The spear tip still dripped with the queen’s ichor, a splash of it falling onto her cheek. Ash couldn’t help but flinch.

  The lizardman hissed at the movement. The metal tip of its spear glinting in the firelight. Its head twisted to the side, hissing again.

  Another hiss. Then another lizardman stood over her, this one holding a torch. It leered down at her, reptilian eyes blinking alienly.

  It hissed to her too.

  “Just get it over with.” She muttered. The pain in her chest flaring as she spoke. “If you’re going to kill me, do it already.”

  The second lizard, reached down it’s scaled hand, claws looming towards her face. Ash closed her eyes, instinctively flinching away. But, lying against the cold dirt floor, there was no retreat. The cool scales slid against her skin, fingers and sharp claws digging into her.

  Ash whimpered. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to die. Especially not like this, deep underground with a hideous lizard creature tearing her face off. She hoped the others had seen what was happening and left already, escaping the lizard army’s wrath. Maybe in that way her demise would have meant something.

  Light shone behind her eyes, and Ash yelled out in surprise as thoughts rushed into her, a surge of strange sounds and sensations piercing her skull. Her eyes flew open, just as notifications spilled into her perception.

  You have unlocked the skill Saurian Language.

  This skill is a subskill of Languages.

  You have unlocked the skill Languages.

  Due to the effect of spell ‘Instant apprentice’ you are now apprentice level in the skill Saurian Language.

  Saurian language is a related skill to Runic lore, you will have 25% increased progression with this skill.

  You have reached level 11 in Saurian Language

  You have reached Level 5 in Languages

  “What the fuck.” Ash muttered.

  “You… hiss me now, yes?” Came a voice, sounding a little strange to her ears. The hand had retreated from her and she blinked up at the lizard once again, its lips shifting as it hissed down at her. But this time, she understood. Well, most of it. “We saw you, hiss. You strike queen with hiss hiss.”

  “What?” She said again, then realised that she could respond differently, using the same sounds as the lizard-man. “What? What is this?” She tried, her vocabulary limited in the strange tongue.

  “I used my skill, hiss hiss… It taught you our hiss” Ash assumed he meant language. “You helped slay the Queen. Our hiss were hiss, then we saw you. The Queen hiss and the ants hiss. So then we could get through.”

  “I don’t… hear all.” She tried to explain using her limited words “You say… I help kill the Queen.” She chuckled “Yes. But… What now?”

  “Now?” The lizard asked, its words slower, simpler and more understandable now. “Now we leave. Ants flee. No bad now.”

  Ash sat up, wincing as her slowly sealing wounds twisted. “You are not going to attack us?”

  “Attack? No. Why would we-”

  “I knew it!” Came a voice from the other side of her. Her head turned, spotting Stavos and Vidar, appearing around the side of the defeated Queen, shortly followed by the others. “Vidar! Get her!”

  Instantly, the man’s crossbow raised.

  “No, don’t!” Hestia reached out, hand outstretched for the weapon. But too late. The bolt loosed, heading straight for Ash. She couldn’t move fast enough. It was too quick. Then it shifted, whistling just over her shoulder and off into the cavern’s depths. Moments later, the blast of kinetic force rippled over them, jostling ash and the group of lizard-men.

  Instantly, the lizard-people stepped forward, spears raised, hissing out their fear and anguish.

  “Stop!” Ash called out, then in Saurian “Stop!” She continued in her own language, “They’re not hostile.”

  Ash turned back to the lizard-men, beseeching them “Give me… time to… tell them what is… happen.”

  The lizard who taught her the skill nodded, gesturing to the others and telling them to pull back for a moment.

  “What is this treachery?” Stavos continued, eyeing the retreating lizards with clear malice “You’re speaking with them!”

  “One of them just used a skill and taught me some of their language.” Ash explained quickly. “I don’t know why but they seemed happy I attacked the Queen. It helped them get to finish her off somehow.”

  “If they’re being so friendly now, why were they attacking us before then? We lost people! They killed them!”

  “Stavos…” This comment came from Hestia. “I’m as angry as those lizards as you are. But… These seem different. Their clothes… Their weapons are made from bronze. Ash, could you ask them about the attacks, if they know about them?”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Uh… sure.” Ash spat out a glob of blood and started to pull herself up, wincing.

  “Oh hells, Ash, don’t move with that injury!” Ama rushed forwards, and suddenly her hands were on Ash’s wound, healing energy surging through her.

  “Thanks.” Ash coughed again, letting the woman help her up once her wounds were mostly sealed.

  Ash turned to the lizardman from before, waving at him “Hey,” she started awkwardly in Saurian. “Can I ask a few things?”

  It hissed out a yes and stepped forwards.

  “Ummm, so…” Ash paused, “do you have a name? I am called Ash.”

  The lizard hissed out a few words, sounding a lot like ‘scholar of the something something’.

  “Sorry, I not get all that.” She tried “Can I call you… Scholar?”

  “Yes, you may, Assssh.” It replied, hissing out her name.

  “Okay. So our village has been… attack by some… lizard beings.” She paused “Do you… know of this?”

  “No. I do not know of this. What did these beings look like?”

  Ash hesitated “Like you, but… different…” She gestured at her shirt, trying to indicate clothing. “And they had… black” She mimed an axe before realising she knew the word for spear. “…and spears.” She finished lamely.

  “Ah. I see. No, this is a hiss group. Hiss tribe. We have some… bad hiss with them. I am not hiss that you have been attacked by them.”

  Ash turned to her companions, who were staring at her dumbfounded.

  “This is Scholar. He…” Ash realised that she didn’t actually know if Scholar was even male. “They say it was another tribe that attacked us. Not them.” She hesitated “They say they aren’t surprised that the tribe attacked us and they have had some bad experiences with them too.”

  “And, what do they want?” Stavos asked, folding his arms stiffly, clearly still mistrustful of the Lizard-men

  “I don’t know, they said they were going to leave, but I’ll ask more.” Ash replied turning back to Scholar. “Thank you for your…” Ash gestured vaguely in frustration, then tried a different approach. “What do you…” she pointed at Scholar and the rest of the gathered lizard-men “Want with us now?”

  Scholar tilted their head to the side hesitating before they responded, “Give me some time to talk with my leader.”

  Ash nodded, then realised the gesture might not make any sense to the creature and said “Yes” aloud.

  She explained what was happening to the group while Scholar went back to their tribe, conversing with an especially tall lizard dressed in feathered robes that she presumed must be the leader.

  “Why did you run off like that, Ash!” Hestia chided her “We all thought you’d been killed, then the Queen screamed, and the ants went crazy. And then the Queen fell and they lost any coordination, attacking and running in all directions. It took all we had to work our way up here without losing anyone.”

  “I saw you get a few hits in.” Vidar commented “But then you get knocked about and I thought you were a goner. Next I know, the experience is rolling in.” He grinned. “I got a good 300 from those few shots I took.” It was the most Ash had head from the tall man in the time she’d known him.

  “Yeah.” Ash chuckled “Thanks for the supporting fire. It helped. We took down the Hive Guardian and then a few steps later I’d somehow pushed through. I saw there was a clear path to the Queen and just… went for it. But you’re right… She was too much. I really was a goner until the lizard-men came in and finished her off.”

  “There you go, being stupid and reckless again.” Hestia sighed, wiping a tear from her eye. “But at least you survived and are back safe with us now.”

  “Of course!” Ash replied, smiling weakly “I always do.”

  Vidar laughed at that, a harsh bark of a chuckle. Then he quipped “Sure, sure… until you don’t.”

  The was a polite sounding hiss from behind them and Ash turned to find Scholar standing next to her, a spear wielding Lizardman next to him.

  “Our village head has hiss. She thanks you for your help with the Queen. Our tribe will go back to our village. But, maybe I and my hiss can go with you, see your village.” Scholar gestured to the lizard next to them. “My Leader says, maybe we can hiss… friends. Then, we can help with other tribe, maybe.”

  “Ah. Okay.” Ash replied uncertainly “Let me just talk to… my leader.” And she turned back to her companions.

  “So, Stavos…” She started uncertainly “They’ve thanked us for our help taking down the ant Queen. But, Scholar and their… uh, partner here have asked to come back with us to see our village.”

  “What?” He said incredulously “Out of the question! Why would I let lizard spies into my village!”

  “They seem to want to be friends. They even said they could try and help with the other tribe. I think it could all be some kind of misunderstanding. Perhaps we could even get along with both tribes!”

  “Like hell I’d ever get along with them!” Stavos retorted “Our people have died fighting them and you think we can just all dance around a campfire and share stories after that? Stupid girl. Think about Eric! And Thalia! And all the others!”

  “Ash,” Hestia began hesitantly “Perhaps Stavos is right this time. After Eric… I’m not sure letting them come with us is a good idea….”

  Ash looked at Hestia, the dagger of betrayal biting into her heart. “What do you mean? That wasn’t anything to do with them!” Ash retorted. Then tried a comparison they might understand. “If one group of Zoans were to kill some people, would that mean all Zoans should be shunned?” Hesta looked shocked at her words and Stavos grow angrier, but she continued. “Look, maybe the other tribe is bad, but these lizard people are here, communicating and offering friendship and aid. We would be stupid to refuse that. We don’t need more enemies than we already have. And see here, together we took down one of the biggest threats to the village! We would never have succeeded in killing the Queen without them. What’s to say they won’t help just as much in the future.” Ash sighed “Please… at least give them a chance.”

  “What do you all think?” Stavos turned to the others.

  “I say we should try giving them a chance.” Ama said, lance nodding next to her.

  Vidar just shrugged. Hestia still looked uncertain, but eventually she spoke “I think that… a chance could be fine… We should definitely still be careful though.”

  Stavos nodded, then straightened “Fine. I’ll go with the group sentiment in this. We will try this your way Ash. But… mark my words, if this turns round to bite us then I will have you gone from my village if it’s the last thing I do.”

  “O-okay.” Ash swallowed nervously “I’ll let them know.” Then she turned back to Scholar. “They say that should be fine. We will allow you to accompany us for a short visit.”

  “I am glad.” Scholar hummed pleasantly “Your talk is very strange. Very loud and hiss. I would very much like to learn this.”

  Ash nodded tiredly, and the two groups parted, setting off amicably back to their respective villages. The two strange lizard-folk followed Ash back through the winding tunnels, the occasional dire ant skittering away from them as they passed.

  The danger from the hive had been vanquished. The threat of the savage tribe lizardmen still hung in the balance, but with this potential new allegiance perhaps even that could be overcome. Ash knew that further threats would soon arrive, however, and she could only hope that she and her village would prove strong enough to meet them.