Jannet stood on the walls of Newscar, his black-scaled form blending into the shadowy parapet. His tongue flicked the air, tasting the sweat, iron, and fear of the advancing humans. They were moving just as he had anticipated: slowly, methodically, their sights set on the eastern wall. He could see their formation clearly now, a column of soldiers with shields raised and a battering ram at the ready, flanked by archers preparing to provide covering fire. The eastern wall had always been the bait—its smaller appearance and deceptively weak defenses designed to draw them in.
The humans approached cautiously, their boots sinking slightly into the jungle floor. They clearly expected resistance but underestimated just how much. As the sun pierced the canopy, illuminating the battlefield in shafts of golden light, Jannet gave the signal.
Randel’s hiss carried the sharp command across the wall. From hidden stations, the lizards and goblins unleashed their first volley. Hardened wooden spears flew from the Y-shaped sling stations, a dozen projectiles slicing through the air. The assault struck true, piercing armor and sending several men to the ground with screams of pain. Panic rippled through the human ranks, but their disciplined formation pressed on.
The spears were swiftly reloaded as goblins on the walls manned slingshots and crude catapults. Each projectile carried a deadly payload: venom-coated shards of obsidian and sharp stones designed to pierce flesh and spread their toxins. The air filled with the sound of snapping wood and the heavy thuds of impacts.
Many of the projectiles were deflected by shields, but not all. Screams erupted as shrapnel found its marks, embedding in exposed necks, faces, and gaps in the humans' armor. Still, the humans pushed forward, their archers raising their bows in unison.
The first volley of arrows descended like a storm. Shafts slammed into the walls, striking wood, stone, and flesh alike. Not every lizard or goblin escaped unscathed. Cries of pain mingled with defiant hisses as arrows pierced scales and hide. Jannet hissed a warning to the defenders: more arrows would come. The humans weren’t deterred by the jungle’s lethality. They were resolute, and their discipline was deadly.
Below, Lil Guy and his goblin team sprang into action. Mounted on swift lizards, they darted between the wounded, pulling arrows free and applying makeshift poultices of venom and herbs. The goblins’ swift hands and calm coordination kept the wounded fighters alive, even as the chaos raged.
Jannet’s golden eyes tracked the humans as they reached the eastern moat. It had been disguised with sticks, moss, and leaves, making it appear like solid ground. The first ranks discovered the deception too late. Men screamed as they fell into the water, impaled on the sharpened stakes hidden below. The moat turned crimson as the unlucky soldiers thrashed, their cries rising above the din of battle.
But the humans weren’t deterred. The survivors shouted for planks, and a second wave moved forward, laying crude walkways across the moat to bridge the gap. The battering ram advanced, groaning as it was pushed onto the planks.
Jannet flicked his tongue, tasting the panic and determination of the humans. They were resolute, but so was he. The battering ram’s presence over the moat presented a perfect opportunity. He hissed a memetic command, reverberating through the lizard defenders.
“Fire the packages.”
Goblins and lizards hauled out the specially prepared projectiles: bundles of sharp gemstones and magical stones gifted by the gem gnomes, each wrapped in venom-coated leaves. The stones were fragile, prone to cracking and releasing bursts of energy when damaged. Jannet had carefully crafted this countermeasure, and now it was time to see it in action.
With a synchronized effort, the defenders launched the parcels. They arced through the air, striking the ram and the soldiers clustered around it. The first explosion sent shards of stone and venom flying, tearing through armor and flesh. A chain reaction followed as other stones cracked, their stored magic erupting in bursts of fire and force.
The battering ram splintered under the onslaught, its remains crashing into the moat. Soldiers were thrown backward, screaming as the energy tore through their ranks. Panic overtook the humans at the front, and they retreated in disarray, their formation broken.
Jannet’s eyes scanned the battlefield. The humans had withdrawn from the immediate wall assault, but the remnants of their battering ram now served as a makeshift bridge over the moat. The defenders had stopped the first wave, but at a cost.
Arrows still rained and littered the walls, and several lizards lay wounded or dead. Jannet spotted #1 among the injured, his massive form bleeding from several deep cuts. Despite his wounds, #1 stood tall, hissing defiantly at the enemy. His resilience inspired the others, and Jannet felt a surge of pride in his most loyal companion.
But the fight was far from over. The humans had hundreds of soldiers, and their commanders wouldn’t be deterred by a single setback. Jannet could feel the weight of their numbers pressing against his mind. His reptilian instincts screamed at him to retreat, to find safety in the depths of the jungle. But he ignored them. This wasn’t just about survival anymore.
Newscar was their home. It was their sanctuary, their proof that lizards could build something greater. He would defend it to his last breath.
The lizards hissed in defiance from the walls, their tongues flaring as they readied themselves for the next attack. Jannet took a moment to assess their situation. The magical stones were depleted, and many of their defenses had been revealed. The humans would adapt, but so would they.
He hissed orders to the goblins and lizards below, directing them to reinforce the walls and reset the traps. The drawbridge remained raised, but the humans would find another way to breach the fortress. Jannet’s golden eyes narrowed as he gazed at the human camp. They were regrouping, their commanders shouting orders and reorganizing their ranks.
Jannet’s golden eyes scanned the battlefield, narrowing as he watched the humans regroup. Their lines shifted as commanders barked orders, forming ranks with brutal efficiency. The first wave had faltered, but they weren’t retreating. They were adapting.
His tongue flicked out instinctively, tasting the air thick with sweat, blood, and the faint, acrid scent of burning wood. His mind whirred with possibilities, each scenario grimmer than the last. Around him, the komodos and goblins of Newscar turned their gazes to him, their eye lenses flaring with uncertainty. They needed leadership, strength, and resolve.
For a moment, doubt crept into Jannet’s mind. He wasn’t a warrior. He wasn’t born to lead. He was just a housewife, a creature of routine and care, thrust into a position he’d never sought. But as the whistle of arrows filled the air, one finding its mark in his foot, the doubt dissolved into something sharper—determination.
Pain flared as the arrow struck, a sharp point breaking through the hardened scales of his foot. His HP dropped slightly, a small but jarring reminder of his mortality. Jannet let out a low hiss, snapping the shaft off with his powerful jaws and pulling the arrow free with his claws. The pain fueled his resolve.
He wasn’t just a housewife anymore. He was Jannet, Sovereign of Newscar, and his family—the lizards, the goblins, and even the eggs nestled deep in the nursery—depended on him. He wouldn’t falter. Not here, not now.
Jannet climbed to the top of the parapet, his massive form silhouetted against the jungle canopy. His scales glistened with rain and sweat as he reared back, releasing a deafening roar that echoed through the jungle. The sound carried a memetic pulse, rippling through the minds of every komodo within the walls and the goblins followed instinctively. It was a call to arms, a rallying cry that silenced doubt and ignited defiance.
Below, #1 roared in response, his bellowing hiss rallying the ranks. The lizards filed into their positions with precision born of relentless training. Goblins scrambled to their posts, their small hands clutching spears and slingshots, eyes wide with determination. The defenders of Newscar stood ready, united in their purpose.
Jannet watched as the humans brought forward new weapons of war. A team of mages strode into the clearing, their cloaks shimmering with arcane energy. Fire flickered at their fingertips, and with a synchronized chant, they hurled flaming projectiles toward the walls. The wooden supports splintered and groaned under the assault, smoke rising as flames licked at the defenses.
“Pull back from the walls!” Jannet hissed through memetics, the command carrying urgency. The defenders obeyed, retreating from the parapets to avoid the inferno. They wouldn’t waste lives on a hopeless defense of the outer wall. Their strength would be in the breach.
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The humans surged forward, emboldened by the sight of retreating defenders. Ladders slammed against the smoldering walls, and soldiers began their ascent, shields raised to protect against the occasional arrow or stone still falling from above. But the real defense waited below.
Jannet moved to the base of the eastern wall, where the breach would soon come. The moat was a quagmire of mud and blood, its spikes hidden beneath a layer of churned muck. The battering ram from the first wave had left a crude bridge across the moat, and the humans would use it.
Jannet hissed to #1 and Rose, who flanked him like sentinels. “We hold the breach. No human crosses alive.”
They nodded, their forked tongue flaring as they took their positions. Behind them, Randel and Baby Goblin prepared their teams. Randel’s Y-stick spear stations were reloaded and repositioned, while Baby Goblin’s goblin riders waited in reserve, their mounts ready to strike when the moment was right.
As the goblins’ riders held their positions in the rear, their mounts twitching with pent-up energy, a different kind of ritual began to unfold behind the defensive lines. Randel and a group of goblin crafters, some with hastily bandaged wounds from the earlier skirmish, approached Jannet with purposeful reverence.
The goblins carried with them the Sovereign’s armaments, crafted painstakingly over the winter. The helm, a gleaming artifact of salvaged breastplates and jungle vines, had been reforged and polished, now adorned with jagged patterns reminiscent of scales. The claw blades, fashioned from reforged human swords, were strapped with reinforced leather and vine bindings. They gleamed with a deadly edge, their tips honed to perfection.
The defenders nearby paused in their tasks to watch, their gazes filled with awe. The goblins, their small frames bowed under the weight of the armaments, moved with almost religious reverence as they approached their leader.
Randel stepped forward first, holding the helm. His frills flared with pride as he looked up at Jannet, who knelt slightly to allow the goblin to place it atop his head. The fit was perfect, the helm settling into place with a satisfying finality. The goblins murmured among themselves, their voices a mix of admiration and gratitude.
Next came the claw blades. Two goblins stepped forward, each holding one of the deadly implements. They knelt before Jannet, presenting the weapons like sacred relics. Randel directed the bindings, ensuring they were secure but flexible, allowing Jannet full mobility.
As the final adjustments were made, Randel stepped back and bowed deeply, his frills dipping low in a gesture of utmost respect. The other goblins followed suit, their small forms lowering in unison.
The lizards, too, watched in reverence. Their tongues flared and tails flicked, a silent acknowledgment of Jannet’s authority. Even Rose and #1, standing nearby, tilted their heads in approval. This was not just a moment of preparation—it was a moment of transformation.
Jannet, now fully armed, rose to his full height. The helm caught the light, its jagged edges glinting like the teeth of a predator. The claw blades, strapped securely to his powerful forelimbs, radiated menace. He was no longer just a leader; he was a symbol, a sovereign, a force of nature.
A low, collective hiss spread through the defenders, a sound that carried both fear and admiration. The goblins whispered among themselves, their voices trembling with awe.
“The Sovereign,” one said.
“Our Sovereign,” another corrected, her tone reverent.
Though the meaning of the words did not reach Jannet the idea was conveyed
Jannet stood for a moment, his gaze sweeping over his people. The weight of the armaments was nothing compared to the weight of their trust, their belief in him. He flicked his tongue, tasting the air thick with anticipation and determination.
“Lizards together strong,” Jannet hissed, the memetic pulse carrying through the ranks, igniting their spirits.
The defenders roared their approval, their voices blending into a cacophony of unity and resolve. For a brief, shining moment, fear was forgotten. They would fight, not just for survival, but for Newscar, for the future Jannet had promised them.
The humans breached the wall with a thunderous crash, flaming debris raining down as the mages’ final volley hit its mark. Soldiers poured through the opening, their shields raised as they charged into the fortress.
Jannet met the first wave head-on. His massive body surged forward, tail whipping with bone-crushing force. His claws, reinforced with leather and steel by the goblin crafters, tore through armor like paper. The humans screamed as they fell, their ranks faltering under the sheer ferocity of his assault.
#1 and Rose were close behind, their movements a blur of primal strength and speed. #1’s jaws snapped shut on a soldier’s arm, the sickening crunch followed by a roar of pain. Rose spun, her tail lashing out to knock another soldier into the muddy moat.
Behind them, the defenders unleashed their own fury. Goblins fired their slingshots and bows, their projectiles tipped with venom that seeped through armor. Randel’s spear stations launched deadly volleys, the hardened wood piercing shields and bodies alike.
Baby Goblin stood atop a platform, chanting in her high-pitched voice as she summoned a new plague of toads. The poisonous creatures hopped into the fray, their secretions burning through armor and skin, sowing chaos among the attackers.
For a moment, it seemed as though the defenders might hold. The relentless assault from the lizards and goblins had slowed the humans’ advance, their lines faltering under the barrage of venomous projectiles, crude traps, and well-placed strikes. Jannet stood at the breach, a towering force of muscle and scales, his helm glinting with the blood of his enemies. The defenders rallied behind him, their resolve bolstered by the Sovereign’s indomitable presence.
But then came another volley of arrows, their deadly points raining down with unrelenting precision. Jannet snarled as one struck his side, its tip embedding between his scales. His status flickered in his mind, his HP ticking down incrementally.
HP: 612/800.
The status bar was a constant reminder of his mortality, but Jannet barely registered the pain. Another wave of soldiers surged forward, their sheer numbers pressing against the defenders and threatening to overwhelm them. The eastern wall echoed with the clash of steel and the hissing roars of the Komodo dragons.
Jannet surged forward, his claws gleaming as he swiped with his augmented sword claws. The devastating slash tore through the ranks, sending soldiers flying with screams of agony. Blood spattered across the breach, staining the ground as more enemies fell to his wrath. His muscles burned with effort, and the air around him seemed to thrum with raw, reptilian power.
Despite his towering form and vicious attacks, the humans pressed on. Arrows zipped through the air, several striking Jannet’s hide. He hissed in frustration as another notification flashed in his vision.
HP: 570/800.
Each wound chipped away at him, but there was no time to falter. Jannet lashed out with Tail Sweep, the force of his attack sending a cluster of conscripts crashing into the moat. Their screams were silenced as the spikes claimed them, but the breach continued to fill with more soldiers.
Nearby, Rose fought with primal fury, her claws and teeth a blur of motion. A particularly large soldier broke through the line, his blade raised high and aimed at Jannet’s throat. Jannet tensed, his stamina waning, but before the blade could fall, Rose intercepted. Her claws raked across the man’s face, tearing through flesh and sending him sprawling to the ground with a scream.
Jannet hissed a brief note of gratitude to her before returning his focus to the onslaught. His claws glinted as he attacked, carving through a knight’s armor as though it were paper. Another notification ticked up his growing kill count.
Kill Count: +1 Mage. Kill Count: +1 Knight.
The humans’ fear of Jannet was evident in their hesitations, the way they stumbled or faltered when their eyes met his. Yet, fear wasn’t enough to stop them. The barrage of arrows and spells from the rear ranks bore down relentlessly, and the sting of magic seared through the air. Jannet roared as a fireball exploded near his flank, the heat licking at his scales.
HP: 500/800.
His stamina waned further, each movement feeling heavier than the last, but he refused to yield. Sovereign Presence radiated from him, bolstering the lizards and goblins around him. They hissed and roared in defiance, their strikes growing more ferocious with each passing moment.
Time seemed to slow for Jannet as the chaos of battle raged on. His mind flicked through every moment that had brought them here—the building of Newscar, the loss of Spotted Eye, the first eggs hatching in their nursery. The weight of it all pressed against him, but with it came a surge of resolve. This was his family, his home. He wouldn’t let the humans destroy it.
A blade sliced across his forelimb, another notification flashing as blood dripped to the ground.
HP: 450/800.
The sting was distant, barely registering as adrenaline coursed through him. He lashed out with his tail rending the front ranks, striking down another wave of soldiers as they charged into the breach. Their bodies crumpled like reeds before a storm, but still, more came.
The ground trembled beneath the press of their numbers, and Jannet’s golden eyes widened as he saw them trample through the grave of Spotted Eye. The crude cairn of stones was scattered beneath their boots, a symbol of their disrespect and disregard.
Something in Jannet snapped. His eyes glowed with a furious light as he let out a roar that shook the walls of Newscar. Rage surged through his body, drowning out the pain and exhaustion. His claws flexed, digging into the earth as he prepared to launch himself back into the fray. The humans thought they could destroy everything he’d built, trample the memory of the fallen, and take his home. They were wrong.
This was Newscar. And Jannet would hold the breach, or die trying.
As his vision blurred with fury, the notifications continued to tick away.
HP: 425/800.
Kill Count: +1 Knight.
Kill Count: +1 Mage.
The Sovereign of Newscar would not fall.