10th of Searing, 120
Darkness claimed the open planes once the sun had set. Bright stars littered the cloudless sky, shining very little light for the giantess while she worked. It helped some, but her natural eye adjustment to the dark was what helped her with her camp. Her tent was set, complete with tarp and bedroll and her firepit was ready for ignition. Now all she needed to do was light a fire, which she'd gathered some tinder for. Using her sheet of steel, she scraped at the flint to let loose a bright veil of sparks and light at the pile of gathered tinder, which ignited the dry leaves and grass with a meager flame. At once, the giant put down the tools and squinted to adjust herself to the sudden bright light.
The fire continued to burn at the tinder, which she carefully rolled atop itself to keep the burn going. The flame would only consume what was above it, after all. Very carefully, she eased the flame into the tent of sticks and allowed enough air for it to breathe. As the flames began to pick up a little, she took another handful of tinder and set it on the flame. Her firepit was complete. In the warm orange glow of her flame, she spied the chameleon, who laid against the tree, still unconscious.
Her expression was grim with concern; with wounds as serious as theirs, she was surprised to find them still breathing. The lizard had lost their arm. One of the greatest aids in finding Pacheco and the lizard was following the trail of blood through the country. She'd originally thought that the blood she found pooled at Pacheco's leashing tree was his, but had discovered not even an hour ago that had not been the case. All signs seemed to point to this Chameleon, that they were the one that had broken Pacheco's lead, then stole him from under her nose. She believed that this lizard held the answers she sought, but couldn't be certain yet.
What could she do, anyway? The chameleon was dressed in official-looking armor and carried a sword before she'd removed it from their belt. She held it there, sitting on her lap while she watched over the unknown lizard person. Pacheco was grazing on the greener grass of the planes while she sat. A gentle smile took her lips while she watched the horse, and she nodded to herself in approval. It had been a long day of trudging, swimming, running, and foraging, but she'd finally found him. Pacheco. Whatever happened next, it didn't ultimately matter, not when she had Pacheco back.
The sound of a sudden sharp draw of breath ripped her attention from her horse and put her eyes squarely on the chameleon. They stirred, and even rolled their head to the left with a groan of pain. She stared in awe, as something was unsettling about seeing the animal behave like a person. She stayed there for a moment, at least until the creature's eyes opened faintly. They were almost entirely a dull yellow, bearing fine black rings, which circled their pupils. Her stare ended when the creature locked eyes with her, and spoke in a tongue she didn't recognize. "Vala... Tu eesni..." They spoke through a cough, their tone vaguely masculine. "What??" Asked the giantess rather aggressively as she stood, sheathed sword in hand. "What did you say? I didn't hear you right."
She began to approach the wounded Rathari, but he startled and held up his one had after worming it out from under the blanket. "Common!" he half yells in a bid for her attention. "You speak... Yes..?" The half-giant paused her advance and nodded carefully. "Outseeder..." Retorts the lizard, earning a puzzled glare from the woman. "Water, please..?" Asks the lizard, who presses strenuously into his one arm to adjust to a more comfortable position. Magna nodded and drew the waterskin from her belt after placing the lizard's sword on the floor. The man only had one arm, so he'd need to be assisted with drinking. Easily, the giant approached, and her hulking presence put the small lizard on edge. Slowly, she removed the cap of her water and offered the spout to the lizard. He did naught but open his mouth partly.
There, she saw his lack of teeth, or rather, lack of large teeth and squinted. Part of her felt as though she were in the presence of an animal, the other somehow recognized him as sentient. After a moment's hesitation, she eased the spout past his lips, and he closed his mouth around it. A tilt of the bag saw the fluid pour into his mouth, and he drank plentifully. The woman continued to pour for roughly five seconds before she paused, and offered more. The lizard gladly accepted. Once she'd given him about half her water, the lizard exhaled and spoke "thank," with a smoother voice. Magna nodded and stowed her waterskin while kneeling beside the lizard.
"What's your name?" She asked at last as she thought it best to start with introductions. The lizard simply tilted his head at her, unsure. Magna furrowed her brow with a pout. "Name." She clarified, then put her hand on her chest. "Me Magna. Maaaagnaaaaa." She spoke with great emphasis. "Nem?" Asked the lizard again. "Me Khan. Khaaaaaan. You Magna?" To the question, she nodded. "Thank," spoke the lizard again, and laid his head back against the trunk of three, staring upward into the canopy. The woman smiled a little, then bowed her head in a slight nod. "Aww, it's okay. S'just water," she waved in dismissal. Though she smiled, she knew that she would have trouble getting information from the guy with such a heavy language barrier.
"Did you steal my horse?" Came her next question, ever direct. The Chameleon again tilted his head at the question and spoke a slow "Arafia... Slowly?" her eyes widened a little at the realization, and she nodded. "Sorry. My horse," she pointed to Pacheco, and the chameleon looked. "Magna's." That same hand shifted to her chest and pressed. The lizard's eyes widened a little, showing the spiraling yellow of his large irises. "Did you steal?" She delivered the question of her sentence. At once, the chameleon shook his head but kept his eyes on her. "No," he replied with a tone most would consider to untrustworthy. "Not steal, found on tree." He explains. Magna blinks and raises both her brows. "Ohhhhh," replied the giant. Indeed. That made some sense, in a way. Why Pacheco was on a tree, however, she didn't know. The thought didn't strike her that the lizard might have meant the street that she tied Pacheco to. It didn't matter anyway. She had Pacheco back, and that was all that mattered.
"Your arm," she spoke with a pointed finger, aiming at the concealed stump. The lizard looked to where she pointed, then looked back to her. "What happened?" She'd learned from past attempts that a slower tone would work better, even if she sounded sarcastic. "Fight," replied the lizard, "sudden, queeck... Surprise." Magna widened her eyes again, and parted her lips to offer "Ambush?" The lizard clicked his fingers and nodded quickly. "Ie, ie. Ambush!" Spoke the chameleon, before coughing hard into his balled fist, which laid covered by the blanket that draped him. Promptly, the giantess offered the lizard more water. He happily accepted.
"Can I see?" Came her fourth question, and she motioned to the wound with her head. Oce the Chameleon had drunk his fill, he paused a moment before nodding carefully. His one arm lifted to his lips and wiped them dry in a single stroke. Being ever-so careful with her hold, she gently lowered the blanket that draped the lizard to behold his arm stump. Only four inches or so stretched from his shoulder, the rest was gone, ending in a jagged wound. With something of a grimace, the giantess gently lifted a portion of his sleeve to behold a rope that squeezed the limb so intensely that the stump was unable to bleed. A tourniquet. She'd not seen anything like that before, it unveiled both discomfort and interest in her silver eyes. With a shaky exhale, the girl lowered the sleeve again and nodded. The tourniquet was probably the only thing that prevented him from bleeding out.
"Who tied?" Her voice asked a little softer as empathy worked its way into her speech. "Khan," replied the Chameleon with his name. He'd tended to his own wounds? Impressive. it was truly a wonder that the wound hadn't festered yet, and part of her wondered if that was just the circumstance of luck or if he'd also cleaned it himself. Her eyes turned to the horizon, where she stared for a moment or two. "Where you go?" Spoke the giant in a slow, clear tone. "Hopsfel," replied the Rathari. "Hopsfel?" She asked as she looked back at him. He nodded in affirmation. "I'r dwyrain... Eh... East."
The lizardman was heading to a place called Hopsfel. Was that where the lizardmen gathered? She did not know. Perhaps there were Jastai there? Admittedly, Magna knew nothing of these lands and did not speak the local language either. While she remained iffy on whether or not the lizard was telling the truth, either on the matter of her horse or the ambush he survived, she knew that his help could be valuable, and he'd likely not make it to Hopsfel on his own. So, with a bow of her head, she offered the injured warrior "want help?" Slowly and clearly. The Chameleon's eyes lit up a little. It only took a second of consideration before he nodded enthusiastically. Magna smiled. It was likely that he realized his desperate predicament, but she planned for them to be helping one another. "Great, we'll travel in the morning!" Declared the giantess. The lizard merely looked to her with uncertainty, then nodded in affirmation.
The very next morning, Pacheco, Magna, and Khan were on their way to Hopsfel with a long, broken-conversation-filled road ahead of them.
Darkness claimed the open planes once the sun had set. Bright stars littered the cloudless sky, shining very little light for the giantess while she worked. It helped some, but her natural eye adjustment to the dark was what helped her with her camp. Her tent was set, complete with tarp and bedroll and her firepit was ready for ignition. Now all she needed to do was light a fire, which she'd gathered some tinder for. Using her sheet of steel, she scraped at the flint to let loose a bright veil of sparks and light at the pile of gathered tinder, which ignited the dry leaves and grass with a meager flame. At once, the giant put down the tools and squinted to adjust herself to the sudden bright light.
The fire continued to burn at the tinder, which she carefully rolled atop itself to keep the burn going. The flame would only consume what was above it, after all. Very carefully, she eased the flame into the tent of sticks and allowed enough air for it to breathe. As the flames began to pick up a little, she took another handful of tinder and set it on the flame. Her firepit was complete. In the warm orange glow of her flame, she spied the chameleon, who laid against the tree, still unconscious.
Her expression was grim with concern; with wounds as serious as theirs, she was surprised to find them still breathing. The lizard had lost their arm. One of the greatest aids in finding Pacheco and the lizard was following the trail of blood through the country. She'd originally thought that the blood she found pooled at Pacheco's leashing tree was his, but had discovered not even an hour ago that had not been the case. All signs seemed to point to this Chameleon, that they were the one that had broken Pacheco's lead, then stole him from under her nose. She believed that this lizard held the answers she sought, but couldn't be certain yet.
What could she do, anyway? The chameleon was dressed in official-looking armor and carried a sword before she'd removed it from their belt. She held it there, sitting on her lap while she watched over the unknown lizard person. Pacheco was grazing on the greener grass of the planes while she sat. A gentle smile took her lips while she watched the horse, and she nodded to herself in approval. It had been a long day of trudging, swimming, running, and foraging, but she'd finally found him. Pacheco. Whatever happened next, it didn't ultimately matter, not when she had Pacheco back.
The sound of a sudden sharp draw of breath ripped her attention from her horse and put her eyes squarely on the chameleon. They stirred, and even rolled their head to the left with a groan of pain. She stared in awe, as something was unsettling about seeing the animal behave like a person. She stayed there for a moment, at least until the creature's eyes opened faintly. They were almost entirely a dull yellow, bearing fine black rings, which circled their pupils. Her stare ended when the creature locked eyes with her, and spoke in a tongue she didn't recognize. "Vala... Tu eesni..." They spoke through a cough, their tone vaguely masculine. "What??" Asked the giantess rather aggressively as she stood, sheathed sword in hand. "What did you say? I didn't hear you right."
She began to approach the wounded Rathari, but he startled and held up his one had after worming it out from under the blanket. "Common!" he half yells in a bid for her attention. "You speak... Yes..?" The half-giant paused her advance and nodded carefully. "Outseeder..." Retorts the lizard, earning a puzzled glare from the woman. "Water, please..?" Asks the lizard, who presses strenuously into his one arm to adjust to a more comfortable position. Magna nodded and drew the waterskin from her belt after placing the lizard's sword on the floor. The man only had one arm, so he'd need to be assisted with drinking. Easily, the giant approached, and her hulking presence put the small lizard on edge. Slowly, she removed the cap of her water and offered the spout to the lizard. He did naught but open his mouth partly.
There, she saw his lack of teeth, or rather, lack of large teeth and squinted. Part of her felt as though she were in the presence of an animal, the other somehow recognized him as sentient. After a moment's hesitation, she eased the spout past his lips, and he closed his mouth around it. A tilt of the bag saw the fluid pour into his mouth, and he drank plentifully. The woman continued to pour for roughly five seconds before she paused, and offered more. The lizard gladly accepted. Once she'd given him about half her water, the lizard exhaled and spoke "thank," with a smoother voice. Magna nodded and stowed her waterskin while kneeling beside the lizard.
"What's your name?" She asked at last as she thought it best to start with introductions. The lizard simply tilted his head at her, unsure. Magna furrowed her brow with a pout. "Name." She clarified, then put her hand on her chest. "Me Magna. Maaaagnaaaaa." She spoke with great emphasis. "Nem?" Asked the lizard again. "Me Khan. Khaaaaaan. You Magna?" To the question, she nodded. "Thank," spoke the lizard again, and laid his head back against the trunk of three, staring upward into the canopy. The woman smiled a little, then bowed her head in a slight nod. "Aww, it's okay. S'just water," she waved in dismissal. Though she smiled, she knew that she would have trouble getting information from the guy with such a heavy language barrier.
"Did you steal my horse?" Came her next question, ever direct. The Chameleon again tilted his head at the question and spoke a slow "Arafia... Slowly?" her eyes widened a little at the realization, and she nodded. "Sorry. My horse," she pointed to Pacheco, and the chameleon looked. "Magna's." That same hand shifted to her chest and pressed. The lizard's eyes widened a little, showing the spiraling yellow of his large irises. "Did you steal?" She delivered the question of her sentence. At once, the chameleon shook his head but kept his eyes on her. "No," he replied with a tone most would consider to untrustworthy. "Not steal, found on tree." He explains. Magna blinks and raises both her brows. "Ohhhhh," replied the giant. Indeed. That made some sense, in a way. Why Pacheco was on a tree, however, she didn't know. The thought didn't strike her that the lizard might have meant the street that she tied Pacheco to. It didn't matter anyway. She had Pacheco back, and that was all that mattered.
"Your arm," she spoke with a pointed finger, aiming at the concealed stump. The lizard looked to where she pointed, then looked back to her. "What happened?" She'd learned from past attempts that a slower tone would work better, even if she sounded sarcastic. "Fight," replied the lizard, "sudden, queeck... Surprise." Magna widened her eyes again, and parted her lips to offer "Ambush?" The lizard clicked his fingers and nodded quickly. "Ie, ie. Ambush!" Spoke the chameleon, before coughing hard into his balled fist, which laid covered by the blanket that draped him. Promptly, the giantess offered the lizard more water. He happily accepted.
"Can I see?" Came her fourth question, and she motioned to the wound with her head. Oce the Chameleon had drunk his fill, he paused a moment before nodding carefully. His one arm lifted to his lips and wiped them dry in a single stroke. Being ever-so careful with her hold, she gently lowered the blanket that draped the lizard to behold his arm stump. Only four inches or so stretched from his shoulder, the rest was gone, ending in a jagged wound. With something of a grimace, the giantess gently lifted a portion of his sleeve to behold a rope that squeezed the limb so intensely that the stump was unable to bleed. A tourniquet. She'd not seen anything like that before, it unveiled both discomfort and interest in her silver eyes. With a shaky exhale, the girl lowered the sleeve again and nodded. The tourniquet was probably the only thing that prevented him from bleeding out.
"Who tied?" Her voice asked a little softer as empathy worked its way into her speech. "Khan," replied the Chameleon with his name. He'd tended to his own wounds? Impressive. it was truly a wonder that the wound hadn't festered yet, and part of her wondered if that was just the circumstance of luck or if he'd also cleaned it himself. Her eyes turned to the horizon, where she stared for a moment or two. "Where you go?" Spoke the giant in a slow, clear tone. "Hopsfel," replied the Rathari. "Hopsfel?" She asked as she looked back at him. He nodded in affirmation. "I'r dwyrain... Eh... East."
The lizardman was heading to a place called Hopsfel. Was that where the lizardmen gathered? She did not know. Perhaps there were Jastai there? Admittedly, Magna knew nothing of these lands and did not speak the local language either. While she remained iffy on whether or not the lizard was telling the truth, either on the matter of her horse or the ambush he survived, she knew that his help could be valuable, and he'd likely not make it to Hopsfel on his own. So, with a bow of her head, she offered the injured warrior "want help?" Slowly and clearly. The Chameleon's eyes lit up a little. It only took a second of consideration before he nodded enthusiastically. Magna smiled. It was likely that he realized his desperate predicament, but she planned for them to be helping one another. "Great, we'll travel in the morning!" Declared the giantess. The lizard merely looked to her with uncertainty, then nodded in affirmation.
The very next morning, Pacheco, Magna, and Khan were on their way to Hopsfel with a long, broken-conversation-filled road ahead of them.
Big fan of the usual language barrier trope of talking louder and then slower at each other. Cracks me up. Keep it up.