Embers flickered, tents collapsed. The war party of lizardmen was packing their things with the assistance of their newfound goblin servants. Zuko frowned at the thought. He had a distrust and disgust for them, as any normal intelligent creature should, but that didn't mean he wanted them to be underfoot. He didn't want them to begin with, truth be told, but a small part of himself thought back to the Toadmen, and their part in kicking the lizardmen out of the main lake area. Was it better to drag the goblins underfoot and force them into something more honorable that many likely had doubts they could shape into? Or would it have been better to eliminate them altogether and never bother to wonder about what could have been? With most creatures, Zuko would have chosen the former, but with goblins that decision stayed knocked in the bow.

'Goblins, the rats of the intelligent species. At least they'll be useful as dumb labor'

Zuko had to hand to the human, he never would have thought about dominating the more anarchic tribes to bolster themselves. Of course, it only spoke further to the human's true nature, something he wished more lizardmen saw. Still, as he'd overheard the toadman mutter to himself one night, 'The enemy of my enemy is a friend'. A strange thing to come from the young demihuman, but it made sense the more he thought about it.

As much as the human was a conniving worm, he'd at least proven himself a useful conniving worm. And in the face of the coming battle with the other tribes to come, over the bounty of the lake, every spear was needed. The warrior chief stared over the goblins, and his kinsmen donning strange armor and weapons. To think they would have merely wielded stone and bone not a few months prior, and in the chill of late autumn no less.

'The fewer of our tribe that die, the less weight I will have to carry on my shoulders when I greet my forefathers'

Zuko stared out at the direction the human had gone. It'd already been three days, and the deadline was here. And yet, not a soul in sight had come back. Zuko considered staying a moment longer, but scoffed. If the human had finally bit off more than he could chew, than that was fine. They could always move on without him, victory was going to be swift this year with their newfound resources. The few lizardmen that left with him, though it panged his heart, chose to go with him. Zuko could not force his kinsmen to think or feel differently, and he at least respected their choice to assist the human in such a foolish gambit.

Even with those… two, that the human summoned, the odds weren't fully in their favor. But if potentially removing their main issue early resulted from this, then so be it. Even if it meant losing a handful of theirs, cutting the poison out and away from them would be for the best

The warrior chief sighed, getting ready to signal for them to move, when a call came from the forest. One that made him stare in disbelief with a slack jaw at it's direction. They were returning, with success on their heels.

"Impossible…" He muttered, staring out and trying to focus in on the sounds of the forest for signs of their arrival.

Of course, the toadman came up to his side just as he said this, with a smirk. One that Zuko loathed, but said nothing about.

"I think we've said that about some of the things he's done already…" The teen spoke up, grinning broadly. "And yet he'd do it, yes? I must admit, even I had doubts, but it seems the crazy warm-blood is building quite the record for his boasts"

And what a record he had built. Metal tools, agriculture, construction techniques, all things they never expected to see the lizardmen making use of short of sending an exile to learn these secrets. And that was tantamount to suicide with how prevalent humans have proven themselves to be.

The first to step through was the sight of Small Fangs, spearheading the march. Slowly, goblins bound at the wrists with cargo strapped to their backs came marching through. Something else that surprised Zuko was the sight of humans interspersed among the group, armed with broken weapons and rusting tools. Uniquely, these ones were females if Zuko recalled. Strange, fatty mounds on their chests and shorter stature, Zuko could never understood what was so appealing about them. They sneered at the goblins at every step of the way, taking every opportunity to jab at one should they get it.

As much as Zuko wanted to frown at this unexpected development, that wasn't what caught his interest the most. The wafting scent of ogres drifted along their number, and he tensed, brushing his claws over his axes. Bumbling along the number were two wounded ogres, frostbite apparent on their bodies. The human's doing. The fact that they were still breathing, and marching along willingly made him shudder. Just what did he do to convince those two things to join along?

And then he strode in, marching with his hands behind his back, caked in ice. He looked like the bite of winter personified, an ice cold stare from under the icicles of his tattered hat. Frost clung to his coat and boots, seemingly refusing to melt upon his body. Zuko noticed his eyes were tired and unfocused, not fully paying attention to everything around him yet they shone with just enough light that they could snap at their surroundings should the need arise.

The human stood before him, letting that strange demihuman of his take the lead in organizing things.

"Human. I see you have… returned," The warrior spoke carefully, trying to prod the warm-blood.

"... Yeah"

"I couldn't help but notice that you've brought more than was anticipated," Zuko noted, unsure of how to react to the sight of the ogres and the human females. Should he applaud him? Or should he admonish him for such a risk?

"Yeah…"

"Do you care to elaborate on this?"

"Later…"

The warrior chief bristled at this, but said nothing against the disrespect he was just shown. As he was about to say something else, he noticed the look in the human's eyes. It looked like something he could recognize. As though he should know where that look came from in the first place.

"Is that all?" The bare-skinned creature asked, in a tone that sounded just as painfully familiar.

"Er, for now," Zuko grunted, put on the backpedal by his own thoughts clashing.

The human stepped around him, moving without the need to watch where he was going. Seeming distant, yet fully aware at the same time. Zuko wanted to shake this feeling off, but he couldn't.

'That human can't possibly be any different than the rest of his kin. And yet… something doesn't feel right. Why?'

Cherie was tired and cold, something she was grateful for being her only issues at the moment. Aside from assisting in what was probably the most confusing situation in her whole life. The man, Nolan as she'd later learned, was the most confusing part of it. In the short span of knowing him, everything and everyone seemed to… gravitate to him, knowingly or not. If anyone had told her back home that there was a human in Tob commanding demihumans and leading them to conquest, she would have promptly laughed in their face before calling them a drunk and shrugging them aside, maybe get Heftor or Grom to knock some of their muscle into them.

Those two… they were gone now. Something she would have to get used to. They were the life of the caravan in their own way, if a little sleazy and lazy from time to time. They didn't deserve what happened to them. No one did.

Her amber eyes flicked to the man, coated in that sleet from him magic. A third tier caster wasn't the most common thing around, but a third tier caster that threw himself to the front of battle was nearly unheard of. Moreso one that swung a blade as they casted. One of the strangely plated lizardmen told her that he was a druid of all things, something that was even more of an enigma to her. Druids were seldom seen in the civilized world, but they were known for having a respect for nature, yet often aloof with their surroundings. To see one so… fevered in his movements as he charged and slashed, slinging bolts of spells… it seemed to contradict both what she knew and the shell of a sight she saw now.

And to piece it together, he was respected amongst most of his peers in the wild, hearing praise from other lizardmen about his deeds, though few were their words on him. Cherie admitted to herself, she expected the human to be leading some kind of ragtag group of bandits at first, waiting to pounce on them when the time was right after taking advantage of them to fight. A foolish thought, she now realized, but one that wasn't completely unfounded. As a woman, she was already wary enough as is of men in this world, and after what just happened she doubted she'd ever trust the word of a man at face value ever again. At least the lizardmen were kind enough to give her and the girls distance when they weren't seeking questions, few as they were. Truthfully, only she was bold enough to bother with them in the first place, mostly for the sake of knowing what kind of mess they found themselves in.

Their group had more women in it than you'd normally expect in a trade caravan. Cherie prided herself on working to the bone in order to be able to allow such a thing, providing equal opportunity for the girls she's roamed along. Or used to, at least. Now, it seems they were on there way towards an uncertain path in the heart of the forest, torn between accompanying the demihumans or striking out on their own to return to the kingdom.

Being put through what they went through last night gave perspective to them on what they'd be willing to do to survive, and the options were weighed fairly easily.

Itria came up next to her as she stared at the bustling horde of lizards and goblins, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"What do you think they're going to do to us?" She spoke low enough as to not be heard, clutching her skinning knife in hand as she stared at the band of creatures moving about.

Cherie considered her words carefully. She didn't manage to etch her own company out by tooth and nail speaking what was on her mind, not fully. But on the same note they still needed to find comfort in her thoughts.

"I think they're going to put us to work," Cherie spoke. "As to how much I couldn't say, but it would be stupid not to. And It's not as though we could say no to a whole lot in our situation"

The caravan's cook grimace, nodding in understanding. "You don't think they're going to…?"

"No, at least I don't believe they will. The lizardmen have been surprisingly… cool, compared to the goblins. They don't seem to have any 'care' about us in that manner. In fact, I believe some of them want us gone rather than with them"

"And the wildman over there is fine?" Itria spoke with a snort, motioning to the frozen man melting his ice off at a nearby fire. "I suppose he's all fine then?"

"That… I don't know," Cherie admitted. "He… seems to have been out here for at least a few months, maybe a year or two. Who knows how long he's been with them, or what he's thinking of?"

"I've counted about five full moons now," A deep and croaky voice answered, spooking them both out of their conversation. "It'll be six come this fall festival with the lizardmen"

The girls whipped around to face the source, to be greeted by none other than the sight of a frog-like demihuman plated in red chitinous armor, a spear in his grip and several more adorning his back.

"A… toadman?" Itria asked, only vaguely familiar with descriptions.

"In the flesh," he spoke to them, giving a bow of his head to the two women. "Todone, son of Kodrotti, and friend to the one you call Nolan"

The toadman's wide grin slowly tapered into something softer and sadder, as much as it could with such a wide mouth. "You know, I'd suggest you simply talk to the man yourself but… he seems to be fighting with his spirits at the moment. I'd be glad to answer any questions you have if you'd like"

The two shared a look, before Cherie spoke up. "His… spirits?"

"Ah, how do I explain this to a human…?" The toadman muttered. "I'm sure you've always had a… something in the back of your head? Something you couldn't hear, but all the same guided your actions? Like how you might struggle about whether or not to steal something, or perhaps spare a stranger in battle?"

"A conscience?" Itria suggested.

"Ah, something like that I suppose. Nolan is… a very good man. He probably saved my life, as a matter of fact. Though I'm still sorry about kicking him in the chest as a response that day"

The toadman smiled wider again, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Ah, it was only a few months ago, and yet it feels like so much longer. My point being, he's done so much, and yet his mind weighs heavy with darkness. I shudder to think what things he has seen in his homeland to be so blind to the good he does for others some days. I know that he's done what many would have considered impossible, and made plenty of friends among us all. If he wants you protected, they'll respect and help honor that wish"

'A human with pull over demihumans, and not because he held a whip? Some sick joke of the Gods this is… no, I guess not. If the Gods were real, they wouldn't have allowed… that to happen to us'

Todone gave a nod, still smiling. "Listen, I need to help rally our camp up, but when we arrive at our destination you're free to ask any questions you need to, alright?"

The girls hesitantly accepted with shakes of their heads, the toadman parting ways from them. As he did so, Cherie had one thought on her head.

'When did my life get to this point?'

When did my life get to this point? Everything was a haze, like trying to peer through fogged goggles. I could see the shapes, the colors, and the lights, but they just didn't add up. They blurred, or felt wrong. I wanted to just… lay down. That was it. No screaming, no crying, no vomiting, it was like my brain just shut down completely. I wanted to hate it, I know I should, but I couldn't even find the energy to do that/

My anger had simmered throughout the past several hours, stewing me in my own thoughts. Just as it felt as though it was going to boil over, and I was going to tear the goblins a new one as last night's thoughts kept racing through my head, I felt empty with the reality of the situation crashing down on me, on what I've done for the past few days. I wanted to hate the sensation, but the whole thing about feeling empty is that you can't really feel much else.

I stared at one of them as they marched, the goblins. A female, carrying a small bundle in her arms as she's held at spear-point. How could something so small and full of joy become so twisted? What even started them down that path in the beginning, millenia ago when their species first formed? Were they even formed actually, or were they simply made in the image and creation of others, like the many myths and legends of home. Is that what starts it? One sick, singular mind to push the rest over?

The little bundle whines, and she coos softly, placing a small chunk of dried meat in its mouth. It chews, teeth poking through the gums already like shards of glass. The sight was strange, scratching at the memories I had of Brendan. He was such a sickly thing when mom first gave birth to him, constantly needing a breathing machine for most of his early years.

Am I really fighting for him? For them? I look around at the group of goblins, grunting and marching, young children crying. Would they be proud of me? What would they think? I could have easily run out when I had the chance, and none of this would have happened. These children would have never been raised to be under heel to someone else. But…

What would they have thought if I ran out on the lizardmen? If I let them starve, or let them be a ripe target for Nazarick? What would happen if I didn't choose to go out and do this? Even if they were pillaging rapists… no, I shouldn't regret that. I saved who I could, those girls are a testament to that. If they were never stopped, they would have continued down this path of destruction. More families torn apart, more people killed. Better to chain the dog than to let it roam free. I… I don't think the boys would have disagreed with that, right? At least not Clay, he'd at least started to understand things as we'd gotten older.

I look back at the child, having gone from a cry to a gentle giggle as its mother played with one finger to keep the baby happy.

They were fighting. Again. Some days it was about money, some days it was about her current boy toy's habit. Today it was about cheating. I knew she did it, I overheard her and her fling in the act one night when I needed to use the restroom, the noises clear from mom's bedroom. Not that I said anything, I knew better than that at this point. I couldn't even give names if I wanted to, she's gone through so many that they tended to blur.

"Sshh, it's okay. It's all okay, nothing's wrong…" I muttered, gently rocking a crying child in the quietest corner of the rundown townhouse, hoping to shield him from the loudest of the cussing and slurs.

Another place we've moved to yet again. At least it was in the same city this time.

I blink back the mist forming in my eyes. There it was, something not empty. Something sad. And yet, it felt right.

I turn and focus my eyes back on the path, careful to avoid contact and keep my hat down in an attempt to minimize the odds of anyone seeing the tears well up as I continue trying to fight them down.

"You alright boss?" I overheard Rose ask softly, nestling up to my side just close enough for us to be able to converse quietly.

I felt… warm. Glad that even if she was synthetic, her worry didn't feel as such. Maybe that was just my overwhelming emotions talking.

"Would they have been proud of me?" I questioned in return, more for my sake than hers. I couldn't even remember just how much of her backstory blended with real life events. "My brothers I mean"

There was a pause, as though she were considering her answers carefully.

"That's a heavy question… do you mean in general?"

"Proud of… what I've been doing. I've only ever really killed fish and game Rose, not people. I- I can't even begin to describe how that keeps racing through my head. I can't even remember the faces of the people I've killed, no matter how much I want to. And I want to. Do you think they'd have been okay with me… killing people? With forcing these goblin's children into a future life of servitude?"

There was more silence as we stepped along on our march, only the sounds of marching and muttering in the crowd.

"... Yeah. I think they would have been," She answered. I turned my eyes to her, unsure if I'd heard right. "Was it an easy choice to make? No. But was it the right one? Yeah, in the long term if you think about it. And I mean, it's not like you've been going out of your way to kill either"

She points over her shoulder at the ogres with a thumb, as if to accentuate a point.

"You could have killed those guys and no one would have thought anything of it, especially considering how much of a danger most of us would have considered them, but you didn't, did you?"

Sobriquet purred and grumbled, seemingly agreeing with her. Though how they came to the same conclusion seemed to differ.

"Oh shut up," She mumbled to the ghost. "He is not that kind of guy"

I cocked a brow at her, and she waved it off. "Eh, don't sweat it boss, just Sobes sending me jabs"

I nod weakly, turning my eyes back to the front. As we marched, I felt there was one thing I needed to leave this conversation with.

"Hey… Rose?"

"Yeah boss?"

"Thanks"

Nolan Potts, Human (Karma: 70 [Neutral]) [22/27 Spell slots used]

Classes: Brawler (6), Ranger (3), Druid (6), Clothier (3), Translucer (1). Total Level (20), Unspent Levels (1).

Spells (Druid): Frostbite, Entangle, Create or Destroy Water, Guidance, Jump, Cure Wounds, Dust Devil, Protect from Poison, Hold Person, Spike Growth, Lesser Restoration, Water Breathing, Darkvision, Sleetstorm, Ice Knife, Lightning Arrow, Torchlight, Slow

Spells (Ranger): Animal Friendship, Speak to Animals, Ensnaring Strike, Conjure Animals

Items of Note: {Humble Beginnings}

Party Members are as follows…

Member One: Todone, Son of Kodrotti, Toadman (Karma: 0 [True Neutral])

Classes: Toadman Warrior (9), Brawler (9), Martial Artist (1), Total Level (19).

Member Two: Yulg (Karma: 50 [Neutral])

Classes: Goblin Marauder (1), Brawler (8), Warrior (4), Cleric (1), Total Level (13)

Member Three: Rose of House Merino, Ewefolk (Karma: 100 (Neutral Good)

Classes: Ewefolk Bard (1), Warrior (12), Ranger (7)

Member Four: Sobriquet, Shade (Karma: -100 [Neutral Evil])

Classes: Shade (10), Assassin (10)

AN: Kinda relieved last chapter was well received, that was a jump out of my comfort zone in terms of what I normally write. Things should be simmering back down for a couple 'months', we'll get some softer stuff in the future. Also, hey, this chapter should be pushing things over the 200k word limit. Golly, can't say I ever saw this coming. Won't really do a review thing this chapter. I saw your guys reviews and I love each and every one of 'em, but there wasn't anything really that I could/would answer. See y'all in a few