The sun hung high overhead, though it had not yet reached its noonday position. The heat was unbearable for most, but the Lizarians that dwelt in Talche'el didn't even feel it. To them, anything colder was freezing and would probably kill them; they were cold-blooded, after all - and not just in demeanor, either.

But the Lizarians had always been friends and allies of Jaxon Creed's Master. He had always provided them a service, aiding them when necessary with his magic and his potions in return for services carried out for him. He had helped them win two small wars and had settled numerous disputes that would have ended very, very badly - for others, anyway. Not for the Lizarians. But had they ended as badly as they could have, the Lizarians would probably have been wiped out in the end. So, in essence, they owed him - and owed big. And they held every bit of respect for his Apprentice as they held for him.

Thus, Jaxon Creed was an honored and celebrated guest second in respect only to the Lizard King and his Lizard Queen. Every time he came in, he was sure to announce himself so that there was a large procession willing to do whatever he told them to do immediately and without question. Twenty, perhaps thirty Lizarians were at his beckon call every time he came, and he loved it. They would have died, every last one of them, to protect him - just as they would have for his Master, or for their King or Queen.

So Jaxon felt completely safe amidst the usually extremely hostile and very dangerous Lizarians that now filled the open ground. They wandered here and there and did various tasks. He, however, was under a canopy that had been erected to keep him out of the sun. It didn't keep him as cool as he should have been, but it did greatly decrease the heat bearing down upon him and the Lizarians tending to him kept him comfortable (at least as was possible, anyway) and dry. The humidity was bad, but he wasn't worried. Bugs never seemed to like him enough to come near and heat had never really bothered him besides, so he was good. Finally, though, he had to go talk to some of the Lizarians. He did his duty and was soon returning.

It was when he was inspecting a hut erected for him that he noticed through the window someone coming into the city. The Lizarians hadn't noticed yet, but they would soon - and they would not be pleased. He stood in the doorway of his hut, leaning against the hard-dirt frame, and watched the girl come in.

"You wouldn't happen to be lost, would you?"

For why else would an Elf maiden be coming into the Lizarian city of her own volition? Though, of course, it was odd for an Elf to be lost - but still...the whole thing of her appearance here was more than odd - and dangerous if the Lizarians decided they were hungry for some fresh meat...

Wandering. Claire did pretty much nothing but wander these past few days. She had to empty her boots of water every twelve seconds in this rain forest. Stupid water. Why did everything have to make her journey hard?

But, then again, where was she headed? She didn't really know if she was even on a journey. "Stupid complicated thoughts...Stupid rain forest. Die!" She grabbed a stick and pretended it was a sword, jabbing at a tree that was so innocently standing there. She made a couple more jabs, and then Claire threw her stick away and pointed at the tree. "You shall die, eventually. For now...I don't like you."

Claire began walking again. She walked. And walked. Then she stopped, and laughed at herself. That was the most weirdest thing that she could do. She tried to attack a tree! With a stick! Thank goodness no one saw her. That would be the end of her life. Claire laughed again, and began skipping that made the water on the ground splash in her boots. She didn't notice.

"I'm singing in the puddles, just singing in the puddles. What a glorious feeling, I'm--" Claire stopped. Standing before was a city. The most beautiful city she had seen in the past few days. The only one she had seen in the past few days.

Claire's adventurous side took over her careful side. She walked the short distance to the city, and approached it timidly. What she was made her rub her eyes and look again. There were weird lizard things!

Claire almost jumped out of her skin when someone, who was actually human, ask, "You wouldn't happen to be lost, would you?"

Claire scolded herself, before turning to face the man. "No.I just happened to find this on a map, and I came to check it out." She hoped he wouldn't be able to see past her obvious lie. But she was pretty good at lying. When she wanted to be. And right now, she really wanted to be. Claire narrowed her eyes at him. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Jaxon looked at her as though the Elf had completely lost her mind. A map? Few people even knew there was a city in the Taurerosa Rainforest, let alone where it was. People generally didn't live long enough to see the inside of the city's walls - if they even lived long enough to see the outside of the city's walls.

"The last time I saw an Elf here, he was on a spit with about a half-dozen others. They were being prepared for lunch."

He said all of this slowly and calmly, as though he were merely discussing the weather and not what would happen should he let the Lizarians know that she wasn't an acquaintance of his. And if that happened, the gods themselves couldn't keep them off of her. A few thousand Lizarians against a single, so obviously very naive Elf maiden? She wouldn't make it a single step before they were wondering what to flavor her skin with as she turned slowly with a rock in her mouth and ropes binding her to a spit.

"Of course, you could give me a reason to tell the Lizarians here not to eat you. I'm not entirely certain that they would listen to me, unfortunately - it's been some time, I hear, since they've had Elf for a meal - but they might. They just might. I'm a welcome guest, after all, but you - you're an Elf. And the Lizarians aren't fond of the arrogant-minded Elves. They may be primitive, but they're certainly still dangerous. And you, quite obviously, are very alone. So. Give me a reason not to tell them you're food."

He indicated the Lizarians that were now noticing the Elf maiden - and hungrily, at that - with a small nod. He wasn't quite smiling, but it was clear that she was laughing at her maliciously nonetheless.

When the man looked at Claire strangely, she began to wonder what happened to people who came here.

“The last time I saw an Elf here, he was on a spit with about a half a dozen others. They were being prepared for lunch.” Claire’s eyes widened. Surely nobody could be that cruel.

“Well, how was I supposed to know that?” she stated.

"Of course, you could give me a reason to tell the Lizarians here not to eat you. I'm not entirely certain that they would listen to me, unfortunately - it's been some time, I hear, since they've had Elf for a meal - but they might. They just might. I'm a welcome guest, after all, but you - you're an Elf. And the Lizarians aren't fond of the arrogant-minded Elves. They may be primitive, but they're certainly still dangerous. And you, quite obviously, are very alone. So. Give me a reason not to tell them you're food."

Claire looked at where the man had nodded. Her mind freaked out at the obvious looks the Lizarians were giving her. He looked back at the man and pondered over what he said. “Hey! I’m not arrogant! Am I?”

She didn’t have anything special that could save her life. She could heal people, and ride on a horse pretty well. She could get animals to like her, but none of that would work. Unless…

“I’m an archer. I can protect you from long distances. I can heal small injuries. But you can probably do that. I can ride saddleback pretty well. And I can make animals like me. I’ll do anything you want. Just don’t let them eat me. Please?”

((OOC: I am soo sorry. The internet didn't work for a few days...))

He grinned. Manipulating people was so fun. Of course, he hadn't exactly been lying. The Lizarians did like the taste of fresh meat, and she was definitely about as fresh as it came - and an Elf, no less. Finally, though, he shrugged. Why not? She could be amusing.

"Step inside the hut. Don't touch anything, but step inside. They'll realize you're with me and leave you alone. Unless, of course, you make me angry. But that hasn't happened - yet. I'll be right behind you."

That evil smirk never left his face. He would be right behind her, too. He wasn't about to have something touched by an Elf. Drow he couldn't stop, not really, but an Elf? Elves were too arrogant even for them to realize that they were arrogant. And this one, quite naturally, was no different than the rest. Still, she could be useful. He decided to keep her for a while. When his Master showed up, he would decide then and there precisely what to do with her. Most likely, she'd be fed to the Lizarians anyway. But at least he could have some fun with her until then. It would be a couple of weeks before his Master showed up, after all, and who knew what could happen in a couple of weeks? And if she left? All the better. So long as she didn't cause him or his Master problems, she could stay as long as she wanted - or at least as long as his Master would let her stay, at any rate.

"So, Elf. What do you call yourself? And don't give it to me in Elvish, either. I don't speak Elvish, unfortunately. Then again," he said thoughtfully, "Perhaps you could remedy that. I wouldn't mind learning Elvish at all. No," he murmured indistinctly, "not at all..."

He rose up to his full height again as a Lizarian approached him and stepped out of the hut completely. He spoke to the Lizarian briefly in his own language, and then sent the Lizarian off to do something. Finally he turned back to the Elf and smiled. It was a cold, cruel smile that did not come anywhere near his eyes. He gestured for her to move inside.

"After you, Elf maiden," he said in a poisonously honeyed voice, like a spider pleasantly inviting a fly into its web.

Claire watched the man as he smiled. She decided then and there that she did not like this man. She should have known, but oh well. She panicked when he shrugged. Did that mean he was going to feed her to the Lizarians?

Claire nearly fainted with relief as he replied."Step inside the hut. Don't touch anything, but step inside. They'll realize you're with me and leave you alone. Unless, of course, you make me angry. But that hasn't happened - yet. I'll be right behind you."

Claire now felt like a toy. She was practically owned like a slave or something. And if she didn’t do what he wanted, well. Bye life! See you never again. She was finished. Done. Claire sighed. She waited for a few minutes, thinking about how she was so stupid to go into this city when she knew that there were Lizarians.

"So, Elf. What do you call yourself? And don't give it to me in Elvish, either. I don't speak Elvish, unfortunately. Then again," he said thoughtfully, "Perhaps you could remedy that. I wouldn't mind learning Elvish at all. No," he murmured indistinctly, "not at all..."

Claire had absolutely no clue what her Elvish name was. She had wandered so much that she forgot her Elvish name and the language. She really needed to get to her home so she can get reacquainted with her language. “Claire. Sorry I can’t help you with the language. I haven’t been home in a while. “

He probably didn’t hear her as he was talking to a Lizarian. When he turned back Claire froze. How could a smile be so cold?

"After you, Elf maiden," Claire paused, and walked into the hut. She walked into the center and looked around. It was very bare.

“Thanks… I guess. Uh…What should I do?” she asked . She nervously toyed with her violet hair while looking at the floor while biting her lip slightly. Never had she felt so scared.

And why shouldn't she be scared? Dozens, if not hundreds, of Lizarians roamed the outer complex. Inside the temple that formed the main city, there were thousands more. Then there was the underground section of the city, where most of the homes were dug and certain other aspects of the Lizarian city were located. There were thousands more down in that place. Why shouldn't she be scared? She should be absolutely terrified. Yet he would give her some protection - for now.

Jaxon moved inside, letting the reed mat fall to cover the door once more.

"That depends, Claire. What are you doing in Talche'el? Why did you come here? Merely to explore, or for other reasons? There isn't much that an Elf would find Entertaining here, I'm afraid. Most of the city is comprised of Lizarian shops and training and combat arenas. There are open fire pits where fresh and cooked meat alike is served - for a price, naturally. Oh, and by the way? You might not like what's on the menu most of the time. I'm one of the few humans that can actually stomach eating other humans, or - well, or the various other things that are cooked. Including dead Lizarians. Turns out they have as little love for their dead as they do for the living that aren't Lizarians."

That was true enough. There were various clans that were considered by one another to be rivals, but nothing ever came to serious battle. The rivalries were mostly friendly - though anyone that wasn't a Lizarian or a friend or ally of the Lizarians might wonder exactly what 'friendly' might mean amongst the Lizarian tribes, considering the brutality with which they treated one another even in the training arenas (let alone in the combat arenas) - and the Lizarians tended to band together as a society when part of that society was threatened in some way by an external force. They were a close-knit society to be sure, even if they did treat each other as brutally as they might treat an outsider.

Dead topic. Please close, or delete, or whatever.