“We want you to kill our Master and free us from our contract.” The twins repeated.

“I- w-why?” He asked in a confused stutter through the grate of his muzzle.

“We are Fae and he holds our true names, so long as he has them we are slaves to his will.” Oébfinn replied before realising that he might not know what they were. “Fae are like Nymphs you are familiar with, but we often preside in our own realm except for cases like this.”

“But you are god blessed, right?!” Líadan just about leapt on the still seated Saurian pressing her hands down on his chest, unemotive wispy face failing to match the energetic reaction of the woman.

“Yes?” He replied reluctantly in his poor attempt at Auran as the both women were still speaking it.

“That is more than enough reason to cement our decision on the matter, the gods have seen fit to mark you and that is a feat few other than their children and grandchildren share.” Oébfinn said as she became his source of reason and calmness in the conversation.

“How?” He asked unsure what he would even do in his situation.

Moving off of his chest and standing a step away Líadan answered him. “He will be weak soon, each month he must consume large quantities of blood to sustain his form and agelessness but within the next few days he will become too ill to move without assistance and will call on us to collect dead for him to drain-”

“We will tell him that we are going to collect the dead from the cells next to this, but when we do we will let you free and lead you to his chambers to kill him.” Oébfinn finished for her sister.

The twins nodded at the same time affirming the plan to themselves looking at the Saurian who was still in shock about the whole thing for his opinion, but he stayed silent a moment before opening his mouth and barely letting out a sound as he thought of what to say.

Marduk was completely unsure, he’d never expected to get caught up in a murder case let alone be asked to kill someone.

“Why should I?” He eventually asked when the women appeared to be about to shake his shoulder to see if he was still comprehending things.

“Because it's the right thing to do and you would be ridding the world of a foul wretch like him.” The pair said in unison.

He was left more confused about them saying the same thing at the same time than caring about what it was they had said, the longer he interacted with the twins the more he wondered whether they had some kind of telepathic link.

“What happen… if don’t?” The Saurian asked, struggling to word his Auran.

“I- What?” The twins' voices cracked as they looked at him in disbelief.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that question…’ He thought as they stood there gobsmacked that he’d imply he wouldn’t help them.

‘I don’t even have a good reason to help myself, I don’t even know if this is just a sentence or if I’m going to be harmed for it if I’m actually convicted. Not that time is much of an issue when I can live for upwards of a hundred and fifty years…’

He, like all Saurians, was long lived and matured rapidly but aged slowly over the course of his remaining lifespan. He assumed it was likely why so few Saurians wished for more than their basic lot in life, though he never understood their drive for producing heirs with such long lifespans, but he had to guess it was some kind of evolutionary holdover from when the Surans lived for much shorter amounts of time if the rate of maturity was anything to tell about.

For instance he was barely nine years old, but was the equivalent to being in his mid to late twenties in terms of maturity. So roughly three Suran years to a human year, which was to say he had spent nearly twelve Suran years taking care of his mother before the Curse finally took her. For most of those years he spent them stagnant doing little else but training himself and tending her by means of hunting food and collecting what other amenities she demanded of him as her mind slipped and melted.

This was relevant because if his life in the cell was anything like his time as a slave to his mother then he would likely barely notice it.

‘Or at least I hope that’s true… Maybe I should accept their plan if only to get out…’ He quickly reneged on the idea.

“When?” He asked in a strained tone unsure if it was the word he thought it was.

Snapping out of their stupor after he spoke up, the calmer hand of the two answered.

“Three days, at most it will take one week. B-but we will visit you the night before so you may prepare.” Oébfinn quickly tagged the last part on as though it was to alleviate a worry she assumed he would have.

In reality he was less worried about when they would come and was more worried about satiating his boredom once the two women were gone, he often found it difficult to sleep once he woke for the day, so it wasn’t likely he’d sleep the time away.

“Okay.” He replied and the women were about to say something more when a knock at the door cut them off and a voice called for them to finish up.

The pair shared a look before turning their eyes to Marduk and then to the door before taking the lantern on the hook and leaving.

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Despite what he thought Marduk managed to find sleep in his imprisonment however it was interrupted when some indeterminate amount of time later a knock echoed throughout his cold stone cell, followed shortly by the metal clacking of a lock being undone before the door creaked open again.

Putting himself in a seated position he looked at the figure in the doorway before it closed after the shuffle of armoured guards behind them entered, holding swords in their hands waiting for him to do the wrong thing.

“You… You are far larger than I expected, words really do your kind a disservice.” A suave male voice said as the figure kneeled down and motioned for another person just behind him, which Marduk hadn’t noticed prior, to raise the lantern to the hook much like the twins had.

With the room properly illuminated the man's face was revealed.

The man’s skin was smooth and pale grey with a purplish hue to veins visible through the skin, his long hair was sleek black and his eyes were solid crimson with no discernable pupil. As well he had elongated ears that came to a point, their length was notable for being almost a foot long. He wore long dark grey robes and wore a tome on the belt around his waist with a few pouches.

“Ah I don’t even know if you understand me! Ha! Sorry for that friend, though I’m doubtless you’d find my words a bore hereafter.” The somewhat jovial tone the man spoke in was contrasted by his dark appearance.

The amicable nature of the man made it hard to ignore him beside the fact that Marduk wanted to know what was happening.

“Here. why?” He managed, causing the pointy eared man to literally jump in surprise at the noise coming from his mouth.

For that matter the Saurian noticed the two guardsmen tense up and move a step forward raising their weapons as the presumed assistant of the grey skinned man scurried backward.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

The assistant, likely a slave Marduk guessed, was a stout pale woman with dark hair and dark eyes dressed in a dull red chiton that was well worn and clearly frayed to the point that it was close to ripping completely. As he understood it she was one of the Krijn he’d seen so many of around the town.

“Oh! I- I was not expecting you to be familiar with Auran!” The man just about cheered in excitement. “And whats more you can understand me?”

Giving a short nod the Saurian waited for his response.

“How much Auran are you capable of? Small amounts or complete fluency?”

“Small” He replied, he moved to make a gesture as he did before realising his arms and legs were in shackles again.

He hadn’t even remembered them being re-clamped, then again the muzzle over his snout/mouth was barely keeping him from speaking so it wasn’t a surprise he barely noticed them.

Moving back to the position he’d been knelt in before he jumped, the man continued speaking. “That is wonderful! I’d heard you were living with one of the merchant families- it's grand to hear our language isn’t overtly difficult for you to speak!”

“Ah! I’m forgetting myself, I am Augustus Gregori, a Warlock of the Natural.” Augustus introduced himself with a short bow of his head.

‘What’s a warlock? Is that some kind of mage or something?’

“Marduk.” The Saurian responded with his name and Augustus half turned away from him reaching for something when his slave handed him an old worn leather bound book which he began writing in.

“Your people, what are they called? I would like to learn as much about them as I can to form an encyclopaedia about people of the land- though Count Fel has only allowed me a handful of hours to conduct my research.” The pointy eared man looked up from his book long enough to listen to an answer.

“Saurian” His answer was immediately written down as the other man went quiet for a few minutes while he sketched an image of him.

“How do Saurians distinguish themselves? Do you live in cities? What-” A barrage of questions flew out of the researcher stunning the crocodilian man.

“I- Tribes and villages…” He ended up answering only a couple of the questions.

“Right and these Tribes do they share names? How are they different?”

“Tribe and village. same name.” He replied before realising he could say the tribe names. “My tribe… Ahkula”

“You are of the Ahkula are you… hm… these other tribes are they as large and vicious looking as you are?” The grey skinned man asked while writing more notes.

“No. different.”

From here onward Augustus used the next two hours to ask everything and anything he could possibly think of leading to a very exhausted Marduk as the Suran wasn’t used to speaking so extensively in a language he could barely pronounce. Throughout the conversation at many points the researcher overstepped his bounds attempting to prod and probe a chance at seeing his whole physiology which Marduk evidently wasn’t going to let happen.

But when his time was eventually up the researcher was sad to go finding the information he gathered to be exceptionally interesting and left saying that he would try to convince the Count to allow him back soon for another conversation.

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Three days after the arrest and imprisonment of the wandering Saurian, Sophus and Adalgard encountered a grey skinned man with pointy ears while attempting to return home after a meeting with those who had responded to the initial letter from the Centaur man.

By no means was their meeting accidental as the man approached them with clear conviction.

“Hail my goodfellows! I am to understand you are the ones who were housing the Saurian man prior to his arrest?” He asked in a mostly upbeat tone standing in the way of the pair and stopping the conversation they’d been sharing.

“What? Who are you?” Sophus spat with a level of animosity that Adalgard hadn’t expected to hear from the man.

The grey skinned man took several steps backward “-I-I met w-w-with him recently. I-I a-am Augustus Gregori a wandering Warlock in search of knowledge- I was drawn to this town in the hopes I could travel the Duranki Crater and make contact with the Lizardfolks” He quickly sputtered hoping to make his point apparent.

“And what business do you have with us?” The Half-Spriggan woman chose to be the voice of calm.

Breathing a sigh of relief and patting his clothes down in an attempt to distract himself from the fear of being trampled by a Centaur he replied.

“As I said I had the opportunity to speak with the Saurian thanks to the Count, but he only allowed me a short conversation with the man, I hadn’t expected him capable of Auran it was quite the surprise- ah but I digress- What I mean to ask: Is it true he had been staying with the Julia until recent events? I’d heard he arrived with a boat from the Crater who had brought the remnants of an attack on a settlement with them as well…” The rate at which he spoke was impressive to the woman as she raised a single brow at the man not choosing to answer immediately.

“What would you do with your answer once you have it?” Sophus cut back into the conversation cooling his mind for a moment realising the man in front of them was far from one of the Counts sycophants here to grief them or extort details to spin the story with.

“Were it a no then I would look elsewhere I suppose… if it were a yes then I would hope an apology for my earlier actions would suffice and I ask were it possible to introduce me to the one who brought the Saurian here? I would very much like to get their account of the people they met in the Crater.”

Sophus cast his dark eyes to the tree woman who shrugged her shoulders unsure what to make of the man in front of them.

“First, let me ask, are you of the Áes Sídhe?” Adal asked wanting to know whether they could trust the man or not.

Áes Sídhe weren’t capable of lying, obfuscating yes, but never lying. It was part of why they were referred to as ‘The Fair folk’ or ‘The good neighbours’ though she was unsure if he was one it was a matter of similarities to those she’d heard about in passing having never truly met those from the other half of her family.

“I am, yes, my clan are the Æsc.” He answered quickly with a nod and a curious expression.

“I see, well I accept your apology. And to answer your question- I am the one who is in contact with the Saurian tribes, though mostly the Ur-Nikkal as they live the closest to Ochre’s Pass.” The woman was put at ease hearing his answer and gladly shared who she was.

With great amounts of suspicion still filling him Sophus relented as well and absolved the man. “I also accept your apology, if you like you may join us for dinner tonight and we can speak more.”

“I would be most greatful! Thankyou very much! I look forward to speaking with you later…” Augustus’ voice trailed off unsure of what their names were.

“Adalgard.”

Sophus.

The pair answered and the other man nodded his head.

With that they parted ways and finally the friends could head home.