“You!” The surprise in the dark scaled creature’s voice was evident. Though, judging by its next words, for all the wrong reasons.

“You speak our lan-!?” Only then did the realization that their companion who had been standing right next to them had, all of a sudden, disappeared, set in.

“Where is… Hizgal! What have you-?” The scaled person became frantic. And instinctively knew the disappearance must have been related to Severin.

“What have you done? Where is the hizgal?” The lizard-like eyes on the almost featureless, scaled face, opened wide in panic, made for an almost funny sight. But not quite.

Too nauseous did Severin feel this moment right after his affective banishing of the unpleasant intruder. Because he, of course, already knew the answer to that question.

He had just killed someone.

Or maybe… maybe that creature-or was it a person, after all? No. It was just a creature. It had to be; made it easier-, ...or maybe that creature was still in midair.

Falling to its death. Even right now.

Would that make it better? Or worse? Severin didn’t know. He felt sick.

‘Maybe they take less fall-damage?’, he thought to himself. ‘Is that a thing?’ he doubted it.

Still, he forced himself to appear calm, collected, and in control. To at least try.

He crossed his arms, almost hugging himself, and said,

“We don’t tolerate this kind of behaviour around here. Your friend has been blacklisted. That means they can no longer step foot on any of our properties. So wherever that… Hisgal? fellow of yours is, it is no-”

“Friend? Hisg…? Human! Listen to me!” The creature took a sudden step forward, not at all looking funny anymore. Not in the slightest. But threatening. And maybe... fearful? Severin wasn’t sure he could trust his senses right now, but assuming he could, Severin the feeling the creature felt just as sickened as himself.

It was the only reason he didn’t immediately blacklist that creature as well after its aggressive approach. That and the fact he didn’t want to become a double murderer if it could be avoided. One more step, however, and...

“It’z hizgal! You understand? Not a perzon. A…” The creature stopped, looking for a word, “Necklaze. The necklaze of our clan. It proves itz wearer to be Limzahl. You understand? Friend, pah,” the creature spat the words. “Funny human. No, that conzeited bitch iz no friend. Iz our Limzahl.”

‘That was their species’ female?’ Severin thought, but knew better than to say these thoughts out loud.

There had been no characteristic features to identify her as such. Neither in terms of visible characteristics, nor in terms of its deep, raspy voice. Then again, he had no point of reference to begin with. Who knew if that creature before him wasn’t a female as well? And who knew what their male counterparts looked like?

Severin kept his mouth shut and decided he wasn’t too keen on ever finding out; he would be quite contend, never again coming in contact with any other specimen of their race, at all.

First, however, he would have to somehow get out of this whole mess-whatever this actually was- and preferably in a way that wouldn’t cost another life.

“Your... lims...?” he started to inquire

“Limzahl, human! Limzahl. A… how do you zay? A rreprezentative. To conduct negotiationz. To speak for the clan. Without Limzahl… can’t do buzinesz.”

“Not like I would do any business with her anyway,” Severin replied under his breath; and found out that the small holes on the side of his opposite’s head made for much better ears than he had expected.

“Ooh! Zo you arre alzo Limzahl!”

“I am the owner of this store... if that’s what you mean. I make the decisions, yes.”

“Then you muzt know. You understand the importanze of Limzahl. Of hizgal. Help me find it. Pleaze. You must know wherre to look.” By now the creature was almost begging him, dispelling all notions of fear and feelings of apprehension in Severin. Instead, he began to feel bad for the creature that, though initially not very forthcoming, had in fact reprimanded its now missing companion.

Plus, he was curious. And hoping that, just maybe, he had been mistaken.

That maybe that creature had somehow survived. After all, they had made it up here somehow. And it was a long way down - long enough to summon one’s flying artifact, even?

“I honestly wouldn’t even know where to look. But fine. Maybe one of the people outside saw something.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Maybe she is over therre?” the creature suggested once outside, pointing towards the direction of one specific building.

“As I said. Once someone is blacklist-”

“But it’s the Zoziety! They arre-”

“-still on my property,” Severin completed, irritated by the interruption. Then, more forgiving, “That’s why I suggested asking around. To check whether someone saw where you lim-.. your companion has been pushed over the edge. Maybe I haven’t made myself very clear. But all of this is my pr-

“-verin?! Sir!”

Severin only at that moment realized the… individual… in front of him was still probably not quite aware of what being blacklisted by him actually meant; of the consequences it entailed. But just when he was about to break it to them, he was interrupted by the shouts of someone running towards them.

“You are Sev-”, the out of breath guard was gasping for air between every one of his words; the man had obviously been in great haste.

But stopped and…

“Ah! Another one! So it’s true. Lady Jasmine had suspected this was the case, but-” the agitated man forced his eyes away from the scaled creature and turned towards the originally intended receiver of the message he was so hastily sent to deliver,

“Severin? Your presence is requested. If you would do us the honor? We have some kind of... situation. And it is believed you might be able to resolve it.” during his last few words, the man once again had been solely focused on the one standing next to Severin; the latter didn’t mind.

He had totally forgotten that large parts of where the fortress was now standing- all apart from the small area containing the portal stations itself-, was not actually his property anymore, a fact, which the black hole on his minimap should have reminded him of immediately. This certainly would do it. Maybe he wasn’t a murderer after all!

Someone else arrived at a similar conclusion.

“You have found Limzahl? Where? Lead the way, human. Quickly!”

Severin himself encouragingly nodded towards the uncertain guard- swiftly but not quite at running speed, the small group headed in the according direction.

“The [Pr…], the Lady,” the guard quickly corrected himself in front of the outsider, “was out in the yard when suddenly… we thought someone send an assassin! That someone was out for her. It appeared all of a sudden, you know? It was only our Lady’s fast thinking that might have prevented a diplomatic… incident. The knights were ready to skewer the saurling, wh-”

“Tzzz.” Going by its reaction, it was clear the creature didn’t particularly liked that term. “Tell uz, human. Iz she well? Why are you ztill keeping her?”

“Ah?! It spe- Yes, well, of course. The, ehm, saurian is well. Mostly. I think.”

“Moztly?” A long, split, blue tongue hissed out of the saurian’s mouth. “You think?”

“Well. We didn’t… we couldn’t talk to... them? We have no interpreter stationed here. At the same time, it wasn’t possible for the... for her… to leave. It was almost like she was trapped by an invisible wall. At this point, she started getting aggressive. Even more so than before. But it was also at that point the Lady sent me looking for you.” This naturally referred to Severin, who by now had a pretty good idea of the situation.

The confirmation came as soon as they arrived at the large gate.

“There you are! Come! Help me, get me out of here! These atrocious, scaleless softlings are holding me prisoner. You talk to them. That’s the only reason you’re here to begin with, no? To talk to them. Who else would bother learning such a primitive language?”

“Enough! Haven’t you already done enough harm already? Do you still not realize the position you have put us it?”

“How dare you! How dare you speak to your Limzahl like that? Do I have to remind you of-”

“Don’t talk about being Limzahl! Not after insulting another clan’s Limzahl.” With that, the darker scaled saurian pointed towards Severin, who, he suspected, was in fact the only one present, able to follow the conversation between the two; the System’s [Language Mastery] be thanks. “You think you can still conduct business for our clan now? Instead of opportunities, you only brought us shame!”

A moment of hesitation.

Then another outburst.

“Limzahl?! That creature? Don’t make me laugh. No Limzahl would ever do such menial tasks as filling shelves! Pestering customers. Should be glad, tha-

“Enough! You had your chance!”

Severin didn’t clearly see what happened after this shout. It happened too quickly, all in an instant.

But what he did know was that his decision to have Emily stay behind in the store was the right one to make.

A swift, sudden motion.

Two bloodied short-swords, nonchalantly wiped clean, before disappearing as quickly as they had appeared.

An elaborately decorated necklace taken from a headless neck.

A lightly scaled head being picked up.

And then being presented to him.

“Pleazze, take thiz az my zinzerre apology.

I am Limzahl now. Zo we can do buzinezz now, no?”