Nearing the end of my first month in Bailey, Theodoric’s one armed helper approached me as I was wandering the city again, this time alone as I’d managed to otherwise convince the guardsman Baldomar and goblin Jasmine that I didn’t need them to follow me around.

Thankfully I remembered her name when she approached so I didn’t have to fumble around calling her ‘You’ until it was mentioned.

“Brìghde.” I greeted the red skinned fȳr woman and she nearly jumped with fright not expecting me to notice her loitering in the corner of my vision waiting for a moment to come up to me.

“Ah! You noticed me, Lord Marduk… my master has asked if you would like to join him today as he trains with his fellows. If you are inclined to, then you are free to follow me back to his residence.” Her voice trembled initially before smoothing out and watching me with expectant eyes.

“Sounds interesting, lead the way.” I replied and we made our way through the backstreets of the city toward the walls of the cavern it was built in.

Along the part of the cavern wall she brought me to, there were hidden paths carved into a tunnel which she led me down for about another half-hour to hour before we finally reached an opening after far too many winding turns. In the open Theodoric was in the middle of talking to about ten other Áes Sídhe

The opening was lit up with these metal lanterns producing a blue light and it made the whole meeting place look pretty ominous like I was about to be inducted into a cult. Whatever sense of trepidation I could have felt went out the window when the immortal words of Alex telling me to do whatever made for a good story later on came into my head.

So I continued to follow Brìghde without much worry, well- no I was still worried I might be kidnapped or something but I was at least being sure to memorise as much as possible to help retell it later should I have to.

As we descended a flight of carved stairs into the stone ground, Theodoric broke off from his conversation to call to me, he wore a rather excited expression that looked a little weird with that brand sunk into his face the way it was.

“It's grand to see you again!” He greeted me as I approached, without warning he threw his huge arms around me and I’m pretty sure I felt my spine snap when he hugged me. “Have you made any progress on finding your wayward Lave?” he asked, completely stunning me for a moment in a stupor.

Letting go and standing back he waited for my answer and when I finally registered what he said I shook my head.

“A dragon told me I had to wait for something specific to pass before I would meet her again.” I replied not seeing much problem with giving him a slightly altered version of events.

And by slightly I meant only one part was accurate.

“A dragon?” He questioned. “You’ve met with one?”

“Two so far.” I replied but left out the part where the second was a corpse outside a town.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise before he belted a deep laugh slapping my left shoulder. “When I saved you I hardly thought I’d ever hear words like those from your mouth! You are a riot of tales- ones I’d love to hear more about later but for now I’d ask if you would join our training?”

“That’s what Brìghde invited me here for, so yes.” I gave a nod as I answered and he motioned for me to follow him.

I watched as the others who were gathered together spread out into a circle and not for the last time had I been tricked into a spar with a person I barely knew but suspected was stronger than me in any case.

Taking my side I breathed a sigh and tried to fight off that growing mental hunger that lavished the idea that I’d be able to fight someone like Blair again. Raising my right hand and angling my body sideways so my arm and tail wouldn’t have to move far to hit him, I couldn’t really fight the way I was taught as a hatchling since I didn’t have my other arm to grapple him and use my size to my advantage.

Lining up opposite me the hulking form of Theodoric held himself in a way that felt like he was about to tackle me and break my jaw, he stood with his left arm held out most of the way with his hand half open, his head ducked slightly so his hand was at eye level, then his right hand was just in front of his chin in a similar position with his knees bent and his left foot slightly arched.

It really felt like he was about to kick off the ground and suplex me.

I noticed his left hand began motioning around in figure-eights which almost distracted me from one of his friends asking if we were ready to start.

“I am” I answered and Theodoric just nodded his head and the man called-

“Start!”

Without warning Theo’s calloused right palm rocketed forward my chest as he raised his left to deflect my clawed hand as it darted toward his throat-

Thwack

“Urghk!” I felt the air leap from my chest as my entire body twisted my tail following right behind as it smashed into the other man staggering him off to the left.

I used the moment to kick backwards out of his grasp as he reached for my tail as it retracted to my left side trying to use it to cover my flank.

Returning to a similar stance as before Theo held his right arm out to the side and waved it drawing my eyes in a moment of stupidity that led to my jaw catching his left palm snapping my neck to the side as he charged into me and his strength showed itself as he tackled me to the ground knocking me in a way that his elbow was pressed down on my neck.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The pounding clap as my tail whipped him and I tried my best to strike his torso as he put pressure on my throat.

I didn’t last much longer under the force of his other hand striking my ribs and liver-

“I give!” I barked out as pain rocked through my body.

Almost the instant I spoke the words the pressure lifted and I breathed a deep sigh of relief as Theodoric pulled himself to his feet and offered me a hand a moment later. Taking it I was surprised by his strength as he pulled me to my feet as well, though I probably shouldn’t have been considering I’d just experienced his punches and seen what he did to the Barghest- or at least the aftermath of the Barghest.

“That was awful, I never want to do that again.” I stated flatly and he laughed with a big smile on his face.

“Sorry-sorry I got a little excited and went overboard after your tail struck me, it hurt a lot more than I expected and my body just sort of reacted.” He apologised as his hand went down to where I’d hit him.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Much like the other times we’d met he was still only wearing a waistguard and knee length skirt, so I could see the burgeoning marks where I’d gotten him blooming into a much darker shade.

Taking another much needed breath I felt my chest shift and click, the realisation that a few of my ribs were re-broken after the last time they’d been snapped fighting Blair.

“I’m going to need healing.” I said after a moment, wincing as I felt the bones move.

“You will have to settle for Brìghde, she’s the only healer- unless you want to walk back to the city?” Theodoric said motioning for his-

Actually, I don’t know what the red skinned woman’s job actually was, but I guess it seems more like she’s just an attendant. Which I guess makes sense considering that regal air around him and his relation to Augustus- since the red eyed warlock- I’m pretty sure at least, is the son of one of the city's rulers.

Anyway my pedantics aside she approached me and raised her hand over my chest where I’d been holding my side after getting up, she spoke a handful of what otherwise seemed to be nonsensical words under her breath before reaching back down to her side and dipping her index finger in a satchel before drawing some kind of rune over my broken bones. The symbol glowed and moments later I felt my internals slowly begin to repair much like they had back in Sabine when their healers helped me out.

They glowed like this for almost a minute before the woman released a long exhausted breath, shoulders slumping as the light faded and the mark disappeared. Despite her exhaustive state the fȳr woman moved to her master and did the same, I hadn’t noticed his whole body was slouched over until she started casting the spell or whatever she was doing.

After he recovered Theo managed to trick me into joining his friends in their training, the men all going about practising their martial art- the one Theodoric used on me. So I ended up spending the rest of my day learning how much I could be smashed in the face and hit in the torso by someone’s palms then fists and feet before I didn’t want to spit more blood.

My only saving grace was that his friends weren’t nearly as strong as him so while what they did hurt, it wasn’t broken bone bad, and they actually made an effort to explain how to combat them.

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Hours later when they were all drenched in sweat and collapsed from exertion and my own body was drained feeling like lead. For what it was worth, learning to fight properly with just one arm was something I now really wanted to see through, especially if I keep ending up in fights the way things are going.

Much like what was slowly becoming the norm for me as well though, the other men asked about my arm.

“You say a giant cock released itself on you?” Agimar, who was a wódr̥, repeated back to me with a grin on his blue face.

For a moment, I realised, I’d almost forgotten what it was like to laugh with friends and leaned into what he’d said.

“A big one too, a great width and vast length” I motioned my arm and stump in an attempt to mime its size.

“Sure enough only the king could take such a cock with ease!” Ingram added with a bark of laughter.

We all joined him, even if I didn’t understand the context.

Things went on like this for quite a while and I started to miss being in Sabine, the men of the village I’d gotten to know being counted among those I’d happily call my friends. It was the same for Sophus’ children for that matter, but I’d likely never see them again unless I headed back to Barca Crags to go home- which I guess I’ll have to do anyway if I want to properly answer Siduri’s proposal…

Why hello consequences of my own actions- it's good to see you again.

Though I guess it was the other Marduk, the one who was Saurian, as opposed to me being Matthew inhabiting this life as himself tinged with the shades of memories from growing up here.

Where did Marduk stop and Matthew start?

The idea peeled itself free in my mind and distracted me completely from the conversation happening around me.

Is it as simple as that day Tiamat broke the curse hazing my mind- or was it much more complicated- that I was never not either and now I’m just cognizant of that fact making me both with the ability to look at it as an outsider?

Though I didn’t have an answer to the question my mind shifted aside to a much sillier question-

If I’m nine in Human years but nearly thirty in Saurian does that make me a Paedophile or Jailbait?

“Bwaha!” I blurted out a stupid giggle at the idea causing the others to look at me with a range of confused expressions.

“What’s so funny about Marduk?” Theodoric asked and my eyes went wide when I realised where I was again.

“Oh uh it wasn’t anything, don’t worry about it.” I tried to deflect but now he was interested with a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

“Oh no- something enough to make a lizardfolk like yourself laugh at random is something I have to hear.” He insisted, waiting with an expectant expression.

Crap it’s like dealing with my students again… I sighed internally before trying my best to come up with something they’d all find funny.

And then, it was as if it came to me in a dream… I remembered a dumb skit from one of my favourite movies.

Tiamat’s hide I hope this translates well

“I was thinking on the name of a friend of mines father- Naughtius Maximus, it’s not a very common name- inconvenient for him at the best of times- which lead me to another friends name he’s general back in the human capital, his name Biggus Dickus” it was hard to convey having a lisp, but by the gods did I ever fucking try.

They started to ‘snrk’ and held back giggles as I said “My friend… Biggus Dickus- he has a wife you know, she’s called incontinentia- Incontinentia buttocks.”

Thankfully as butchered as the joke was, the men all burst into hysterics and we all got to wind down properly from the sparring we’d been doing.