SRW: Journey to the Lizard Folk Fighters!

The journey had been a long, boring, almost painfully dull experience. Eros could only sit and wait for her carriage to carry her to the destination she had been sent to by her beloved Overseer. The land was one that was a few days away from Tsubar, and despite the magically infused technology that the Warden’s had access to that would have doubtlessly gotten her there faster, the Overseer insisted she used the carriage. The clan she was being sent to visit was an old one that honored their traditions of their ancestors. While arriving quickly was nice for Eros, the Overseer deemed that a carriage would show his respect to the clan and their traditions much more. And he had a reason to be respectful to them.

This whole journey started a few days ago, when Eros had been summoned to the Overseer’s office to discuss the goings on of the SRW league. The Head Warden was happy to report her progress to her leader, going to great lengths to give him an in depth presentation that was detailed, but easy to understand for one as busy as himself. This was his pet project after all, and Eros wanted him to know she took his faith in her seriously, pulling out every stop she could. But, midway through the presentation, it became clear that the Overseer was after something else.

The Overseer admitted to Eros that he wanted to recruit a few members of a lizard folk clan to the SRW’s roster. A small tribe that had survived for ages thanks to their long legacy of producing warriors of exceptional talents and skill! To the point that their warriors were in high demand when it came to the many wars the Overseer had endured during his youth. He even graced Eros with the knowledge that the current Clan leader was the granddaughter of a dear friend of his before he was ever known as the Overseer.

Sure, a simple recruiter could be sent to this tribe to have a look around and make offers to these legendary fighters. But the Overseer respected this clan. And he intended to make that known by sending one of his highest officers in a traditional carriage in order to prove he cared for their traditions. He even sent them a letter written by himself to inform the clan of Eros’s arrival. Given such lengths he went to, Eros had to be the very best she could be! She was representing the Overseer to a clan he clearly had ties with, even if they were deep in the past.

It was a long journey, but at least she was set to finally arrive at the clans village today. The Head Warden could already see some of the village buildings outside her carriage window. It wouldn’t be long before she would meet this coveted clan and its fighters. The Bakeneko stood up from her seat and stretched, taking the time to smooth out and tidy her Warden Uniform. She was going to make her leader proud, and find the absolute best of the best in this legendary clan to bring back to him!

The carriage's driver seat had a familiar plant man's face on it. A swarm of insects was buzzing around at him, trying to drink the pollen and nectar off the flowers on the flowers growing on his hair.

Cirkot was fighting them back with a bug spray, aiming them and spraying them all around his head. He seriously wished they were in the car right now, but compromises had to be made for this situation. Not exactly ideal, but it was the situation right now, and he had to put up with swarms of bugs attacking his leafy and flowery hair.

The Hot Expanse, the largest and hottest desert in Gaia, known to be rather harsh and hostile to life, and earlier in its history, home to few but giant monsters that roamed the sands.

Once, many lizard tribes would live around the edges of its borders, needing the heat for their bodies, but not wanting to deal with the dangers that lived further in the desert. Now though, all those tribes had since moved on to better, more modern, cities and villages that were safer...but there was still one tribe left in these wastes, who called it home.

Deep in the desert, in the hottest center, was a nest of canyons known as the Hot Shelter, a strange respite of sorts, where the heat was at its most, but the large canyons provided shade and shelter, and underground springs found surface cracks to pour into, creating waterfalls and pools of mineral water that allowed even some trees to grow, creating a large oasis, and in the center of this canyon oasis was a hidden village, long forgotten by the outside world, where the Lizalfo's tribe still dwelled.

It was to that village that Ero's carriage was making its slow journey, and at the border gates to the village stood a figure awaiting their arrival.

An orange and white sand lizard, with a glowing white tip on her tail, a large white mohawk, and eyes of deep purple, clad in a white ceremonial gown with tribal designs on it and holding a large walking stick, stood outside of a large metal gate.

She was Artonia Shine-Tail, the village elder, and she, alone, was standing in the sun, here to greet the first visitors her village had seen in many, MANY years.

Soon, the carriage would sit before the large metal gates that were the entrance to the legendary Lizalfo Tribe. The hot desert that shrouded the tribe's land was as fierce in its environment as it was its heat. Dangerous animals, rough terrain, and freezing nights. But it was all worth it to be here on the Overseer’s request. The Bakeneko had spotted a lone figure waiting outside of the large metal entryway and realized that it was the village elder she had been told of. The granddaughter of the Overseer’s dear friend and a legendary warrior herself, the great Artonia. To see white in the desert was something of a rarity thanks to the constant amount of dirt and sand blowing through the wind. To see the elder dressed in such a regal white garb led Eros to believe that Artonia had great respect for the Overseer herself. Something Eros appreciated.

It was time for introductions. As the carriage door opened, the outside heat hit Eros quick and hard. The carriage interior was cooled using magic Eros herself had brought along to ease the trouble of the journey, but all the cool air that the spell produced went straight out the door the second it opened. However, Eros was an exceptional actress and would not allow a bit of heat to ruin this legendary meeting. With practiced grace, she stepped out of the carriage and approached the woman she believed to be Artonia. Eros was the will of the Overseer at this moment, and she would hold herself to that responsibility.

“Greetings and well wishes, Leader of the legendary Lizalfo Tribe Artonia Shine-Tail.” Eros announced as she bowed, “May the shining light of your glorious desert always be at your back, and in your enemies eyes.”

A strange greeting, but one shared commonly amongst desert dwellers. Eros’s smile was respectful and genuine, only returning from her bow after a proper amount of time had passed.

“My name is Eros Zuul. Head Warden of the SRW and servant to our glorious Overseer. And this…” Eros gestured towards the plant man beside her, “Is Cirkot. A Warden Acolyte under my authority. We come as guests on a journey given to us by the Overseer himself. We are looking for talented fighters, and humbly request we be given an audience with you to discuss recruitment.”

Despite the intense heat, Eros didn’t even look like she was breaking a sweat. She was professional, but made her respect clear from her straight posture and open body language. Truthfully, she really was excited to see the tribe in action and get an idea of what legends fought like.

Artonia watched the carriage as it finally approached, resisting the urge to double check her outfit and ensure it's cleanliness from the sand and dust around her. She had checked multiple times already and confirmed the outfit remained clean, doing so in view of the guests, however, would only serve to undermine her own confidence.

Guests...these would be the first guests the Lizalfos tribe had hosted in...several decades...since she was a young lizard warrior, fighting in the Overseers army. If she played this wrong, they might also be the tribes final visitors, a thought that made the elder wilt a little inside, before she dismissed it with a small hiss of exhaled air.

No, she would not think like that, and allow the spectre of failure to cloud her mind. Instead, seeing the carriage door open, she focused her attention on the visitors in question stepping out of it.

Hmmm...a small cat girl in a purple dress...and a strange...plant...man. Hmm. Unexpected, but the Overseer had said in his letter that he was sending his best subjects, so she would take him at his word here. Given the way the plant creature was standing in the back, it seemed the cat was the one in charge.

She had expected a formal greeting, but hearing the ancient welcome of her clan, spoken only to allies, friends, and clan members, took the Elder by surprise, but it was certainly not unwelcome, and as Eros rose from her bow and introduced herself. Artonia bowed to both of her guests in acknowledgment before speaking.

"Head Warden Eros, Acolyte Cirkot, you honor my clan by knowing of our ancient greeting custom. I am grateful that The Overseer had remembered it, and us, after so long. Thank you for your time and travels, coming so far as to the Hot Shelter. You are the first visitors my tribe has seen in an age. I am, as you said, Artonia Shine-Tail, Elder of the Lizalfos tribe, and I welcome you."

Giving another bow, Artonia turned and raised her staff, signaling for the gates to open.

"Please, come with me. There is shade and refreshments prepared, we can talk, I can answer your questions, and you can see and judge for yourself the quality of our fighters."

With that, the gates opening behind her, she turned, waiting for Eros and Cirkot to catch up to her before she'd go on, leading them into her tribes home.

Eros was actually nervous. The bakeneko feeling the slight tension in her shoulders intensified as the Village Elder greeted them back with a warm but authoritative tone of voice. This was history in the making, and it seemed both leaders understood what could be at stake and treated each second with each other with absolute respect. A part of Eros wondered if Cirkot was even capable of understanding what was unfolding before him, but telling him would probably just make him even more nervous and cause him to ruin the mood. Thankfully he was more concerned about the scorching heat that hit the Overseer’s Warden’s like a wall. Eros could hide her discomfort well enough to not be noticed, but Cirkot wore his feelings on his sleeve as he gently fanned himself behind Eros. Artonia thankfully did not take offense and instead invited them inside the village, promising shade and drinks. As well as a chance to observe the tribe's fighters in action.

Eros's eyes gleamed in anticipation. The chance to see fighters raised by the same traditions used when the Overseer was a simple adventurer was too enticing to resist.

Out of respect, Eros walked behind Artonia. Standing beside her could be considered disrespectful for an outsider, as it would convey they were of equal power. The few tribes that existed in the Hot Expanse all valued tradition and proper power structure, and valuing their leader was integral to that. As influential as Eros was thanks to her position under the Overseer, she understood when to be the center of attention and when to step back from the limelight. And besides, the bakeneko did not want to get lost in a village when she could have a VIP seat to a legendary fight. She truly was excited!

As Artonia walked them through the massive gates, Eros spied the tribe's buildings and structures curiously. Many of the building's structures seemed to be made from bones of large slain beasts that infested the expanse and insulated by their pelts. Eros could see an entire hut made from the teeth of a Sand Devil offspring with Canyon Raptor pelts used as walls. Amazingly, there was a small but distinct use of magic that permeated through the air. Each building seemed to have a sigil. One like a snake eating its tail that faintly glowed even in the shade underneath the mighty canyon, which loomed over the village like a protective shield. The sigil seemed to act as a sort of air conditioner, chilling the area inside the building. And judging by the lack of intense heat, around the building as well. The Head Warden wasn’t aware that this tribe had any magic users, which only heightened her curiosity. The mighty beasts these warriors had slain used to build their homes and unknown magic to enhance their daily lives was nothing like Eros had seen before.

Eros’s eyes sparkled, taking in the sights of this mysterious village that seemed perfectly preserved and untouched by outside factors. In a way, this may have been almost exactly what the Overseer had seen when he first entered this village so many years ago. The excitement was plain to see on Eros’s face, as she let a smile rest comfortably on her lips for all to see, including the village elder herself.

After Eros got busy with the elders and taking in the sights, Cirkot had to take his time trying to get the bags out (that was, AFTER he had done his respectful bow to the Elder). Rummaging inside the carriage, he had to take a moment because of the amount of essentials they had brought. After getting them all in the bag, he kept the umbrella ready and with both heavy bags out, Cirkot looked a bit silly but he looked ready nonetheless. Plantfolk weren't all the same, and Cirkot felt very uncomfortable in this heat, feeling his moisture in his leaves starting to dry.

Seeing Eros having already made her way forward, he shook in surprise. Wow, did he take that long in just getting that stuff ready? He jogged up to her, his eyes being drawn to the many sights as well.

He had read about these styles of societies in history classes in school, read books of them in libraries. He remembered how mystical such weathered, ancient architecture made of bones looked. Like some mystery that lay to be solved. And here he was, staring right at them. He had never thought of ever seeing them in the bark as he was, and he felt a part of his inner self flutter in wonder at such magnificent sights. Truly, a wonder if any he had ever seen!

Getting back on track, he looked back at Eros. Even with her wide brimmed hat, he could feel she needed some heat shielding. He was ready to open the umbrella for her...until the chilling magic washed over him as they entered the mysterious building. It was enough to jolt him, and he looked up in surprise, deciding to keep the umbrella at bay for now.

Artonia turned towards the travelers joining her through the gate, and into the large bone-based building several paces ahead of them, letting out a small sound of contentment as she entered the building and felt the cool air around them, smiling at the confused expression on the plant mans face.

"While we enjoy heat ourselves, we are aware many other creatures are not fond of it, and so we prepared a cooling sigil. The wind blows through these canyon walls and the tunnels in them, and we built our home in the optimum location to recieve the most of the winds that navigate through the canyons. During the day, the wind ranges from mild to quite warm, but that sigil changes the wind as it passes by, essentially a low powered frost spell. Not enough to freeze anything, but enough to counter the suns heat and cool the wind as it blows to a much easier and more comfortable temptature. We have many other sigils and runes we use in our incantations and rituals, as well as other pratical purposes."

The stone and bone hut they went into, was small, simple, and spartan, just having a table and some chairs, along with a side room. Artoria spoke something in her language, and some refreshments was brought in, a small bowl of fruit, glasses of water, with small sigils on the glasses similar to the one on the outside of the building they were in, the frost sigil keeping the water cool.

"I apologize for the rather spartan conditions. Long ago, back in the days when people weren't so friendly and we still had to be wary of being targeted, this was a guard outpost. Now its mostly storage. Though on the extremley rare occassion, we've had others in here. There's been a couple travelers who horribly lost their way. some extremist tourist, intentionally exploring extreme locations on the planet, the frivolity of the wealthy. There was also a monk once, traveling the world as part of a spiritual journey he was on. Nice fellow. Still, for the most part, it goes unused, as we've enjoyed our Hot Shelters solitary position in this part of the Hot Expanse."

She looked around the room, taking a seat herself before the others, as tradition would allow her, being the hostess of this meeting. Once they were all seated, she would speak again.

"I have heard that other nations formal meetings involve sharing of wine, I'm afraid we do not have such, as while we've been able to grow some things here, this climate is not good for the right fruit for it. Cold Water however, is a delicacy on its own out here, which I share gladly. I'm sure there is much you'd wish to see, and plenty of questions to ask. I will be happy to share any information you are curious about."

As Eros and Cirkot stepped into the hut, the magically chilled air seemed to give both of them a decent shock. Cirkot noticeably paused as he held the umbrella at bay, totally surprised at how cool it was inside this small and primal building compared to the scorching outside heat. Even Eros had a slight reaction, with her eyes watering slightly. The bakeneko tried to blink them away, but to his credit, Cirkot handed her a proper handkerchief to wipe her eyes with. It took a minute or two before her eyes adjusted to the cool air while Artonia explained to Cirkot that the sigils were for their comfort. All the while, the lizard chieftain would order refreshments in her own tongue. Fruits native to the great expanse filled a wooden bowl while flanked by two tall glasses of water. There was a magical sigil scratched into the glass  just like the one on the door and walls of the hut they occupied. Seeing how dry her acolytes leaves were getting already, Eros was sure a cold drink would be a welcome respite for Cirkot.

Artonia would seat herself at the meeting table first. Eros had read that it was about the custom, and had told Cirkot that it was important only to sit after Artonia did prior to even getting to the front gates. Soon the meeting was underway as Eros and Cirkot took their seats. The Head Warden ignored Artonia’s passive history of the meeting, her golden eyes flashing towards the elder as she spoke about how this meeting place had welcomed many visitors. The wealthy, the lost, the adventurous and wild! All types of people had sat across this very table, in the very same seats Eros and Cirkot now sat.

While surely unintentional, Eros couldn’t help but think the story only invited humiliation. Eros and Cirkot were representatives of the Overseer, and hearing that they were seated in the same place, the same chairs as some random passerby struck a nerve with the Bakeneko. Such a sour feeling would never make it to her face, and Artonia would never know of the insult she inflicted towards the Overseer in front of one of his Warden’s.

Instead, the table would be opened for questions. Normally, this meant that any and all questions were open and welcome. But on official business like this, that was usually just a nice way of saying ”Ask what you are after.” Eros naturally had questions of her own, like how the tribe came across this magic. Or what Artonia’s grandfather was like, even if they had any ancient artifacts that were important to their history or lineage. But the Overseer’s business took precedence over her own curiosity.

“Artonia, on behalf of the Overseer, we thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality. We’ve been looking forward to meeting with you for some time~ As I’m sure you know, the Overseer has begun a competitive sport under the name of Sovereign Reign Wrestling back in the city of Tsubar. We were hoping you and your might be interested in taking part in the sport. Your clan is legendary for the quality of its warriors, and it would be an honor to have even a few of them in our Overseer’s roster. We humbly ask if we may do the honor of showcasing your clan’s glory to not just Tsubar, but everywhere in Gaia the Overseer protects!”

Eros's smile was as sweet and warm as honey! She genuinely wanted a member of the Shine Tail clan to be a part of her roster, or any such warrior that came from a tribe the Overseer himself respected. To have such prestigious fighters would not only ensure legendary battles, but would skyrocket rating everywhere in Gaia!

Artoria smiled as Eros spoke, listening to the Head Warden's speech, silently taking note of how skillfully the neko spoke. She was smooth, and polite, and spoke very professionally. Artoria had spent her life creating fighters and warriors, not politicians, and so Eros's political strengths were obvious and easy for the old lizard to see, simply by comparing it to the much more simplistic and minimalist speech the rest of her people engaged in.

Artoria was being buttered up, at least a little, but she let her recognition of the tacic go unspoken. It was natural to expect, in political matters.

She took a sip of the rune-chilled water, enjoying its taste, before nodding her head as Eros finished, swallowing before speaking in a humble tone.

"You honor us greatly, Head Warden Eros, as does the Overseer. We have indeed heard about this interesting wrestling promotion he has created, and I am very glad to hear yo offer. Indeed, with peace having reigned across the lands for years now, with the lands united under one ruler, and no wars being fought, my people have...stagnated..." She closed her eyes, letting out a small sigh in between the last and second to last word, as she tried to find the right word, opening her eyes when she had it, and continuing on.

"Without a need for soldiers, my clan has fallen out of fashion, as nobody has hired our warriors as soldiers for many years now, and we believe knowledge of us is becoming more and more obscure over time, something that, naturally, troubles us greatly..."

Artoria wasn't lying. While she had kept her soldiers training, the lack of any hostile activities in the world had left the clan with little to do, and little ways to bring in income from the world for supplies, and given how rarely they had visitors, there was genuine concern that the tribes name was being forgotten by time and history, and that was something they could not accept.

"When we learned of this new form of combat however, one that was popular and well respected, I began training my newest recruits in the ways of this "erotic wrestling" style so popular in your lands, in the hopes that, should the opportunity arise, they could become part of the league, and thus keep our clans name and legacy alive in a different way. I will arrange a demonstration for some of our best students, and you will be able to judge for yourself if their skills are worthy of your offer."