The King of the Saurians

by The Swampian

Viper is one of few saurians still alive. When threat upon threat come to disturb his attempt at a new Zaterra he only has 2 options, wait for them to come and kill him or rejoin his friends as a defender of Earthrealm. But, he is extremely irritated when he finds that the team sent to get him have a dossier including the one non-saurian that saw his face and knew his true name.

10. When it Rains

A/N: Hello! I'm sorry this took nearly two months, but I really wanted this chapter to be excellent and i didn't realize its length until 9000 words into it. Either way, without further ado, here is... When it Rains! Enjoy!

---

999,980 B.M.K.

The red light slowly streaked across her pale, slimy face. She was laughing, which was a nice sight to see. But, he felt strange, knowing what she wanted to do with him. She pulled him into the darkness of her room, and started to undress herself. He wasn't paying attention, instead he listened to the soft patter of rain on the windows.

She pulled him onto her and when he saw her… he grew nervous. But, not in the good way.

All he could think about was whether or not he wanted her to be his first. Each time he asked himself, he said no.

He stood, nervously sweeping his tail across the ground. With all her clothes removed, she stood and asked him what was wrong. He had tried everything, experimented endlessly, to feel that rush that others talked about, that rush of feelings when they saw someone they cared about. But… he felt nothing.

He didn't answer her. Instead, he sighed and awkwardly took his leave.

---

9013 B.M.K.

He looked out the slotted window. The sky was a hard purple streaked with a hard pink that night. There were times it would look that way in conjunction with the glow of the swamp. He had described those nights to Jade before, the nights where the moons would float in the sky, casting their heavenly light onto Zaterra. Nights where the rain would lovingly bite the ground, filling the saurians with happiness.

Those… were his favorite nights.

Reptile had offered to take them to Zaterra, although he seemed to have his own plans as to what he wanted to do in the realm.

Jade was with him, her voice being a nice contrast to the loud splashing of rain against the carriage. Truth was, he wasn't really listening to her. Not that he was angry with her, and he could never hate her.

But he could still picture the night she…

Viper forced himself to stop that train of thought. His tail swept across the seats and landed in his lap, he always found it comforting to hold when he was nervous.

"Viper," Jade spoke.

"Yes?" He said, scratching a spot on his chin. There was a scale there, an isolated spot of his leathery hide, that if scratched the right way, would make him bellow in pleasure like a housecat would purr.

"I thought you'd be happy, coming back here."

"I did too, truth be told," He was sad, the rain typically would've cheered him, but he felt the melancholy that night.

"I think this will be good for you. I think it'll be… good for us," She said. "I really care about you, Viper, do you think I don't?" Her tone was sad.

He did love her, but he was scared to say it.

"I care about you too, Jade," He could've been mad at what she had done that night. But, they have been courting for seven years, he told himself. Eventually, the sadness subsided, enough that he could remind himself that she was just trying to help, and that she really was telling the truth when she said she cared for him.

"Thank you," He said, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his chin onto the top of her head. Her hair tickled his scales.

"I'm sorry… about-... you know," He pressed his chin further into her hair.

"I'm sorry, too…" She rubbed her head into his chest.

Back when Zaterra was its own realm, foreigners may have found it quite comfortable, but, alas, it was now perpetually hot. Fortunately, the springs were temperate enough for outsiders to consider the weather nice.

He took a look out her window, the view was virtually unchanged.

"You know," He started. "It's spring… you picked a good time to come to Zaterra."

---

22 A.M.K.

Nitara knew the situation was bad. If it wasn't, she wouldn't have been flying all the way back to Zaterra.

Her wings flapped violently through the rain. In her head, she counted off the fates of her companions. The Black Dragon were dead, the only one who had lived past the assault was Tremor, who had been seen in the Shokan Kingdom. It was a smart move on his part, they hadn't obeyed Kotal since his fight with Goro.

Rain and Tanya's fates were for the most part unknown. They were not counted among the dead, but they hadn't been seen anywhere. They were laying low, for now. As for Kollector, he was locked up in a dungeon somewhere, most likely Kotal's own palace. Mileena herself was also imprisoned, and the earthrealmers were apprehended.

Which left one question in Nitara's mind. Viper.

She had followed his carriage for hours, and when the jailors had taken him continuously south, there was only one option left that still made sense.

The Sea of Ice.

A saurian could survive the inhospitable cold for no more than a few days. Past that, it was near certain they would end up in some sort of brumation state, that was, if they could find a suitable place to brumate.

Nitara landed in front of Viper's academy, her wings soaked with the hard patter of the rainstorm. She flapped the skins free of the moisture and approached the large, almost foreboding, building.

It was then that the blade wrapped its way around her neck. The voice that belonged to it was tarkatan, there was no doubt. But even more of a hint, was that it sounded young.

"Drop any weapons you have," It said.

"I'm not here for that."

"If you're lying to me-"

"I'm not," Nitara decided to give an air of joviality to the situation. "What was your name? Karanba?"

"I don't need to answer that, wench."

"You're a real charmer, how many hearts have you broken?"

"I'm about to pierce yours, unless you obey my command," Nitara dropped her kama, and fair enough, the tarkatan was true to his word.

"Now, why have you come here?" His voice was immediately more amiable. Nitara took a few moments to press the areas of her neck that had been poked by his bone spikes.

"Little rough, don't you think?"

"You say that when you came here with Mileena?" His blades stayed unsheathed, and they weren't particularly far from stabbing her.

"About that… I brought news of Viper," Nitara said.

"What of him?"

"He's been captured. He'll be shipped off to the Sea of Ice."

"What? By who?" Karanba probed.

"Kotal. Who else would ship a saurian to the Sea of Ice?" For a moment, the tarkatan seemed small. Most tarkatans were expected to be muscled as a woman's fantasy, and while Karanba was built in his own right, he was the thinnest one she had seen in a long while.

"How far is he to that… dastardly wasteland?" He sheathed his blades.

"They'll have him buried in ice by the day after tomorrow."

Karanba motioned his hand, and out of the trees landed a girl. She was holding a longbow, and was feline in nature, a race which hadn't been seen in Outworld for thousands of years.

"Talula, get the others that sit at the high table," She walked across the bridge. As she disappeared into the building, Karanba spoke again.

"Well, we'll just have to get him before then."

---

9013 B.M.K.

He watched her as the rain pounded against the windows. Jade was sleeping quite soundly, the side of her face pressed into the pillow.

After he was finished staring, he turned his attention to the glass. Through it, the sky was still purple and pink, and the moon absorbed the generous saturation of color. As the outsides remained virtually unchanged, his memories reminded him of what it once looked like. The moons hung in the air, they could've been purple and blue and red and pink, whatever the sky was, the moons followed. The rain was about the same, although tonight it thundered heavily.

He opened the door to their room quite silently. Due to Jade's status as a foreigner, she was grouped into a category of people who were ushered into the old castles of extinct noble families. It was nice in those buildings; they were cleaner than any Viper had seen in his life, and the craftsmanship was divine. Fortunately for the saurian, he was allowed to stay with her.

He moved out of the building and sauntered bow-legged through the storm. Many saurians were still out in the night, most of whom recognized him as 'he who traveled with the edenian,' so they stopped him to ask if she needed anything. He moved through them without so much as a second word, he wanted to see someone.

Once he reached the outskirts of the city, he approached a relatively large house and knocked on the door. It was a few moments before it opened, but when it did, he was surprised to see a small child standing there.

"Suko! Who is it?!" A female voice rang out from within the house. It was quite familiar. But, Viper was busy thinking about the toddler's name.

"Suko?" He thought. "Like… father?"

A saurian woman ran over to the door and picked up the child. Her face shone with mucus in the moonlight, and her complexion was completely white. When she looked up, confusion colored her face.

"Zyvith?!" She gasped.

He stood, unmoving in the doorframe, his eyes flitting quickly to and fro between woman and child. "Hello, Shras…" He began after a punctuated silence, "I see you… have been busy as of late."

"I- truth be told, I never expected to see you again," She cradled the toddler in her arms. "How long has it been, brother?"

"Last I saw you? Forty-three years. Last I heard from you? Fourteen," He answered. "I wanted to introduce you to my mate." He used the term 'mate' loosely.

"You've mated? Who is she?" She looked surprised, something that annoyed Viper. He had never been one for courtship, but her gasps were...

"You remember the lady I spoke of in my letters? It's her. If I'm being completely truthful, we're more courting than mating," His tail swept across the porch's floorboards. "You named him after father, I assume," He said, pointing towards the toddler.

"Yes, I thought that that was a good way of remembering him," Viper smiled at that.

"When can I meet your mate, Zyvith?" Shras said.

"She's asleep, but I can visit tomorrow."

"Right then."

Viper took a moment to admit his feelings to himself. He loved his sister, he always had. From the moment he first held her in his arms, to the times he had to keep her quiet when their parents were away. But he resented her too, there was one memory lodged in his brain that clung to him every time he thought of showing someone his face.

"And Zyvith, it's good to see you again," She said, smiling and nervous, as he walked through the rain again.

---

22 A.M.K.

Kotal's palace was large, that was for certain.

"He's compensating for something," Karanba said when he first saw it all those years ago.

"You're right: his brain. You'd think that with such a large head Kotal'd have something comparable to a normal intelligence. But, if you think that, you'd already be thinking more than the Emperor. But, yes, his heart is quite small too," Viper would say, his voice still fresh in Karanba's memory.

He was traveling with nine others. Eight of which were members of the high table, Nitara was the only one with him, the rest had been ordered to spread across the palace. The vampire had suggested the area because of Jade's items. Viper took them with him on his journey, but if he was to be thrown into the Sea of Ice, then it was obvious that Kotal had stolen the weapons.

They had entered through the rooftops, silently moving through the palace until they reached the display room. It was needlessly large, filled with glass exhibits of people long conquered by the Emperors of Outworld. Kotal however, was responsible for nearly half the hallway. Onaga cared not for exhibitionism, Shao Kahn simply took what he wanted, but Kotal… he enjoyed the bravado.

Karanba paid no attention to much of the great hall, only taking note of certain things. One of which, was a case holding Shao Kahn's hammer, although the rest of his armor and equipment lay somewhere else. Next to it was Mileena's sai, a testament to Kotal's 'extermination' of their bloodline. As they carried through the room, they found many remnants, some of which weren't even from Outworld: Montezuma's headdress, for one.

But at the very end of the chamber, they finally spotted a faint glow. As they ran over to it, the golden gleam of Jade's glaive peered through the glass of the display case. Karanba unsheathed his blade and began peeling away the barrier. There was something missing, though: Viper's necklace.

---

9013 B.M.K.

"Where did you go?" Jade said, sleepily.

"To see my sister. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," He sat at the edge of the bed, his tail wrapping itself about her ankle. She liked it when he did that. His gestures of affection, aside from the typical courting activities, were often subtle but sweet in his own way.

"Really? Planning to introduce me?" She said, yawning in between sentences.

"What else would I be doing?" She felt his tail loosen its grip around her ankle, and saw him crawl into bed. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and he placed his other hand at her heart. His face pressed almost where her cheek was, and his tail coiled up her leg. She adjusted her position too, shifting herself so that she could see him more properly. He rarely slept, and even when he was with her, he always waited for her to doze off. In the mornings, he would be out of bed, although he'd never be gone.

But tonight, his eyes were closed, and his breath was slowed greatly.

After about half an hour of trying to sleep again, she heard him mumble. It sounded like gibberish at first, but the last word was clearer than glass.

"Jade."

She stopped moving for a minute.

"What?" She asked, wanting to make sure what he said wasn't just some inane form of a dream.

He smiled in response, the first time she had seen him do so since weeks ago. The first part of his speech was slurred, almost inaudible. But after that, her name was uttered.

He was speaking saurian.

She cuddled up to him, feeling his tail move slightly in his sleep. In the next few moments, she found herself resting too.

---

9013 B.M.K.

Viper looked back every few moments to make sure Jade wasn't lost somewhere in the city. As always, she was curious about the place, but realized that most saurians didn't care to speak a language other than their native tongue.

He lead her through the buildings, and eventually stopped at the city outskirts. The land there began to become rough, and while they were still in a giant swamp, trees became a far more frequent sight.

He knocked on the wooden door, and once it opened, it was his sister.

"Zyvith," She said. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, sister. This…" He said, gesturing to the edenian next to him, "is Jade."

Jade reached forward to shake Shras's hand. His sister reacted accordingly, but her shake was gentle and reserved.

His sister invited them in and they eagerly entered. Jade was… excited to see his remaining kin. Truth was, Viper spent most of his time looking around the house, it was predominantly wood and the living spaces of the kitchen, table, and living spaces mixed together. Most likely the top floor was composed only of bedrooms.

His musings were interrupted by the sudden presence of the boy.

"Why do your eyes look so funny?" The toddler said. For a moment, Viper felt quite angry. The question, although it carried no guile, hit too close to home.

"I…" Viper started.

"Suko, come over here," Shras called for her son. She was lucky, the only deformed member of their family that remained was Viper. He could remember his home, it was further north into whatever remained of Zaterra. Shras looked almost exactly like their mother, being here was not the best therapy.

He took a seat at the table, figuring it was rude to look around too much and leave Jade to fend for herself.

He plopped himself next to the edenian, figuring she would be asking about his childhood. But as soon as he had sat down, his sister started speaking to him in saurian.

"You did well for yourself, finding one so pretty. Well, for an edenian, that is."

"You should be careful, I taught her some saurian, you know."

"Really?" For a moment she looked concerned, as her secret way of communicating was obsolete.

He laughed, "No."

"What's so funny?" Jade said.

"Have you and she bonded yet?" Shras asked.

"You see a necklace around any of our necks?" He responded.

"Well no, but… don't Outworlders do things differently?"

"Well, it would just so happen that neither of us are Outworlders," He said back.

"Hello, Viper?" Jade tapped on his shoulder, eager to join in the conversation.

"Sorry for the saurian, Jade. It's just that my sister is quite keen on keeping her dirty little secrets."

"Say it louder, I don't think she heard you," Shras said.

"She doesn't need to hear anything to know how conniving you are, sister," He said, grinning the entire time.

Shras turned to Jade, seeming to decide it was better to not challenge her brother's wit.

"Well, let me take you two to dinner. You can see what real saurian cuisine is like," She said.

"She's already seen me eat plenty of insects, if that's what you're planning on feeding her," Viper said.

"Ah yes, the insects, and how attractive you look when you swallow them whole," Jade said.

"You seem to like i-" Jade nudged her elbow into him before he could finish, smiling. He had already thought to stop eating them once their courtship became more serious.

"I have something else in mind; a food that only blossoms in spring," Shras said.

"You're taking her to drink the nectar, aren't you?"

"Nectar?" Jade asked.

"It's from a plant, saurians drink it as a celebration of spring," Viper said.

"After drinking nectar, we also have a gathering at first light," Shras continued.

"First light?" Jade asked. "Like dawn?"

"When the swamps first start to glow, Jade," Viper answered.

He took a cursory glance out the window, it was starting to get dark.

"If we're going to drink the nectar, we should probably leave before the monkeys decide they want some too," He said.

---

22 A.M.K.

The drip of the water fell onto his face. His head throbbed.

"Where am I?" Was the only thing he could think to ask.

Viper felt for the necklace, but it had been ripped off.

"No!" He thought. He kicked himself to his feet, an action that sent his head spinning and intensened the pain. He ran but soon took in his surroundings, and found that it was hopeless. There was ice under his feet. Even if that weren't a problem, there was also a relatively large cage around him. He shot his acid at the metal, but just like during his match with Kotal, it didn't come.

He summoned whatever fire he could, blue as it was, it only served to cool him further.

Out of options, he sat cross-legged. His back hunched itself, and his tail sprawled itself across the snow.

He felt his hand.

"At least you're still here," He thought as he touched the ring.

"You weren't talking to me? Hmph, I'm hurt, Viper," The voice still plagued him.

"Leave me, I have no need for your taunts," He said.

"Oh but you do, where did we leave off?" The voice took a moment to think. "Oh yes! Jade's last words, in conjunction with your horrible romantic track record."

"I remember them fine… leave me," He said. He could still picture her face, luckily it was less foggy this time.

A few tears fell from her eyes, as she died.

"I wonder what she would say if she saw you now," The voice came into full view again. As Viper gazed into its black void of a face he could see it. Not even the eyes shone, it was empty of anything.

---

22 A.M.K.

"You can go if you want, but I'm getting the precise plans!" Karanba said, half-shouting in hushed tones. They had gotten all of Viper's possessions, but while they had a general idea of where he was, they didn't know exactly where to look.

"We have his things! How long do you think it'll take him to freeze to death?!" Nitara argued.

"You don't know him like I do!"

"I knew him better than you ever did! He and I spent years together!" Nitara said.

"Oh really? Did he save you from the streets too?" Karanba's voice rose.

"No, but-" Nitara sighed reluctantly. "Fine, it'll be nice not trudging through miles of ice," She conceded. Karanba rose and took off to find Kotal's chamber. He eventually found two large doors, ones that were enameled with a golden sun.

Nitara ran up behind him, no guards were in the area, although considering this was the Emperor's room, they'd either be inside or coming soon.

Karanba didn't wait to find out, he pressed his ear against the door. When nothing was to be heard, he opened it. Moving like a shadow, he crept into the room. Observing the entirety of the room, it could be seen that Kotal kept his more, personal items on display in his chambers. Shao Kahn's broken and charred mask was a piece of equipment that resided by the Emperor's bedside. However, Karanba was looking for plans.

It took some searching, every moment of which was painful. Looking at the wooden and golden columns annoyed him, looking at the stupid weapons and tokens of people Kotal had 'conquered' was like rubbing a cheese grater against his forehead. Once, he had even found the skeletal remains of Goro's arms.

What was worst, was seeing Viper's broken necklace thrown into some case near the end of the room. Karanba took it out, and held it delicately. Nitara walked up behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You'll see him again, I promise."

"I- have I thanked you yet. For telling me about him, I mean."

"It was the right thing to do," She said.

"Either way, thank you, Nitara."

They readied themselves to leave, but immediately stilled when a guttural scream suddenly echoed through the rooms. When they turned to see who had made it, they saw none other than Ferra & Torr.

---

9013 B.M.K.

"You might need to peel that one further back, Jade."

She did as he said, pulling back the barely opaque petals of the flower. Once she had finished that, he pointed to the dozens of small pink tendrils spilling out of the center.

"You want me to demonstrate?" He asked.

"Go right ahead," She gestured for him to take it. He grabbed it and extended his tongue. It traveled to the very center of the plant, shifting through the countless tendrils. After a few moments he pulled his tongue out, glistening with the golden liquid of the nectar.

"Are you sure I could do that, considering my tongue isn't like a living snake?"

"You might have to get into the tendrils, but… I think so."

"Think or know?"

"Think. But, don't let that stop you."

She pressed her face into the tendrils, an action which was quite strange-feeling. When she finally reached the nectar, however, she found it quite sweet.

"Taste nice?" He asked.

"Is there any other way to drink this?" Jade asked. "Without the tendrils smacking my face?"

"Shras!" He called his sister over.

"What's wrong?" Shras jogged over.

Jade repeated her question.

"Maybe, I think there are a few taverns that already have this in stock," Shras lead them through the city. A few saurians gave curious looks to her, or to Viper. They probably thought he was her deformed translator.

They eventually found a building, one that had a sign. Although, what was on it was unknown to her. At least, until Viper read it to her.

"Nectar," He told her.

They walked in, the room was relatively empty, maybe a few tables had saurians. Once they sat down, Jade ordered a cup of nectar. Shras did too, but Viper didn't.

"Why aren't you drinking?" She said, putting the nectar down. "Do you not have a sense of taste?"

"No," He said, looking into the distance.

"It'd cost more, if he ordered any," Shras said.

Jade stopped drinking. She peered into her cup and after a few seconds, offered some to Viper. He smiled and took a drink before handing it back to her.

"Being a foreigner has its advantages, hmm?" Shras said.

"She sleeps in a castle bedroom, so I'd say so," Viper laughed to himself.

"That's what mother said, whenever a foreigner came to Zaterra, they'd be treated like royalty," Shras took a sip from her cup. Viper was silent.

"Really? Viper never talks about his mother," Jade said.

"Why not, Zyvith?" Shras probed.

"No reason," He said, emotionless.

"Nonsense," Shras said.

"It doesn't matter," Viper went back to his more recognizable posture, he crossed his legs and hunched his back so far that it always made Jade think his spine would break in two.

"Well anyway, mother took us to the cherry blossom trees when we were little and I-"
"I went with father, Tashei took you there," Viper corrected.

"What's wrong, Zyvith? You're not even calling her mother?" Shras looked confused, although so was Jade. This was territory neither of them had stepped foot in.

"I don't think you'd believe me, even if I told you."

"If something's upsetting you then just tell us, we're here for you, Viper," Jade said, pressing a hand onto his shoulder. He tensed, a typical reaction to her touch, but as always, he soon calmed.

"Mother was fine to us."

"No, she wasn't."

"I get it, you're angry because you had to 'raise' me!" Shras' voice was strange, it was a yell, but it was also hushed.

"Shras, I raised you since you were fifteen, don't you ever, ridicule me!" Viper bit back with the same venomous tone.

Shras smiled unkindly and turned toward Jade, her words sneering. "Let's play a game, Jade. How often do you see this bastard's face?"

"Why don't you put more cocks in your mouth before it ends up getting you hurt?" Viper said, smiling wickedly.

"Stop it you two!" Jade said. Viper seemed to heed her, turning away from his sister. Shras, however, wasn't finished quite so easily.

"It wasn't like you were ever going to do anything with your life, anyway," She said.

"You must have a shit memory, Shras. Either that, or you're just plain stupid… don't you remember what I was going to do when father and Tashei died? I was going to get an education!"

"Well congratulations, you deformed, sick, son of a-"

"How about you and I go outside this tavern and I'll show you what it feels like to be deformed."

"You threatening me?" Shras said, she was tense and on edge, but put on a sloppy front of confidence.

"You don't need me to threaten you, every time you look in the mirror should be enough," Viper stood as he said that.

"Speak for yourself!"

"Oh I already have! I'm just helping you remember how horrible you were to the man who raised you!"

"Oh really?! When! When was I horrible?!"

"How about when you told me that-" Viper cut himself off, his voice grew weaker and he began hyperventilating.

"See, you're weak," She had no sympathy behind her voice, scoffing in ridicule of her less fortunate brother.

"Shras! Enough!" Jade yelled, pressing her hand onto Viper's back.

"You… you don't even remember what you said to me… do you?" He asked, his voice shifting in its tone.

"I don't remember, because I never said 'anything' to you."

It was a long and silent walk back to Shras' home. Viper said nothing to either his sister, or Jade.

Even when Jade had gone to sleep, he simply stood at the window, listening to the rain. As she drifted off, she saw him looking at his left hand, feeling the spots of the fingers where the bones were most prevalent.

---

22 A.M.K.

Ferra came hurtling at Karanba, her metal blades extended. The tarkatan evaded her attack, and unsheathed his own weapons. His bones swung inches away from her neck. As for Nitara, he had only the slightest idea of how she was faring. At least, until the two symbiotes reconnected. The vampire had seemed to be able to hold her own, but no significant wounds were made on Torr.

"Any ideas?" Nitara said.

Karanba thought for a moment, he had seen the two of them before. For a moment, he stopped and thought of what Viper would do, clutching the amethyst in his hand.

"Fly into the air, then pick Ferra off of Torr. I'll deal with the mindless gorilla," He said.

Nitara took off, the ceiling was high enough for her to get well over Torr's back.

She swooped and extended her arms to carry Ferra away, but the brute grabbed onto his rider's leg and pulled so hard that Nitara was nearly flung backwards from his strength. Karanba moved quickly though, and while Torr's back was turned, he pierced into the giant's shoulder blades.

They wrestled in that position for a few moments. Karanba knew that if he gave any ground, Nitara was dead in the air. He twisted his blades into the flesh of the brute's back, and slowly his grip loosened on Ferra. Karanba jumped a few feet off the ground and kicked himself off Torr's back, pushing the brute with enough force that he stumbled over his own weight. Ferra was taken from her companion, and while she wriggled against Nitara's arms, she was far too small and frail to escape from the vampire's grasp.

The only real threat left was Torr.

Karanba ducked under the swiping arms of the giant, making use of the small openings that were left for him, and cut at the brute's ribs. Torr didn't seem to feel much, and was eventually able to punch Karanba in the chest. He was sent hurtling back and would've been killed if it weren't for Nitara. She raked her nails across Torr's masked face, almost taking the cloth off of his face. He eventually grabbed her and thrust her into the ground, the brute was about to finish the deed, raising his fists to smash Nitara into a bloody pulp.

But, Karanba stuck his blades inside of Torr's mid-section. He drove them further into the giant, so far that he finally stumbled backward and left Nitara alone. Karanba stood there for a few moments, waiting to see if Torr would fall under his own weight. To his credit, he didn't. He realigned himself, taking the stance of a gorilla and charged at Karanba. The tarkatan readied himself, baring his teeth. But, out of nowhere a puddle of acid sprayed in front of Torr, and he seemed to be clawed in the face by an unseen hand. The brute was flustered, stumbling backwards. There was a flurry of punches, kicks, and claws at the giant, so fast that he would be unable to retaliate. Then Reptile made himself visible, taking off the cloak of invisibility and swept Torr's legs and sent him crashing down.

"Reptile?" Karanba asked, confused.

"You had a good idea, separating the symbiotes," Reptile walked over to them.

"You saw that?"

"Yes. Truth is, I wasn't sure who to help when I first saw what was happening," He helped Nitara to her feet.

"What made you help us?" Nitara clumsily stood.

"Kotal and I had a very special relationship," He admitted. "But Viper and I… we used to be like brothers. Still are, if you ask me. I'm not going to let him go dormant in some desolate wasteland."

"Did you kill him?" Karanba asked.

"Knowing him? Probably not, but we need to get out of here regardless," Reptile responded. "I may have slit the guards' throats but that doesn't mean I got all of them."

Karanba knew more people would be coming, and so, clutching Viper's amulet, he peeked his head out of the room and escaped with his allies.

---

9013 B.M.K.

Viper caressed the side of Jade's face. It was, at least in his mind, a gentle way of waking her. She stirred and drowsily awoke to his touch.

"Hey," She said.

"Hey," He replied, semi-mocking her.

"What are you doing?" She said, her tired eyes scanning him.

"I have to go somewhere, Jade."

"What? Where?"

"I need to…" He thought for a moment about how he felt when Shras and he fought.

"Be better for you," He finished in his head.

"Are you alright? After last night?" He gazed at his hand.

"I've been through worse," His left fingers clenched.

Jade sat up, and wrapped her arms around him, she dug her face into his chest. She said something, but his scales muffled her voice.

"I didn't get that last par-" He stopped as she smiled and moved a hand to his face. It felt warm on his cheek, the same spot that she had first kissed him.

"Maybe I could stay for a little while longer," He admitted, falling onto the bed with her. They cuddled and pulled each other close. Truth be told, he wasn't exactly sure how long he stayed there with her, but it didn't matter, he enjoyed every second of it.

"I'll let you go on one condition, Viper," She said, once they were finished.

"You want me to get more nectar while I'm out?" He said, turning towards her. She yawned, and placed her chin atop her knees.

"Very funny, but no," She beckoned him closer. Once they were practically ready to fall back into the bed and begin cuddling again, she said to him: "remember that I'll always wait for you."

He walked out the door, her words echoed in his head.

It had been hours since Viper started walking, his feet shuffling around in the swampy waters. He looked up, the treetops blocked out most of the sky.

Fitting.

He longed to feel the rain, but he had no idea where he was or what he was doing. He had convinced himself that he needed to better himself, but he wasn't sure how. He pressed a hand into the bark and drank in the smells. He was far away from the city, that much was certain. He stopped for a moment, slowly regaining his sense of direction.

Scratching his chin, he could recall that Reptile had joined them for their 'vacation.'

"Where did he say he was going?" He thought.

When he was asked, he had said 'to the fog'.

There was only one place that fit that description. Before the land was merged, it was the westernmost continent and most of it was a graveyard. It was said that no matter where you traveled to in that place, fog would hang in the air. He wanted to be better for Jade, and he was tired of feeling sad and angry. He needed to talk to someone. While he had always assumed he just needed to spend more time with her, eventually that too made him depressed.

He needed a friend; he needed Reptile.

It was still pretty far west, where Reptile was, but considering Zaterra was a tenth of the size it had been in its glory days, it was far less taxing of a journey, especially on foot. He started on that path by climbing up the tree, and eventually poking his head out from one of the incredibly tall treetops, he could see a golden sky, filled with a few stirring birds and primates. He stood on one of the high hanging branches and began sprinting atop them.

He was going to see Reptile.

---

9013 B.M.K.

Jade had taken Viper's journal with them. She didn't know exactly why, but holding it in her hand made her feel more secure. She opened it, a few things had changed since she last saw it. Most entries that she hadn't read were written in saurian, and the few that Viper had agreed to read to her were about nothing more than anthropology and other branches of study.

Jade was looking at the volume, turning it around in her hand as she descended the stairs to find Shras cooking something for her son.

"You want to tell Zyvith that I'm making breakfast, although I'm not sure he'd like it," That last part was in a hushed tone.

"He's gone, he left this morning. It figures you wouldn't have seen."

"Excuse me?" Shras said.

"Hmm?" Jade said as she opened to a few pages, looking at the same portraits that had inspired her to first approach Viper about Edenia.

"You have my brother's tongue, I see. Although it may have cost you your lodgings here."

"You needn't pose any consequences. I was planning on leaving soon."

"Then why are you still here anyway?" Shras asked, rushing back over to her kettle.

"Because you're going to do something for me."

"What makes you think I'll comply?"

"I'll tell you why. I wouldn't have to be here, if it weren't for you. I admit, I wanted to come to Zaterra with Zyvith, but, guess what? I didn't want to have to drag him here because I thought our courtship was going to fall to pieces, Shras," Jade's tone was cold. "So, you're going to read every entry in this book that's written in saurian."

"What if I don't?" Shras said.

"You will."

---

9013 B.M.K.

Viper had jumped from treetop to treetop, and for quite a while he did so aimlessly, he knew the way to the fog. It was only when the miasma hung over the leaves he started to pay attention.

"There we go," He thought to himself.

"You'll just be wasting your time here, Zyvith," Viper heeded not of the voice.

He dropped off the tree and landed in the soft dirt and moss. The fog enveloped him, but his sense of smell was more than enough to smell his way through. It reeked of death and despair, as not many people lived here and even less so after the merging.

He searched for Syzoth's smell, it didn't take long to pick it up. He ran across the moss and into the fog, eventually he found a small town with a castle sitting above it on a hill. It was dour in its composure; clinging onto the mud mountain desperately.

Viper walked up, his tongue still drinking in the smells, although with a few sniffs, he knew where Reptile was. He sprinted towards a small shack in the village and knocked loudly on the wooden door.

Syzoth opened it, his eyes were tired.

"Viper? I… thought you'd be with Jade, she's not here, is she?" He said.

"No. Are you… alright?" Viper asked.

"It's… the anniversary Khameleon's death."

Viper could remember the group of saurians that he had first worked with. They were called the agents of Zaterra, although they had served Shao Kahn. Most were dead, or assigned to parts of the Empire so far that they rarely saw each other.

Gecko. His real name had been Korga, he was the youngest of them, and was slightly deformed. His mutation had affected only his eyes, making them a shade of azure so beautiful. He had been moved to a completely different continent of Outworld. While there were only four major continents, two of which were tiny or barely habitable, the sea between them was long and arduous.

Komodai, his alias was Komodo. He died nearly five-hundred-thousand years ago, fighting in Vaeternus. He had been handsome, with green scales, an even deeper shade than Reptile's, and yellow eyes that glowed brightly. He was a man of business, rarely outgoing or outstandingly amicable, Viper rarely got into deep conversations with him.

Pythos, who was called in common tongue: Python, had been a close friend of Viper's. He hadn't been deformed in the slightest, but he was not beautiful like Syzoth or Komodai. He had a good heart. Zyvith and he had shared quite a few interests and would often spend time together in the libraries. He missed him.

The two remaining were Chameleon and Khameleon. Quite similar in name, they were easily confused. Khameleon was a woman, and Reptile's lover. Her birth name was Kirri. She was quite normal looking for a saurian woman, her face pale, her skin covered in mucus, her eyes jet black. Viper had never found anyone, Jade unincluded, astoundingly pleasing to the eye, but he had recognized the typical standards of beauty in her.

As for Chameleon, he had also been reassigned to a different part of the Empire. He had been the palest green Viper had ever seen, and his appearance, much like Zyvith's seemed to be a closely guarded secret. They hadn't heard from him in millenia; he may have even been dead.

He could remember carting their bodies all the way back to Zaterra with Syzoth. They had talked to each other the whole way, asking if they were alright, promising that they'd take care of each other. He could remember every shovel of dirt, every second they carried their friends and laid them into the ground.

"Reptile, I'm so sorry," Viper saw Syzoth wipe a stray tear from his eyes. He'd cried endlessly when it first happened. It made Viper think, think about how he would feel if he ever lost Jade. She was more than capable of handling herself and had a fighting spirit in her, but there had been many close calls over the years. Viper embraced his friend, comforting him until his tears were gone.

"Are you alright? Is there anything I can do?" Viper said, offering consolation. Reptile fell silent, his face like stone, unmoving and gloomy as the place around them.

"I'm… I'm talking to someone here. A few people actually, it's… helping," Syzoth said, looking at the floor. His face shifted to one of confusion and he asked, "Why are you here alone?"

"Without Jade, you mean? She's back at my sister's home, if she hadn't left already. Speaking of my sister, she… we got into an argument and…" Viper trailed off. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm not good enough, I feel like I can't be with Jade. Like I shouldn't be the one courting her."

"I felt that way all the time with Khameleon…" Reptile said. "She was so beautiful and smart and…" He trailed off, losing himself in thought.

"You want to come with me?" He asked.

Viper looked up.

"To those meetings, the gods know there are plenty of empty seats."

"Wouldn't I just be… you know, a burden?"

"No, you're my friend, Viper. If they have a problem with it, they'll just have to deal with it."

Viper could remember when Jade let him drink some of her nectar, when she promised not to judge him. He felt happy to be with his friends, but the void that was being without his lover was starting to gape.

"I'd love to," He said.

---

9013 B.M.K.

"You know…" Shras said. "I'm reading this, and it's mostly about you."

"Really?" Jade peered over Shras' shoulder. Not that it would've made any difference, she couldn't read saurian. "What does it say?" Jade finished.

"Most of these are poems, which are mostly about you, but… there's this one," Shras flipped to it. "The way he talks about you here is…" She paused, "You'd think you were the Empress of Outworld."

"Read it to me," Jade commanded.

"'I sometimes enjoy just watching her. The way she looks at me, her hand covers her mouth but her cheeks tell me she's smiling. I want every second of touching her face, feeling her hair, watching the way she sleeps. I wish I could tell her that I…'" Shras examined the pages.

"Why'd you stop?" Jade asked.

"This last phrase… it has no translation. It exists only in saurian."

"Well… say it anyway," The phrase that left Shras' lips sounded familiar to Jade. It suddenly clicked that that was what he said to her a few nights ago.

"Anything else?" Jade asked. "Most of this is about his experiences with you, which I'm sure you've already experienced… considering-"

"I want to write something in it," Jade said, holding her hand out for the book. She took it from Shras and found a brush. Though saurian was a pictographic language, brushes were still usable. She wrote a letter to Viper, hoping that one day he would read it.

Shras was mumbling something to herself, but her face was one of guilt and exasperation.

"I lied," She said.

"About what?" Jade was still in the process of writing her letter.

"Not remembering what I said to him," Shras looked at her lap, her son was sitting there. Jade looked up, her expression beckoning for more information.

"Our parents, they died when Zyvith was going to college. They perished in a fire."

"I'll need more to go on than that, I'm afraid."

"Zyvith… he was coming back home. Something mother said to him made him angry, I suppose… when he came back…" Shras paused. "He rushed into the house, grabbed me and tried to save out parents. He was… too late. I can still remember him, it was the first time I can really picture him without his cloak."

"What did you say to him?"

"The very next day, he had to decline the offers he received from college. He figured he needed to take care of me until I came of age."

"Couldn't he have reapplied to college?"

"He tried, but seeing a man, a deformed man, decline access to a school mostly rich children go to? No… you don't get a second chance. But… a month after it happened… I… told him that- after I saw him practicing his pyromancy… I told him that..."

---

999,982 B.M.K.

"...No matter what happens to me, even if I die before I get to feel a lover's touch, if I lose everything and everyone I love… I'm glad I wasn't born like you."

The words hung poisoned in the air. Their venom leaked into his scales, filling him with a further sense of wickedness. His left arm was bandaged, but he felt like they were being ripped away, exposing his limb to the whole of Zaterra in that moment.

"Why, Shras? Why?"

"How dare you ask me why? You killed mother, you killed father. You must've, look at you, playing with fire, filled with such vice that you're barely a real person… you're despicable."

He could remember his father's last words.

"I love you, son… I'll always love you," Zyvith had clawed and tore at the debris that caged his father in, it was one of the few times fire had hurt him. "I love you, Zyvith."

"I l- lo-... I love you father! I love you!" He had to summon every bit of strength in that moment to let his father go. His father, who had always been there for him. Making the fire, bending it to his will, watching it dance along his body… it was one of the few ways he could always feel connected to his father. His left arm was bandaged because he truly never did let his father go. He could remember the pillar of wood crashing down on his arm, he could remember violently pulling his arm out of the rubbish. The sheer force required for the action tore off the scales, and they wouldn't return for another couple of months.

He felt all the love and care for his sister slowly die in his heart. He did what he could to maintain it, but she had always been close to Tashei. And Tashei? She had never loved Zyvith.

"Leave me, Shras, I have no need for you now," He said it coldly, and turned back to his fire.

---

9013 B.M.K.

"I want to try something different," The man said. He had spectacles, his face was long but not snouted. He was in charge of the meetings Syzoth had been attending, and he seemed to not mind a deformed man attending them. It was kind of nice, those with defects were more valued since they could still theoretically have children.

"How so," One of the saurians said.

"We spend so much time here, moping about in this group. So, we're going to try something different."

Viper stayed silent, his head was tilted downwards, Reptile sitting next to him.

"Today, I want each of you to write me a list, a list of your favorite moments, this can be as long as you want, but please make it more than just one or two."

Viper stepped into his memories, although before he could get very far with his thoughts, Reptile interrupted him. They ate lunch together, their noodles were braised in soy sauce and meats of all kinds were mixed in them. Their beverages were tea made of herbs from the swamps.

"So, what are you going to write for your memories?" Viper asked, eating some of his noodles, his tongue lapping them up and carrying them into his mouth.

"I don't know… it's been a while since I've felt completely happy, maybe the planetary rings? Those used to be so beautiful… and then," Reptile drank some of his tea, pain colored his face. "I'm glad this isn't yours," Reptile said, a small grin on his lips.

"Hey, my tea has gotten… better," Viper smiled, continuing to eat his food.

He thought about the night he first told Jade how he felt. He remembered how nervous he had been: he stuttered, he breathed heavily, his tail swept across the ground. It gave him an idea of what to write.

---

9020 B.M.K.

It was dark in the gardens. Viper didn't mind though. He had been walking with Jade, who was smiling from cheek to cheek at the moment. They had been joking and laughing and he had succeeded in making her smile.

She paused and looked at him. He grew quieter too, his gaze never shifted from her face, but the rest of the gardens had been beautiful that night. The moon shone through the dense leaves which were, at least during this time of year, blossoming with flowers.

She walked over to him, her stride was slow and, if Viper was to be completely honest, quite seductive.

Her hands reached for his face. It was an action that typically would've made him feel uncomfortable and nervous, but he knew she wasn't going to force off his hood, at least not in that moment.

Her fingers pulled his face closer, until her lips pressed into his. For a few moments, his eyes stayed open out of shock, but as soon as he was brought back to real life, his eyes closed and his hands reached for her hips and hair. When they separated, they were silent for a few moments.

"Can we… do that again?" He asked. She laughed and pressed the top of her head into his chest. Moving her face a few inches away from his she said: "make me smile some more, and you'll see."

"You're smiling right now, you know," He said, and he was partially joking, but she pressed her lips into his again. That time it was quite similar, although their mouths separated a few moments from laughing and smiling.

Their hands found each other once they finished kissing. He moved his body closer to her and she did the same, he could feel her warmth and grinned at the moon.

---

9013 B.M.K.

Jade felt a flourish of anger overtake her. Shras wore a face of guilt, but, even so, it was easy to be angry at her.

"I don't know why I said it to him," Shras placed her face into her hands. Her son was out of her lap and instead sat in a different chair, looking vacantly at the wood. "I guess… I just wanted to find someone to blame."

"You…" Jade was still furious with Shras, but soon she calmed herself.

"I know… I'm sorry."

"No, Shras," Jade said, she joined her lover's sister in their regret. For a few moments, they were silent. Until Jade finally spoke.

"You want to know why we came here?" Jade leaned forward in her seat, she rested her chin in the palms of her hand. Her gaze turned to Shras' son. There was a strange energy to the boy. He reminded her of Viper, what with how he acted around his mother. She remembered many nights where he would hold her close to him, his head would rub against her body, almost like an animal would. But the night that provoked them to journey to Zaterra was a completely different story to those nights.

---

9013 B.M.K., Before Zaterra

She opened her door, and upon seeing Viper, hugged him. Once they separated, she looked at his hands, he brought food with him.

"What's this?" She said.

"You always get cranky about now if you haven't eaten, so… I've made a habit of bringing some to you."

"Well, if you've brought food then you simply must come in," She said, pulling him forward. His tail grabbed the knob of the door and shut it. She was eating when he started talking again, what his topic was wasn't important. Most days their talks could've been about nothing, and she still would've enjoyed speaking to him.

"So, how have you been, since we last spoke?" He asked.

"We saw each other a few hours ago, Viper."

"Still," He smiled.

"Better now, I suppose, I was just thinking about you, once you knocked."

"Ah… it was the food, wasn't it?" She smiled and leaned over the table to kiss him. His lips, or lack thereof as they weren't well defined, were leathery. But she didn't much mind.

When she was finished with her food, they moved to the bed. He lay on the blanket, his legs contorted to the position similar to an animal. It was something she had learned over the years of courtship, and more. Considering she had seen him hang from chandeliers, she knew he was quite the flexible man. She was adjacent to him, still listening to him talking. He moved onto something he had read, but she was busying herself with changing his posture. She had found that it was easier to get him to do things when he was talking, although she supposed that rule applied to her too. He didn't seem to mind at all, though, his tail even swept across the bed and into her lap. Eventually, his alignment became quite similar to hers and she rested her head on his chest.

"Well, you're monopolizing was quite a show of affection," He said. She smiled and moved his face closer to hers for a kiss. He reacted like he typically did, for a few seconds his body stopped moving completely, but then his hands would find their way.

She looked at his shrouded face, and decided she wanted to kiss him again. So, she did. Every time she separated herself from him, she could feel herself being drawn back in. Eventually, she straddled him. He looked quite surprised, his hands lazily hanging from his wrist, his eyes were open as wide as possible.

"Jade, I-" She didn't quite hear that last part. She was too busy with… other activities. Her hands spread across his face like they had a thousand times. He seemed to be enjoying it, his own arms and tail were like they usually were, stroking her neck or waist. But as her hands moved to his hood, things changed. She wanted to see his face, she wanted to see who he really was. But as soon as she did, he separated himself from her. She got off of him, realizing his state of panic was quite real. He was on all fours, his claws pressing into the mattress. His tail was suspended in the air, the end of it contorted as if to grab something. His rate of breathing increased, and his mouth hung open. When he finally calmed, Jade went to his side, asking him if he was alright.

"I'm fine," He said, his right hand still clutched the sheets.

"I'm not sure what you just did supports that," She said. "Was it something I did?"

"No," He said at first. "Yes… no. It's… complicated."

"Then talk to me, Viper, I'm here for you."

He shook his head, his eyes closed. For a few moments, he was completely silent, before his breath returned. For a moment, she didn't understand, even questioning if he didn't find her attractive. Either way, she wrapped him up in her arms, holding him close. His head nuzzled into her cheek, his scales shifted against her skin. They took the position they had before, drifting in and out of consciousness.

It wasn't until much later that night did she leave the bed.

She was going to see Kitana, her friend always had advice, and Jade felt the need for some tonight. It was a rare night to see Viper asleep before she was, but it seemed to be a growing habit these days. She could remember it, all those times she would stir, and he would be there. He would pull her a little closer, and greet her.

Her hands knocked on Kitana's door, which was located so close to the emperor that it was best to be quiet. Her friend sleepily opened it.

"Oh, hello," She said, rubbing her eye. "It's so late I half expected it to be Viper, or for him to be with you, at least."

"About him…" Jade trailed off.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Jade said, bluntly. "Although, it'd be best if we talked elsewhere."

Kitana knew of their courtship, one of the few people to know in all the realms. They walked into the library, a space which Shao Kahn had no love for. He was a man who conquered many places, and while he realized that letting those annexed lands keep their culture was wise, he only helped tangentially. It took her many years to find a small plaque, one located all the way in the back of the giant room, one that had Viper's name engraved on it. One that read of how besides assassinations, keeping the culture of the dominated was one of his jobs. It was dedicated not only to him, but to six other names, all saurian. They were: Korga, Komodai, Pythos, Chameleon, Kirri, and Suko. It was established right after the annexing Vaeternus, an event that took place five hundred thousand years ago. Those were the names of those long departed, and so ancient that she had never known any of them.

"So," Kitana said, sitting down. "What's this… trouble with Viper?"

Jade took a few extra moments, making sure that no-one was there to eavesdrop. Once she was comfortable, she set down her lantern and sat with Kitana.

"Was he not… satisfactory?"

"No," Jade said. It made sense why Kitana might've asked. Love between two assassins sounded strange at first, especially when one was a walking lizard. "He was…" She smiled as she remembered. "He was always thoughtful, and kind. Loyal, and devoted. I'm not the sort for exhibitionism, but he didn't seem to mind… expressing his love in private."

"Where did it go wrong?"

"Tonight," She said. "I went to take his hood off. He… reacted badly, I asked him why, but he didn't say much back. He should be asleep now."

"Do you have any idea why he didn't like you doing what you did?"

"No. I mean, it seems normal… sometimes I want to," She paused, finding the right words. "Express my love, carnally."

"Did he just… refuse to tell you?"

"Not… exactly. It almost looked like he couldn't, like he wanted to, but something was restraining him."

Kitana was silent for a while, the fire reflecting in her eyes.

"Have you considered going to Zaterra? Reptile is planning a trip back there," Jade considered that for a while.

"Good idea… his homeland might clear his mind, and I'd like to spend even more time with him," She smiled at the thought.

Jade walked back to her chambers, ready to tell Viper of Kitana's suggestion the following morning, but when she opened the door, he was awake. His tail hung limply from a balcony at the very top of her chamber, his hand on a window that all the rooms shared.

There was nothing to see outside the window, at least, nothing for her to see. His eyes set a purple glow about the glass, one that grew brighter as she climbed up to meet him. She walked on the wood, and leaped from one rafter to another. Finally she was next to him. His right hand was on the glass, his left was clenched in a fist.

"When did you wake up?" She said, sitting.

"I never fell asleep," He answered.

"You alright?"

"Yeah…" He said, softly.

"You sure?" He laughed quietly.

"If you weren't going to believe me, why'd you ask?" She ignored his jape and took his hand off the window.

"I want to go to Zaterra with you," She said.

"Zaterra?" He kept his gaze toward the window as she turned his hand in hers.

"I want to… you know, see your face."

---

9013 B.M.K., Zaterra

That had hurt Zyvith.

"I want to see your face," He brushed it off, writing of his favorite memories. He laughed as he recalled his father, teaching him to ride a swamp drake. He smiled as he remembered his first meeting with Reptile.

He moved on to a different memory.

He had been seventeen that day. The weather had been that of his favorite kind of night. Hard purple sky, intermittently streaked with pink. The rings hanging complacent in their regality. The swamp glowing a soft red in response to its companions. Rain. It fell hard, holding thunder in its watery hand. The moons defied the earthy grasp, hovering softly. That was the color of spring.

Zaterra was most tranquil in that state. It was beautiful, really. So, so beautiful.

He could remember it. Running under the night sky. Seeing the moons defy the earthy grasp of the land.

He missed it. But not as much as he missed her.

He was angry at her when they first came to Zaterra, but as of a day's passing, he wanted to see her again.

"Hey," Syzoth said. "Doing some writing?"

"Yeah… about Zaterra," Zyvith put his brush down. Saurian was a pictographic language, which was what made it so hard to learn. Its past and present tense was also different, as saurians were practically immortal, so long as they had freedom. "I'm writing about spring… ironic that we can't feel it here."

"It will come, as it always does."

His last interaction with Shras was unpleasant to say the least, but he realized that, despite how she had hurt him, they were still siblings, and she was one of his last kin. He smiled as he recalled memories of how he would lift her up to his shoulders so she could get the nectar flowers, memories of how he'd take her into the heart of the cities when their parents were off doing something.

And he longed to see Jade again.

"Thinking about Jade?" Syzoth took out his own journal.

"I wish I could relive some of those moments."

"What do you mean?"

"The things we're writing about, I wish I could go back there," He said, thinking of his father's face. He had a slight mutation, but it was only that he grew feathers from his chin and head, one of the easiest to hide considering the ability to shave.

"I want to invite Jade here."

---

9013 B.M.K.

Jade had decided to sleep in Shras' house another night. They had spoken of more moments in Viper's childhood, things that he used to do as a young man. It reminded her of the things she had brought with her to Zaterra, and so, that morning she spent looking through a bag of their belongings that they had brought with them. In it were his typical traveling supplies, books and scrolls and things to write with. He always was too smart for his own good, most of their early courtship had been him overthinking and overanalyzing everything. It was alright though, she enjoyed seeing him excited.

At the moment, she was looking at a map of Zaterra that was made before the merging. On it was a signature: Pythos.

It was quite detailed, showing that the east lands had mostly been jungle and swampland due to some specific kind of current, and that as the ocean grew colder, the moisture lessened into deserts. Temperate areas filled the rest of the lands, although there were always some sort of swamp to be had. She was about to look for more of the maps, but Shras knocked on her door. Jade opened it to find her holding a letter.

"It's from Viper."

"Is it in saurian?" Jade asked, putting the map down.

"No, it seems he wanted you to read it," Jade took it into her hand and opened the letter. Her eyes scanned the page, past his greetings was an invitation to a land he called: 'The Fog.'

"You know of a place called 'The Fog' Shras?"

"Is that where he is?"

"Says so in here," Jade kept the letter in her hand. "He's invited me there, and he invited you too."

"Me? I don't think I can see him, not after…" She had regret painted on her face.

"Shras, he wants you there, and I still need someone to tell me where 'The Fog' is," Jade reasoned. Shras walked downstairs and stayed there for a while. Jade walked down the stairs and found the saurian, holding her son in her arms, ready to see her brother.

It was a long ride, one that required Shras to redirect the somewhat young carriage driver when he mistakenly bumbled to the north or south. On that journey, Jade saw an amount of saurians larger than she had ever seen before huddled around a giant group of statues. Most were of kings and queens, emperors and empresses, lords and ladies.

"What are they doing?"

"Hmm?" Shras said, staring out the slotted window. "Oh, they're getting ready for the spring festival. Zyvith took me a few times," She said, sadly.

"Spring festival?" They had told Jade of a gathering, but the sheer amount of saurians at the statues was more than she had ever seen.

"It's a celebration, saurians used to celebrate the turning of each, but after merging with Outworld…" Shras stopped.

"What happens then?" Jade asked, staring at the saurians lighting candles.

"We join the land when it lights up, our bodies glow and celebrate the turning of the seasons with the planet."

Jade thought of that for the rest of the trip, figuring to probe her lover for more information when she saw him again.

It was around a day when she reached the fog. The drakes that had taken them there were fast and much larger than many other beasts of burden she had seen in Outworld, making the journey less taxing than she thought it would've been. Speaking of the animals that had taken her to Zyvith, they were like the ones her lover often rode. They were black with red stripes, and had silvery white feathers about their tail. Their eyes used to glow magenta, but as they approached The Fog, she noticed that they had collected a strange maroon light. In the dark of the night, it was quite unsettling.

And then, she heard Zyvith.

"Jade," He said from behind her.

She turned to see him and jumped into his arms. The side of his face nuzzled into hers, his nose pressing into her shoulder. When they separated, she kissed him. When she got a better look at him, she noticed that his eyes had followed the drake's. They were a dark maroon, and they glowed as his eyes typically would.

Jade turned to Shras. Female saurians didn't glow, but her eyes also seemed to have more luster to them. When Zyvith saw her, he started walking toward her. Sras started talking, an apology for their fight, but he simply hugged her and lifted her slightly off the ground. Shras was quite a small woman, and Zyvith stood a few inches above most others in Shao Kahn's court.

Their hug lasted a few seconds, it was apparent they both were sorry for what they said that night in the tavern. He next turned to his nephew and rubbed the boy's forehead. After their embrace, he guided them to where he stayed. They walked into a quaint town, the ground was muddier than the other places she had been too in Zaterra, and the inhabitants looked tired and old. When they saw her, their reactions were more entertaining than anything the cityfolk had. They looked up from their books and scrolls, stopped whatever they were doing, and just stared. Whatever gestures she did in response, they tried to replicate with their scaly hands and their sharp teeth meant for tearing flesh and ripping through meat hung from what lips a lizardfolk might have.

"Tempting the locals, Jade?" Zyvith said. She said nothing in response, only grabbing his arm and pulling him closer to her.

One thing she had noticed that compared with the city was that children were a rare occurrence. She had only seen one healthy one, whose name was Suko. He held his mother's hand tightly, seeming to have come to a place he hadn't ever seen before.

Zyvith led them to a small house, made of a dark and unrefined wood. Once they came in, Reptile was waiting, his chin in his palm, he stared vacantly at a wall, a journal at his elbow. He looked to the door and smiled.

"Ah, there he is," Reptile said. "I had started cooking something, hopefully it'll be done soon."

"Don't eat any of it, you'll be retching for days," Zyvith whispered to her.

"I can hear you, you know," Reptile said.

"Doesn't mean it's any less true!" He said, Reptile turned he was stubbornly holding back a smile.

Once the food had arrived, Shras bubbled with excitement, talking of how in her childhood she had loved to eat the kind of food Reptile had served them. It was smart of her not to mention their mother. Zyvith was mostly silent, sitting next to Jade, telling her what had bugs or amphibians and what didn't. The food was mostly steamed, or braised in sauces or oils. She cut open one of the dumplings, and out poured the meat of possibly every mammalian creature that existed in Zaterra. Or at least, that was what Zyvith said. She tried some of the dishes but most were a strange combination of tastes in her mouth. She looked to her right to see Viper, he wasn't eating much. He simply smiled when he saw her observing him and prompted her to try more food. She took a few more bites, but after a while the flavors became too muddled for her to distinguish anything. She sat back, only for Zyvith to nudge her on the shoulder. He leaned into her ear.

"Used to tourist food?"

"I've said it before, I'll say it again… something ought to be done about your tongue."

Her sleep that night had been less peaceful. The fog left an unsettling feeling in her, and she swore she was being watched the entire night. Her suspicions were confirmed when a leathery hand touched her shoulder. The voice that accompanied it belonged to Zyvith.

"Jade," He said, softly.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Late," He answered.

"I'd ask why you were awake, but you never sleep," She said, turning and pulling him into the bed.

"That's not why I'm-" He stopped when she moved her head under his chin. For a few moments he was silent. He'd drop anything when she came knocking on his door. But, tonight he seemed to decide against cuddling. A strange decision when looking at his track record.

"As nice as this feels," He said as she shifted against him. "I really do want to show you something."

"Dragging your lady out of bed is not a wise move, Zyvith."

"Says the edenian who considers it a feat to wake up earlier than me?" He teased.

She put her hand on his mouth and playfully pushed him. "Fine, I'll go," She said.

The next thing she knew, she was sleeping on his shoulder.

---

9013 B.M.K.

"Jade, wake up," He said. It was hard to wake her, not only because she was tired, but also because he found it nice to watch her sleep.

"Are we there yet?" She said.

"Why do you think I'm waking you?"

"I don't know; you're the type to wake someone prematurely," She yawned and opened her eyes fully.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She smiled and grabbed onto his hand. "Where are we anyway?"

"Away from the fog, although truth be told, there aren't any habited towns around here."

"Habited?"

"Habited," He said.

His mind drifted to memories of how lively Zaterra once was. He could remember tasting the honey on the wind as it drifted from the taverns to his house. The cherry blossoms were carried so softly by the air that, when he was twelve, he thought maybe he could fly with them.

"So… what did you find so noteworthy?"

He smiled and led her to a bayou. He picked a papaya off the ground and threw it next to a small mangrove. It didn't even hit the water before hundreds of eyes peeked out of the surface. They imbued the bayou with a sinister ambience. Their eyes were all different colors, and one surfaced to investigate who had thrown the fruit. It was a crocodile, much larger than those found in other parts of Outworld. It was a general rule, Zaterra had been large, larger than any other realm and so certain fauna tended favor larger forms. The dragons, that Viper had helped to tame for Shao Kahn's army, were a good example. Their frost-breathing counterparts were tiny in comparison. He could remember the first time he saw one, he had been twenty-two, and it inspired him to write. It was dark red, with soft blue on its joints and underbelly, spikes crawled along its spine. Certain dragons, their abundance depended on which part of Zaterra you found yourself in, hadn't any wings. The crocodiles, komodos, and smaller lizards had characteristics of some of those dragons, the wingless ones, he meant. They had done so in an attempt to scare off predators, rare as they were. The crocodile walked over to Zyvith, where he started to pet it as an outworlder may have done to a dog. From the smell, he could gather a few base details. It wasn't hungry and mating season, while close, was not here yet. It had bones sticking out its back like barbs. It stood on eight legs, although four of which were only needed when it postured itself. The similarities with the wingless dragons started at the beard it grew, it was made completely of moss, and it had two long antennae drooping from the nostrils. This particular specimen was a bluish green and had red stripes on its back.

"You can pet it, if you'd like. This one won't bite," He said, prompting her to touch it.

Jade walked closer and pressed her hand into its snout. Its eyes closed, and its smell told Zyvith that it had never felt the touch of a foreigner. It stayed under their hands for a few minutes, before it rolled in the moss of the surrounding swamp and reared its head to wander back into the water.

"Are all the creatures of Zaterra this friendly?"

"Would you like to find out?" He answered, she smiled at him.

"This place is…" She paused. "I'm glad I'm here with you."

He smiled. The first time they met, he nearly shook himself out of his scales, but now he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

They spent more time in the swamp, feeling the late night rain softly hit their skin. They saw many things, experiences similar to their encounter with the crocodile. Throughout the night they saw the slithering neck of a great basilisk with a head of orange and a body of dark blue, whose smell had informed Zyvith that it was a female. They saw the komodos, the snakes that hung so still and quiet from the trees they looked almost like vines, and the lizards who brandished their colors. It was quite a nice night, one that reminded him of when he used to be a seventeen year old boy who ran under the light of the moons.

They walked back to their carriage when the sun started rising. It broke through the leaves and trunks. There was a glare to it, but it was beautiful too. The rain had stopped by this time, and the carriage boy was still waiting for them, although he was sleeping.

In the carriage, Jade asked him.

"Before me, was there someone else?"

"Someone else?" He asked.

"Another girl?"

"No. Carnal activities never interested me," He answered, truthfully. "So, no, there wasn't anyone else."

"Really? But you're a million, or close enough."

"No-one I ever lost my innocence to, if I'm being frank," He said.

"You're… innocent?" She asked, surprise wasn't in nearly as much abundance as if it was someone else he was having this conversation with.

"Yes, Jade."

She pulled herself closer to him, wide awake, a stark contrast to when she had come out into the swamp. He asked her: "Back before… when we almost," He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to ask this. "You said you wanted to see my face."

Jade was silent, and then answered.

"I don't know what I was thinking that night," She said. "I've already seen your face. Your real face."

---

9013 B.M.K.

"The food may be a bit much, but saurians seem to have a good eye for homerealms," She said from the bed. He was sitting in a chair, it was made for rocking, but doing so gave the most horrible creaking the worlds had heard, and so despite his urges, he resisted.

It had been a few days since their galavanting across the swamp. The next nights were moonless, only fireflies illuminated Zaterra. It made sense; in a few days the spring festival would arrive.

"I suppose so," He answered his lover. She was leaving that morning. Shras' son missed his home, and Jade wanted to see the festivities of Zaterra. He felt an emptiness slowly build in his chest. The few things she had brought were packed, and Shras was talking to the carriage boy.

"So…" She said, walking over to him.

"So," He said in response. She didn't say anything back, only taking his hand and beckoning him to stand. He did as she asked and she quickly pulled him into a hug.

"Check the back of your journal, Zyvith," She said. For a few moments, there was silence. And then: "I love you, Zyvith."

Then, she was gone.

He sat in his chair. He stuck his tongue out, it gathered the smell of the room, and then, he pulled it back in. Her smell was thick. He opened the journal she left in his hand, and read the note she left him.

"Zyvith,

Your sister, after my persuasion, agreed to read me some of your journal entries. She also spoke of a few moments in your childhood. I know your luck with women has been less than phenomenal, especially with those that you are related. But I want you to know that I wouldn't be the same person I am today if I hadn't met you. We've saved each other on missions, but you helped me in the most important way possible. Truth was, for a long time, it felt a bit strange asking for help… it was easy to think I always had to do things alone. But, you proved me wrong, and I wanted to show you that you'll never be alone: because I love you.

Love, Jade"

---

22 A.M.K.

The world flashed into nothingness. A strange white light obscured Viper's view, and sent strange shades to haunt him.

The saurian clumsily stumbled over his feet and groped at the vacuum for support. He felt absolutely nothing.

It was in that moment he felt like something was crawling up his throat. An image of the Zaterran beach forced itself into his head. Its black sands and spires were a sight only seen in the southeastern district of the reptilian realm. They were so alone... out there in the sea...

He repeated Jade's letter to himself over and over again, but sure enough, the voice returned to him.

"Poor, poor Zyvith."

"Leave me alone… please," He said.

"No," The voice laughed.

"Just… it's what I want…"

"Ah but that leads me to my next question, Zyvith!"

"No more, no more questions. Please," He was crumpled on the ground, the cold making him drowsy and lethargic.

"What do you want, Zyvith?"

"I want you to leave me alone," He said.

"No, I asked what you wanted."

Zyvith was confused, and shot out another response. "I want to get out of this… out of this cold, out of this cage!" He nearly started crying.

"Closer, but still not right, I'm afraid."

"I want… I want Jade," He said, softly.

"Louder, you pathetic animal."

"I want Jade," He said, above a whisper but lower than his typical self.

"Louder!"

"I want Jade!" He screamed, crying. That made it his fourth time ever feeling tears on his face. The first time he had ever felt his eyes water, his mother was there. Her voice was horrible and sour. She smacked him, and the tears disappeared with the pain. It reminded him of more terror than he had ever cared to think about.

"Don't listen to him!" The voice rang out. Zyvith turned his head. He saw a young boy, standing in a purple cloak. The child walked over and his revenant self for once seemed powerless. The young boy extended his hand and helped Zyvith to his feet.

Zyvith remembered why he made the voice in the first place. He could remember that desperate feeling of isolation, and how nice it felt to have someone to talk to.

The two figures started arguing, their yells and japes started to blur in his head, all he could think about was Jade. How much he wanted to touch her face, to feel her hair, to just hold her for a single second.

"He's lied to you, he's never done anything but lie to you!" The purple cloak said.

"And where were you?" The black cloak said.

"So what? That excuses your behavior?" The purple blot said.

"'My behavior?' What are you? A mother?" The black blot said.

Their voices became indistinct again, their forms became shapeless. Zyvith couldn't tell who was who, and his head throbbed so painfully that his walk was slow and drowsy. His vision became blurry as if he had lost his glasses, and his breathing became course and shallow. His tail seemed to drag and drag behind him, slowing him down. But when he was in his worst moment, as if the light was about to burn out his eyes, it became clear.

His left arm had weird coloration. Even for him. A cursory glance at his scales would tell anyone that fact. But, instead of his deformity at birth, or the house on fire, what had caused the majority of his arms off-color scales, was himself. Cutting through scales was quite hard with a blade of non-saurian origin, but blunt objects? That would work. It never felt nice, and he received no sort of gratification from that pain.

Well… one kind of gratification.

The enjoyment came only in the form of the depraved sense of freedom that it gave him. That, for one singular moment in his whole life, he caused himself pain, and not the world throwing constant waves of horror at him. The freedom that, for one moment in time, he was absolutely sure he could feel something.

But remembering that, a period of time from when he was thirty-three, told Viper that he was done fighting. The gods knew how long he had bitten and clawed his way through the storm. The storm of blinding white light, so blinding that it blocked everything else out. He was done waiting for that sweet shade of night, a single flush of darkness to finally relieve his eyes.

For he, Viper, Zyvith, the saurian, had found it.

---

9013 B.M.K.

An unfamiliar feeling was on his cheeks. He placed his fingers there, and felt moisture on his scales. She had been gone for a few hours, and he was crying. It was his first time ever, too. He walked over to his journal, wrote down the last of his happy memories. It read: 'It hasn't happened yet.'

And then, he finished with a letter to his deceased mother.

"Tashei,

I will never forgive you. I will never love you. No matter if you were still alive and apologized profusely and sincerely, I would never ever be able to let go of what you did to me. I have despised you for so long. I hated you. Every time I heard your voice, saw your face, or even heard the mentioning of your name, I wanted to drop whatever I was doing and leave. But, I don't need that anymore. I don't need someone like you… because I will never lose sight of who I am.

Zyvith"

He found Reptile, told him where he was going, wished him the best, and told him how important a friend he was before running out the door. He jumped onto a drake, and rode off to the east. He made only one stop, he visited the hall of the dead and when he reached his father's tomb he took only one thing. His father's mating necklace, it was a large gem, Suko had made it himself. It was purple, a carved amethyst like that of a reptile's eye. He could remember one day, when Zyvith was barely fifteen, his father had made a joke of it. How he had been lucky to have made it out of amethyst, since it looked like his son's eyes.

---

22 A.M.K.

"Stop!" He roared, his voice carrying a regality that no emperor had ever held. The voices quieted, Zyvith walked toward each of them, he knew what he wanted to do. He walked to the young boy, purple of eyes and cloak, and spoke to him. He recited his favorite poem when he was a boy.

"The fire set at darkness grows brighter and warmer than any born in light," He said, quoting Tatsurri.

"Because it is only they who have bloomed through night," The young boy finished. Zyvith smiled, and hugged his younger self.

He sauntered over to the revenant, where he looked on expectantly.

"Hello, revenant," He started.

"So, rea-"

"I'm not finished," He shut the voice down. "I have to thank you. I have to thank you for trying to protect me. But, I can't let you do that. What you offer is a beautifully horrible death of my spirit. And so, thank you, but I have to move on," He looked at his hands as he spoke. He had realized far too late that the destruction he had caused his left was unhealthy, but then he gazed at his right. It carried his mating ring, an untraditional sign of matrimony but one he cherished nonetheless.

"You have nothing left! You're weak!"

"No… you're wrong, I'm strong, stronger than you could ever imagine, and I'm leaving this hellhole."

"I won't let you!" The voice screamed, and shot out his hands. Blue flames hit Zyvith, but they manifested as an amalgamation of every time he had experienced sorrow and failure, shame and embarrassment, hatred and disgust. But it had no power over him, he knew they didn't define him, and thus they only made him stronger. He took the horrid moments into his hands, tail, and mouth, biting, clawing, bashing, and crushing through them. And as he reached the bars of his enclosure he mustered every bit of heat he could to ignite his fire. For a few moments, there was only silence. Then, a spark. From his hands, blue flames. They were cold, but instead of stopping, he kept them going, augmented them and forced them out his hands. Eventually, they changed into a sea green color. He kept going, he thought of everything he had left to fight for, everything he had ever loved. Karanba, Reptile, his friends - be they revenant or alive - his students, his father, his sister, his nephew, and finally… he remembered Jade. As the fire became red, he could see her face. Her smile, her hair, her skin… her eyes. He remembered his first moment of intimacy with her… she felt so warm, and soft, her smell was to die for. As he reached to touch her face again, to look her in the eyes, he could remember being that boy. He could remember swimming across the sea, riding his first drake, seeing the crocodiles and basilisks, sleeping with the lizards, climbing with the snakes. He could remember running under the night sky, watching the dragon soar weightless through the air, writing his first book. And he could remember all that elation and ecstasy, but stronger, when he had his first moment of intimacy with a woman named Jade.

He would carry it all, everyone and everything he loved, forever in his heart.

He didn't stop there, fires danced to life from his chest, his feet, his tail, the corners of his mouth, and his eyes. They enveloped him in an inferno and he roared with the strength of a dragon. He tore through the thick metal bars as if they were parchment and stepped out onto the ice. His fire shapeshifted into that of a dragon, its long sweeping body and tail wrapped around him, its fiery eyes piercing through the icy haze, an inferno erupting from its mouth. It had burned away his inner turmoil, destroyed his inner voice, and through sorrow and struggle, love and laughter, friendship and family, he had walked out of the inferno, unburned.

The snow turned to rain as the dragon curled itself around him. Before long, it leaped into the air, dancing into embers and flares around him. His cloak? It was merely kindling for the blaze.

---

9013 B.M.K.

There was a soft rain as Jade watched a red silhouette unseat a drake in the distance. It came running up into the gathering of saurians. They parted for the man, he stood a few inches taller than them, commanding a presence that not many were able to in a realm of giant reptiles and overflowing vegetation.

She ran to him, and as they finally embraced and ran their hands over each other, they separated, and she took in his shrouded face. It had only been about a day since she'd seen him, but it didn't matter: it felt much longer.

"I missed you," He said, holding her. Some saurians started murmuring, maybe in the joy of two people finding love, or in discomfort at the two of them. But, despite her reservations of exhibitionism, she found herself not caring. They were in each others' arms, and that was all that mattered.

They were at a table, waiting for the swamp to glow.

"I see my japes weren't unfounded," He said, as she took a sip of nectar. She smiled. Every now and then, he'd take a nervous look at his hand. There were saurians around them, they too were waiting, but Zyvith seemed to have his mind elsewhere. He touched her hand, and she looked at him, expecting him to finally tell her what had seemed to be on his mind the entire time they were waiting.

"You know, Zaterra used to have giant deserts," He said. "They expanded so wide, sometimes they were so arid that nothing could live on them."

She affirmed that she was listening, waiting for him to continue.

"I felt like I was walking in one of those, walking in it for… months on end."

His eyes went to the table, then he looked at her again.

"I screamed for help, but only a few people heard me. The most dedicated of whom, was a woman named Jade."

She grinned at that. He placed a necklace on the table.

"I'm not… the best at romance, I know. But… will you be my… lifemate?" He asked. She took a look at the necklace, holding it in her hand. The gem felt cold and was made of amethyst, a carving of a saurian's eye was on it. It looked like his oculi, forever watching and looking into the distance.

"Of course I'll marry you!" She felt a strange relief fill her chest. She had been so worried that he had no interest in her when she first came here. Little did she now, he would be proposing only days later. A smile overtook her face, one that was larger than she had ever had before.

"The correct term is mate, but…" He grinned his crooked grin as the swamps started to glow around them. There was a light cast at the edges of his hood as the voices of other saurians started to spike in volume.

When they saw the first of the moonflowers to bloom, he clenched her hand and told her he needed to show her something.

She followed him out into the swamps. They stopped in a small clearing surrounded by glowing trees. He took her hand into his and placed it on the back of his hood.

"I want you to-" He stopped. "I want you to see my face, I want to… feel you before this spring is over." His gaze never shifted from her eyes. He had the most beautiful oculi, they were big and purple, pulsing with an energetic glow so bright it never failed to make her smile.

"When I first met you… I never thought that you'd ever…" He said something, a phrase in saurian, the same phrase he had muttered to her in his sleep, the same phrase Shras had read from his journal. When she asked what it meant, he answered: "I love you, Jade."

"I love you, Zyvith."

They smiled, and after a few moments of looking at her, they took off his hood together. He didn't stop there, his entire cloak and all his clothes were taken off leaving only his undergarments. The first thing to change was his height, he was above six feet in his cloak, but out of it he was seven feet tall. He knelt on one knee to make the difference a little less noticeable.

He had red scales, so thick that they were practically armor, on his arms, legs, torso, tail, neck, and face. There was a soft blue on his knees and elbows. And the black underside of his arms, hands, legs, feet, torso, tail, neck, and chest looked almost soft. But when she touched it, she knew that it was quite durable. There was one part of his body that disregarded this rule completely: his left arm from the forearm down. It was a muted version of all the colors that made up the rest of his scales. His back was covered by a glowing white tattoo. It was of the symbols of the realms. The only colored ink being the snake that lay in the middle. It was multi-colored and slithered with a magic that made it seem real. His feet had three main claws and an opposable one on their sides, they were postured almost like a bird's talons. His hands were almost human, but his fingers had silver claws. His tail was so long it spilled into the shallow waters of the swamp, it was quite round and for the most part was smooth, but it was armored and scaled with small ridges on its topside. As it continued, it grew so narrow that at its end it almost looked like it was a dagger.

But, she moved to more important parts of him.

It was blurry at first. His face, she meant. It came to her in pieces. His eyes were as they always were, but brighter with the swamp. They were vernal flares, shot off into night-time rain. His face was long, but not like a human's; it was a snout that had plumage black and wild as ink adorning its top. It was longer than hers, and had glowing white dots like it was the night sky. Silver horns clung to his black chin, forming a beard.

His hand brought hers to his cheek, and then, it all came together for her. His scales, his face, his eyes.

And as they kissed, she knew, he was the spring.

---

9013 B.M.K.

It was a few more minutes until she started to stir. They were naked having spent the previous night making love. Once she awoke, she scratched a spot on his chin. He grinned like an idiot, a typical response from him.

"Feels nice when you do that," He admitted.

"When you court a saurian, you gain some reptilian empathy," She laughed.

"Strange, I feel the same way about edenians," He said, looking at the ceiling like a poet. Quickly though, he realigned his eyes with hers. Her oculi were green, green like the swamps. Her hair was out of its braid, he ran his hands through it, feeling the soft waves.

"Hold your tongue, lest I give you leave to use it."

"Are you my boss now?"

"I'm your wife; that makes me, your boss."

"You weren't acting like that last night, though."

She kissed him, and rolled off of him. He lunged after and wrapped his arms around her waist. Lovingly, he bit her on her shoulder.

"So… what are our plans today? Just... wasting away the day?" She said.

"It isn't wasting time if it's being spent with you."

For a few moments, she was silent. But then she turned to him and took the position they had been in before. "I could get used to this, Zyvith," She said, devilishly.

"Knowing you, I suspect you already have."

"Hey!" She said, kissing him.

"I love you, Jade."

"I love you, Zyvith."

---

A/N: Thank you to all who stubbornly read through this chapter, it was an amazing experience to write and it really pushed me to do better. Thank you!

Sincerely, The Swampian