an upward slash of his claws. Once more, Aridean managed to evade the attack, though this time by simply leaning her head back and away from the claws meant to cut open her skin and flesh.
Aridean managed to lock eyes with the lizarian once again. He seemed somewhat exhausted after their prolonged battle, yet the reptilian proceeded to launch himself at the stoically silent minotaur once again. With loud roars of frustration and anger, the lizarian began to swipe his claws in every direction attempting to simply land a blow upon Aridean’s body. A slash of claws cut through the humid air, narrowly missing the locks of the minotaur’s mane as she sidestepped her way around her assailant. Staying entirely mute, Aridean lowered right fist down toward her waist before bracing every muscle in her arm.
“Guh! Gah!” the lizarian fighter hacked and coughed after a swift and powerful jab from Aridean. She had managed to easily land the attack just below the reptilian’s sternum. Although the lizarian required a moment to collect himself, the minotaur recentered her stance in preparation for another attack of her own. While spittle leaked from the lizarian’s mouth, a low growl began to rumble from the back of his throat as he refocused on Aridean. With another mighty roar, the lizardman surged forth and resumed his rush of slashing and scraping claws.
Magdalene and Vladimir, joined by the collective local population that had crowded around, continued to spectate the unusual duel in awe. Although her eyes were primarily glued to the event unfolding in front of her, some whispers caught the attention of the young girl. Curiously, Magdalene had managed to pry her eyes from Aridean and the lizarian long enough to inspect her fellow spectators. Many were quietly conversing with another but all eyes remained fixated upon the battle that raged just feet away. However, their stone-cold gazes did shift over toward the half-elven girl when they took notice that she was watching them. With cheeks flushed red from a mixture of fear and embarrassment, Magdalene returned her attention to the skirmish as she slowly backed behind Vladimir, who did not even seem to notice the girl as he remained intently focused on the minotaur’s fight.
“Grah! Gav’tuu, noli vru!” the lizarian shouted with a vehement tone of rage. Another swipe at Aridean’s face, followed by two more aimed at her torso, yet the lizarian could not manage to strike the minotaur. It was not until Aridean stepped back into a deceptively deep mud puddle that she slipped somewhat on her hoof that had taken her into the loose and wet soil. Her eyes had widened as she stumbled slightly, yet it was just the opening that the lizarian needed. As the minotaur only barely managed to catch her footing, her opponent lunged forth, bringing his clawed fingers up in a slashing motion directed at Aridean’s face.
Holding tight to her now hot and stinging right cheek, Aridean backpedaled once more on her hooves and out of the loose mud. Boisterous laughter erupted from the crowd and a triumphant cry bellowed from the lizarian warrior that had inflicted the minor cuts to Aridean’s face. Although the pain faded quickly, the minotaur paused as a low grunt escaped her nostrils. Curious, the already gloating lizarian turned his attention to Aridean again.
“You see? This is what you get when you play nice,” Aridean seemed to reprimand herself quietly. With a deep breath, the minotaur lowered her right hand from her face and simply looked scornfully at the lizarian that had scratched her. Entirely unfazed by her silent and furious gaze, the lizardman took up his own battle stance once more yet quietly gasped his surprise as the minotaur launched her own attack first.
Growling, the lizarian brought his right hand over his head, clawed fingered pointed downward, and quickly began to slash the miniature daggers downward as Aridean closed the distance. Nimbly twisting her body at her waist, the minotaur successfully evaded the lizarian’s retaliation and managed to bring an open palm upwards as she pushed off the marshy ground with her hooves. She could feel the scaled chin slam the gawking lizarian’s mouth shut as the blow managed to knock the lizardman off of his feet and to the mud.
“Most impressive… Ms. Yorre, I must ask: do you know the extent of Ms. Gray’s training in close quarters combat? I had assumed that hand-to-hand had been Ms. Stonehoof’s area of expertise,” Vladimir commented softly as he, alongside the crowd surrounding Aridean and her opponent, stared on with intrigue. Several murmurs could be heard from the large lizardfolk that had formed an audience to the spectacle. Though their low, deep and guttural tones kept Magdalene guessing, she had assumed that the scaled spectators were impressed with the minotaur’s technique. For a moment, even the young half-elf had found herself somewhat entranced by the display. After a brief pause, she shook her head and watched as the lizarian quickly climbed back to his feet and lunged toward Aridean again in a flurry of swipes.
“Rana mentioned that she had trained for years… why hand-to-hand, I don’t really know. But it was while we were taking a break traveling on the road that I did spy on Ari and Rana as they were training. Ari was on the ground in seconds; she definitely wasn’t this good back then,” Magdalene answered, her eyes focused as the two combatants continued their skirmish. Aridean successfully dodged each and every strike that the lizardman had sent her way, if only by hair for some of the attacks.
For three full minutes, the lizarian swung his clawed fingers and tensed fists in Aridean’s direction. One punch aimed at the minotaur’s chest had been blocked by crossed forearms. Panting, the lizardman kept his fist pushed against Aridean’s arm as he tried to catch his breath. His short reprieve from the physical exertion was short lived, however, as Aridean pushed back on the scaled limb with tremendous force. The lizarian stumbled backwards just a step but failed to prepare himself for Aridean’s offense.
Having been given an opening, Aridean moved in toward her target. She pivoted on one hoof, the loose mud aiding in her movement as she spun a full circle before extending her leg. With a grunt, the near-exhausted lizardman was struck by the hoofed leg; having built up some momentum with her spin resulted in a powerful blow to the lizarian’s side. Before her opponent could collect himself, Aridean continued her attack by rushing to the reptilian’s side. She placed an open palm on the scaled snout and firmly gripped the sides of the lizarian’s face with her furred fingers.
Although her mark had begun growling, Aridean shifted her weight onto a single hoof as the opposite snaked its way around the back of the lizardman’s closest leg. With a surprised gasp, the reptile had his footing pulled out from beneath him as his head and upper body were thrown to the ground where mud splashed against his scaled back and Aridean’s legs. At the minotaur’s hooves, the lizarian combatant lay groaning and exhausted. He had only opened his eyes once more and looked up to his rival as something seized his tail.
Alarm quickly filled the scaled features of the reptilian’s face as he felt his entire body shift without command atop the muddied ground. However, what likely concerned the lizarian more was that the ground beneath him seemed to leave his back as air began to rush past his face. Aridean, careful about her footing on the slippery terrain, had grasped the lizardman’s tail and begun to spin him in circles around her. Turning and turning, the minotaur had built up an impressive speed and brought her foe at least four feet off of the ground.
“Grahhh!” the lizarian screamed as Aridean released her grip on his tail. His body sailed through the air, arms and legs flailing as gravity took hold. With a loud splash into the swamp, the lizarian had seemingly been bested. Shortly after his crash down into the murky depths, the lizarian resurfaced and floated in the swamp water, belly up and groaning through a daze after his defeat. Standing on the slippery shore of the marsh, Aridean surveyed the reptilian that had previously attacked her. With a deep breath and certain that the threat had been incapacitated, Aridean turned to face the audience she and her opponent had garnered. Her eyes, strangely sharp and cold, slowly inspected each of the tall, scaled spectators; the scowl on her face practically inviting a new warrior to step up.
“S-she is… a little intimidating when she does something like that,” Magdalene whispered nervously as she watched the intense-looking minotaur silently challenge the other reptilian locals.
“Oh dear, she doesn’t intend to continue, does she? She’s very likely to be met with challenger after challenger with such a demeanor,” Vladimir commented as low growls started to resound from the crowd. Both Magdalene and Vladimir turned as an aggressive roar rang out from nearby; one of the many lizarians had stepped forward from the half-ring that surrounded Aridean as she simply stood patiently on the shore of the swamp. Her new challenger drew a massive great sword and took a battle-ready stance, knees bent and scaled, muscled arms tensed.
As the new duelist began to rush forward, however, Aridean paused. Again, a burning pain had started to sting the back of her right eye. The minotaur gasped in intense discomfort as she grasped at her distressed eye and stumbled to one knee. Her audience had ceased the hostile growls and startling hissing as their kin stepped up to challenge the minotaur, yet some whispers in their foreign language could be heard as their entertainment seemed to be coming to a close very soon. Both Magdalene and Vladimir stood in stunned silence at the sight.
“Ari!” Magdalene called out to Aridean. With another surprised gasp, the minotaur dropped her hand from the right side of her face and looked up to find the new lizarian warrior standing over her. Her new opponent roared as he began to bring down his massive blade. Aridean, unarmed and still suffering an intense pain in her burning, red-tinged right eye, could do nothing more than close her eyes and stiffen the muscles in her body in anticipation. Strangely, despite the immediate danger, all she could feel was confusion as her mind ran blank.
W-what happened? I… Aridean thought to herself as her ears fell back on her head at the war cry emanating from her foe’s throat. Only as her new foe’s roar ended in an abrupt grunt at the sound of metal clashing against metal did Aridean’s eyes open wide once more. Although her vision in her right eye had been blurred by leaking tears, the minotaur lifted her head to find a new lizarian standing over her. This one, however, was a female lizard folk and wore a mask of animal bone over her face. Beautiful and vibrantly colored feathered plumes rose from the back of her mask and her wrists were wrapped with thin, gold armbands. Apart from the unusual get up, the female wore the local loincloth and a top made of stitched leathers to cover her chest and laces tied with animal bone and teeth wrapped their way around her scaled legs. In one hand, the female sported a blade of her own which must have been what had stopped the latest challenger’s attack and her other hand carried a small, leather satchel. As Aridean’s eyes scanned this stranger, she paused at the sight of the female’s lower backside; her tail had been cut off and scabbed over.
“Nii’ra, si’putath,” the female vehemently spat at Aridean’s opponent as he regained his footing from where he stumbled at having his attack deflected. The male lizardman’s scaled features were filled with anger and impatience, yet he returned his great sword to the scabbard on his back. With the duel having come to an unexpected close, the audience that surrounded Aridean and the two lizarians began to disperse while mumbling amongst themselves; the male that had stepped up to Aridean’s non-verbal challenge hissed his frustration before departing the scene as well. Slowly processing the sudden turn of events, Aridean blinked a few times, she wiped her right eye clear as she stood back up on her two hooves. Both Magdalene and Vladimir held their positions among the slowly dissolving audience. Each surveyed their fellow spectators as they moved to go about their day as though nothing had even happened. Once it had become clear that there would be no more impromptu battles, the half-elf made her way over to Aridean with the human in tow.
“Ari, are you okay?” Magdalene asked, looking up to the towering minotaur. Somewhat shocked out of her daze, Aridean’s ear flicked as she turned to look upon her companion. As she did so, Vladimir also joined the two.
“That was quite the display, Ms. Gray. I had not realized you were so capable in com—,” Vladimir began.
“Outsiders… warm bloods…” the female lizarian interrupted, drawing the attention of the three travelers to herself. She sheathed the blade that she carried into a sword sheath strapped to her hip before turning. Just the same as the other locals, this lizarian’s eyes were sharp and looked to try to bore a hole directly into the three before her as she stared each of the group down. With a grunt and a shake of her head, the female turned away and moved over toward the injured lizarian that Aridean and Magdalene had stopped for, “You come all this way for talks of gav’tuu help, yes?”
She already knows why we’re here? Does that mean this one was in contact with Mikali before they decided to call off any sort of arrangement? Aridean pondered to herself as the female lizarian turned her head and looked out across the swamp. Still floating on the surface of the waters was the first lizardman to attack both Aridean and Magdalene. The group watched as the female extended a hand in the direction of the floating lizarian, a bright green aura slowly surrounding the open, scaled palm. With a single motion of her hand, pulling it back toward her body, the lizarian female had summoned a current in the otherwise still swamp waters that started to lazily drift the incapacitated one back toward the shore.
“Nallahk zhi tashni, gav’tuu…” the stranger grumbled quietly and clearly annoyed. Aridean could almost swear she saw the lizard lady rolling her eyes before opening her satchel. The minotaur watched as the reptilian character procured a small vial from her bag and proceeded to pour the contents down the throat of the first injured lizardman. She stood from her place next to the wounded and moved toward the swamp as the other slowly sailed across the surface to her. As she awaited the slow-moving body to reach her, the lizarian female hissed before turning and snapping, “Answer! What is your purpose here, outsiders?!”
“O-oh! W-we’ve come as a-ambassadors for the revolutionaries; we’re desperately seeking aid from the g-great warriors of the Wiir Swamplands,” Aridean hesitantly and anxiously replied after taking a moment to collect herself. For a moment, the female lizarian simply ran her cold, calculating eyes up and down Aridean’s entire person as she evaluated some things mentally. As the floating lizarian finally reached the shoreline of the swamp, the female snorted as she knelt down and took the incapacitated male by the arm.
“Ms. Gray… Given her intervention in your battle and her aid of the injured, I believe she may very well be the high shaman. She holds nearly as much power as the warchief for the lizarian people. This is a fortuitous meeting, indeed,” Vladimir exclaimed with a hint of excitement in his tone. At this revelation, Aridean and Magdalene both quietly gasped their surprise as they watched with wide eyes as the female lizarian hefted both of the males over her shoulders.
“You fight well, gav’tuu. While you reek of the Deimn’la, your skill speaks to your ability as a warrior,” the high shaman stated curtly. She turned once more to face Aridean and her companions, her slitted eyes scanning the minotaur from head to hoof. Just the same as the last lizarian to offer the group aid, this one was audibly sniffing at the air and flicking her tongue out toward the team. The female reptilian simply snorted upon completing her sensory analysis of both Aridean and Magdalene, yet her brow rose on her head as she examined Vladimir. With a modestly interested hum rumbling in the back of her throat, the shaman shifted her charges that clung to her shoulders before turning away, “We speak again later, outsiders. Come to spiritual hut in center of Miahnn’uli tomorrow.”
“Hey, Vlad, what’s a day-em… whatever she said?” Magdalene asked the nobleman curiously. Vladimir merely shook his head with a somewhat quizzical expression upon his partly covered face.
“Well, she could be referring to a number of things really… hmm…” mused Vladimir aloud; it had almost seemed as if he had asked himself the question and was simply contemplating its meaning out loud. Upon realizing that the man was lost in his own thought, Magdalene’s face shifted to portray her impatience and mild irritation with the eccentric and oblivious elite. As her companions shared their own exchange, Aridean shook her head and began to approach the female lizarian as she stopped to drink something from a flask strapped to her right thigh.
“Here, please, let me help you and we can talk—,” Aridean began while reaching out to take one of the two burdens the shaman carried. Her hand recoiled in fright by the cold glare and sudden hiss that rang out from the female reptilian.
“Begone, warm blood! That… whatever it is you outsiders call it where you must aid the fallen sickens me! These fools fell in battle because they were not strong enough and it is responsibility of the shaman to tend wounds, no one else!” the shaman snapped, one of her hands reaching for the hilt of her sheathed sword. Aridean’s eyes grew wide again as the peculiar female in front of her simply growled her frustration with having been offered some help. With her ears flat against her horned head again, Aridean merely backed away from the shaman slowly. Although the female lizarian continued to growl and glare at the minotaur, her hand released its grip on her blade as it again lifted up to the shift the weight of the unconscious males that she carried. Having denied Aridean the opportunity to simply speak with her, the female began to carry the two males away from the scene, “I said: we speak tomorrow.”
W-what was that all about? I… I just wanted to help a-and talk, Aridean thought to herself, a tightness making itself known in the back of her throat. She watched as the high shaman slipped away into a small crowd of her fellow lizard folk and ultimately into a mud hut. With a long-winded sigh, Aridean started to breathe normally once more, only now having realized that she had been holding onto a breath during the lizarian’s lashing out at her.
“Well, that could have gone better,” Magdalene commented as she stepped through the mud to stand by Aridean. She too watched as the lizarian shaman left the group where they stood, but with arms folded over her chest and an annoyed look of her own spread across her lightly freckled face. Aridean’s ear flicked at the sound of mud still squishing beneath someone’s feet.
“Given the rather impatient and rash nature of the locals, it also could have gone much, much worse,” added Vladimir as he joined the two young ladies. He held a finger to his chin, clearly deep in his own thoughts regarding the events that had just unfolded before his eyes. Having heard her companions’ thoughts on the matter, Aridean again heaved an exasperated sigh before going to collect her massive war axe.
“I don’t know what they were all going on about and I don’t think we’re really welcome here anymore… I don’t like it, but I think we might just want to call it a day here,” Aridean suggested to her companions as she hefted her weapon up. With a mildly frustrated grunt, she shook the large blade, knocking loose several large clumps of caked on mud. Somewhat agitated by the events of the day and the overbearing climate, the minotaur groaned as she wiped the blade clean with her furred forearm. While her reflection in the shining metal was slightly tinged with smeared mud, Aridean was satisfied enough with her weapon maintenance that she returned the Heaven’s Edge to the holster on her back before turning back to her comrades.
“Although there could be other matters the high shaman would like to discuss, it is possible that your duel may have been what earned us an audience with the high shaman, Ms. Gray. Regardless, it would likely be the wisest decision for the time being that we simply retire for the day. Even through undeath, the humidity here is quite oppressive,” Vladimir replied as he lowered his finger from his chin. Both of the noble’s hands were moved behind his back as he stood seemingly at attention, almost like a soldier but with one of his gentle, if tired, smiles spread across his lips.
“Ugh, did you have to remind me about how hot it is around here? Yuck, I’m sweating again. Do you think the lizarians have an inn around here?” Magdalene moaned, to the apparent amusement of Vladimir. As the girl complained, she also began to fan herself with one hand as she slumped forward, arching her back and letting her long, golden hair fall below her waist.
“Let’s hope so, I’d like a place to cool off and wash my clothes as well,” added Aridean as she attempted to brush some of the dirt that stained her pants and shirt away. Unfortunately, the dark smears had already set into her clothing, much to the minotaur’s modest dismay. Giving up on trying to clean herself in the moment, Aridean shook her head before looking to her companions once more.
“If I had heard some of that snarling coming from Ms. Gray’s audience correctly, I believe I heard mention of something about an inn just down the mud trail a little way,” Vladimir said while gesturing toward the road that presumably led the group’s next destination. Aridean nodded to the man before motioning both Vladimir and Magdalene back to the wagon that awaited the group’s return. Their trusty horses patiently waited, though they had also been snacking on some of the grasses that grew just on the side of the road. Each of the equines shifted on their hooves as the group returned and began to pile into the wagon; Aridean again sat in the driver’s seat but now with Magdalene at her side and Vladimir immediately behind them in the back of the old wagon.
“Finally, some good news. We get to the inn, cool off with some cold water, and Vlad can explain what in God’s name just happened, because I’m still lost,” Magdalene almost seemed to rejoice as she sat down next to her minotaur companion. As Aridean whipped the horses into motion, the wagon shook slightly. Mud squished beneath hooves and the wooden frame creaked quietly. Although they were now on their way, Aridean looked back at the scene curiously.
“Vici…? What… did you do?” the minotaur muttered under her breath as she turned back to the road ahead. A sudden surprise made its way to her furred features as the deep tones practically echoed in her ears.
“I shall answer any questions you might have another time. For now, I’ve grown weary. Make your way to this inn and we might discuss our partnership there,” Vici’s voice answered, again as if his skinless mouth were right by Aridean’s ear. Aridean could not tell what surprised her more: that Vici had not only heard her muttering or that the abominable creature was capable of feeling fatigue. Nevertheless, the minotaur swallowed anxiously as she directed the wagon along the muddied road.
“Oh, Ari,” Magdalene’s voice came from just behind Aridean, right ear flicking at her companion’s call. The minotaur driving the old wooden wagon turned her head back to face the young half-elf as she shifted in her seat. Leaning against the back of Aridean’s seat, Magdalene’s hands began to glow with their incandescent aura when the girl channeled her magic, “That one scratched your face, didn’t he? Do you want me to take care of that?”
“I got scratched?” Aridean muttered to herself with one brow raised on her head in confusion. Vladimir and Magdalene were both eyeing the befuddled minotaur, the latter narrowing her eyes as she seemed to scan Aridean’s fuzzy muzzle. With an awkward smile and a gentle shake of her head, the minotaur replied, “O-oh, uhm, i-it doesn’t hurt. B-but thank you, Maggie.”
“Huh… it’s not bleeding… I thought I saw some blood on his claw after that swipe but maybe it was just mud,” commented Magdalene as the aura around her hands faded away. With a dejected snort, the young girl turned around again and reseated herself in the wagon. Still somewhat baffled by the girl’s statement, Aridean turned back as well to look out at the road that the wagon was being pulled across. Curious, the minotaur ran her fingers along her fuzzy face in search of any evidence that she might have been scratched. After a moment of scanning her own face with her fingers, the minotaur had discovered nothing out of the ordinary about her furred features.