The group of lizardmen all eyed each other warily, one never giving the other a break from scrutiny. The chieftains of Red Eye, Small Fang, Green Claw, and Razor Tail all stood in the center, members of their respective groups all circling one another. Additional, curious villagers stood around, watching the meeting taking place at the ceremonial bonfire from afar.

Sukyu, though he was young and brash, knew when a moment called for seriousness, and this was one of those times. He kept his tongue inside consciously, weighing the circumstances as they lay before him. Though they outnumbered the Red Eye tribe three to one, with the upcoming tribal conquests that could occur any day now such a fight would not be well worth the resources. As such, they could not simply conquer them to absorb them with such a looming threat on the horizon. Not without crippling themselves at least.

Kyuku on the other hand meditated differently. Though his wisdom was stunted, it still flickered every now and then like a candle in the smoke. Now was one such time, as he considered how best to speak. Though his thoughts were small, he knew well enough he was mostly here to silently represent his tribe as head, while his fellow tribesmen speak for his thoughts as best as they could. And those thoughts were simple. A united lake meant a harmonious one. To continue to stomp upon each other's tails would only lead to a continuous cycle of hate and pain.

Zarusosa was the most optimistic of the three. Not by much, as he was all too familiar with how renowned Kukri was for his rage. He could keep himself contained if there was a need for it, but that could just as easily overflow in these talks if he no longer saw the need to. As such, the Green Claw chieftain knew he had to keep things in balance at these talks, and hopefully show the old Red Eye the pros and cons of allying versus holding on by your own. Considering how juicy of a target the Red Eye tribe has undoubtedly become with their advancements, that shouldn't be too hard to express.

As for Kukri… he was royally pissed. He didn't show it, but he had nothing but complete anger over the fact that he held no control over the situation. Once again, that damned human created a scenario that put him into a corner. He wasn't blind to the fact that they became an all too tempting target to the other tribes, and it vindicated him in his opinion that the warm blooded nuisance's 'acts of charity' only continued to make him out as the villain of this tale, while he knew the truth. Still, as angry as he was, he knew that he needed to maintain composure. Perhaps there was a way to make the most of this situation, maybe even turn things back onto him.

'The human wants to wipe out the lizardmen with his treachery?' Kukri thought. 'Fine. That doesn't mean that I can't make the most of his actions. Turn them against him, in the long run'

Weighing his options, the Red Eye chieftain nodded.

"The pact talks shall now commence," Kukri spoke with an even tone, his eyes surfing the group of lizardmen before him. Though it was not in his tone of voice, it was clear in his eyes that he felt nothing but contempt for the other lizardmen. "Though the Red Eye have always maintained themselves as self-reliant, it would be unfair to turn you away when you have come this far. Speak even and truthful, and express to me the reasons behind your visit"

Zarusosa was the first, as designated for being the one to come up with the idea of bringing the Red Eyes into the alliance.

"Leader of the Red Eye tribe, we come to you on this day to speak of strengthening bonds. The peoples of the swamp and the lake are surely strong and cunning on their own, but through union we shall prevail as a greater whole. Through word and through deed, by the blood of our fathers and the blood of our sons, we wish to prove to you today the good that will come from unity"

Positive murmurs came from the lizards in the distance, and Zarusosa mentally relaxed at that slightly.

'From the sounds of it, we aren't the only ones that want this to happen. Unfortunately, the elders and the chieftain both are chosen to lead the whole. We could simply subvert them through the majority belief of their clan, but that would leave a sour taste in some mouths. Still, if there are those in the tribe that would agree with as much, maybe Kukri won't be so blind as to ignore that. He always held his tribe first after all'

Still, there was much work to be done to convince him, if his cold and unwavering gaze is to go by.

"You speak of alliance, and yet it is obvious we stand strong on our own as of now. Our kinsmen are well armed and fed, we have new methods and techniques for magic and working. What would you bring of worth to this alliance, should it come to be?"

Additional murmurs, and if it weren't for tradition, Kukri would be smirking.

'Though that human was fattening us up for his sick games, I can still make good use of his tricks. If these three are serious about an alliance, they'll do what they can to match up. Manpower, hidden techniques, even what few resources they can offer. Alliance is all about give and take, after all, and I would be a fool to let it be so one-sided in their favor'

"The Small Fangs are masters of sling and brush. We are capable of scouting, as well as taking down foes from afar. Should the time for war come, we shall fight by your side, and the enemy will never so much as know the glow of your torches. This I promise," Sukyu declares, a claw thumping his chest to accentuate his words.

Whispers come from Kyuku, into the ear of his spokesman. The lizard nods, and straightens his posture. "The Razor Tails may be wise men, but they know that wisdom is not nearly enough to prove one's self. Our kinsmen are skilled in heavy combat, capable of utilizing the bones and hides of our foes as well as wood to create a wall of our warriors. Through this, we will offer to be the first line of defense, and hold strong like a cliffside against the ceaseless tide of our foes"

Zarusosa nods, acknowledging his turn. "The Green Claw do not carry much in the way of skilled warriors or hale scouts, for that has never been our strength. What we do offer you is knowledge and resources. Our hunters are more than capable of bringing in hide, meat, and bone, as well as labor for the sake of supporting and improving the wellbeing of all allied warriors as they rest from battle. As such, we offer to provide you the means to stand stout, rested, and prepared for the storm"

The elders of the Red Eye all held various trains of thought. A couple of them were against it. Despite the human being a danger to their way of life, they couldn't help but weigh the pros and cons of milking the human for more information. Given time, it was likely the Red Eyes could no doubt stand strong amidst the tribes as an apex.

Other elders of the tribe weighed their options for the alliance. Having such an alliance would mean not needing to rely on the human as much, and give them the necessary leverage to finally shoo the damned warm-blood away. After all, by being well equipped and well taken care of, that would render the human's reasoning of wanting to help the tribes moot.

And then there was Osai.

'The battlefield of philosophies is becoming more and more muddled. Kukri probably hasn't realized it, but the human's habit of 'making friends' has led up to this meeting. At first, I'd believed the human to simply be an agent of chaos for the sake of dooming our species. Then, he'd shown patience and wisdom, and held his hand when he could have very well shown his true colors. Seldom is the bigot patient for those of another creed.

Then I'd presumed that perhaps he was fattening us up, but for what reason? Was there some long term goal that would have ultimately ended up with our heads upon stakes and his own pockets lined with that 'gold' humans are so fascinated with? Perhaps it was for the sake of providing something that could eventually end up under the heel of a human master, milking us of everything we had to pay off some unforeseen debt.

But this? Uniting us with other tribes, possibly even all of the remaining lizardman tribes? To what end would it serve to create such a powerful force? We would be all too easily capable of holding off even the Baharuth in these lands, the swamp and forest works far too well toward our people's liking. The human can't possibly be doing any of this out of the kindness of his heart, but on the same note… maybe his greed can still be a good thing for us? And if that greed proves to be beneficial to both parties, then can it even be considered a negative trait?'

Osai thinks back to the words one of his fellows spoke to him, of the human's motives. The human's 'sweetly coated half-truths' as they'd originally put it, were open admissions to helping the lizardmen because he was getting something out of it. Maybe there was a glimmer of honesty in such words, and that gave Osai hope. Hope. A word that scared him as much as it inspired his drive to see this through.

Kukri nodded to these words, his internal fury from earlier simmering down at the prospects. Even the Green Claw provided something of great use to such an alliance. "That which you offer is of sound purpose, and would indeed be welcomed to the Red Eye. Pray tell, what is it you would ask of us instead?"

The three guest chiefs nodded as one. The return in the alliance was already decided before hand, though they were all ready to negotiate upon it if need be.

"What we ask of you is simple. We are aware that of all the tribes, the Red Eye are the only ones to have such mastery over the druidic arts. In times of war, you would provide your skills to support and heal our brethren, for the sake of standing strong against the tides of our enemies. Be our light, and shine unto us your warmth so that we may bask"

Kukri narrowed his eyes.

'That's it? What game are they playing at? There's no way that's all they're going to ask of us. What of our copper and iron, or our magic? Though it is not easily accepted by some, as well as being outright disgusting, what of the insects we… no, the human would provide that. Zarusosa has made his bed with him, he would be privy to those details just as much as I am. And knowing Zarusosa, so too would the allies of the Green Claw tribe. By the Deep… that human is proving to be slippier with each passing moment. Just when I think I've dug my teeth into him, I feel his slime permit him to slip away. I should have considered that he would do such a thing'

Kukri clenches his teeth in his mouth, though thankfully no one has shown to have witnessed it. He felt his anger begin to build up again at the thought of that human's meddling. Slowly, the Red Eye takes a deep breath, easing that anger off.

"Very well. We of the Red Eye tribe would like a moment to meditate and mediate amongst ourselves before coming to a decision," Kukri grunts.

"So be it," Zarusosa speaks, inwardly sighing at an avoided outburst from Kukri.

"Meeting adjourned. We shall continue this at nightfall, after the communal meal".

"Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron boil…" I murmured as I gently stirred my newest concoction.

"What was that?" Crusch asked, looking up from her part of the workstation.

"Er, nothing, don't worry 'bout it," I replied, looking back to the blackish blue mixture, thick like cold syrup. "How's the yeast culture looking on your end?"

"It seems to be following the direction you said it would, though not as quickly as we'd hoped"

I chewed my cheek, considering the reasons. "Try adding a little extra nutrition, and make sure it has plenty of air. Might have to get an air pump situated to oxygenate it more appropriately. And the extracts?"

"Still dripping. It may be some time before we'll have workable amounts, but the steam distilleries are working as intended"

"Beautiful. God I can't wait to get my hands on some actual glass, that'd certainly get this place pushed up a step"

With the power of copper, and a little bit of iron, we'd upgraded our little apothecary's hut into a proper laboratory. Kind of. We had the steam distilleries for extract production and the electro-magnets made possible with magic, but we still needed glass to make some beakers and measuring cups, but we're getting there. Of all the projects in here though, what I was currently working on was arguably the most important. Speaking of, I wafted the ingredients carefully, making sure the smell was just right. I felt satisfied, knowing that this part of the process was almost done.

I was broken out of my musings by a knock on the door frame, and was greeted by the sight of one of our assistants with a pair of strangers. That could wait however, I put the ladle down and waved over to the two, wiping my hands with a cloth.

"Ah, perfect timing! What did Kika think of the latest schematic?" I asked the young lizard boy.

"She made a couple of adjustments and requested me to jot a few additional notes. She believes these changes will be necessary based on the strength of the metal used," The youngster responded, handing me one of the scrolls.

I grabbed the scroll and unraveled it, carefully studying it's contents. "Hmm… less gears means more manpower being put into it, but that also means less moving parts… spider silk for the thread instead? Yeah, that would probably be more useful than the intended material… we shouldn't hold our breath on that though considering that's a seasonal material. Would have to farm spiders… not a bad idea actually, but we don't have a lot of options unless we wanna dig tunnels. Which ain't doable in a swamp, but…"

I rolled it back up and handed it back to the delivery boy. "Tell her I approve of the changes, but to keep material scarcity in mind. Any of the designs using spider silk should be reserved for key positions. Enough of that business though, who're these two? New recruits for our labs?"

The lizardman shakes his head. "These two are the sons of the Green Claw chieftain. He wished for me to bring them here while talks were being made"

I grin at that, extending a hand. "Shit, you're Zaru's kids? Shoulda started with that! Name's Nolan, I handle a lot of the odd jobs around here. Sorry if I'm not always hanging out with you and your old man though, I've got a lot of projects I'm working on and every hand counts"

"It is no problem, sir Nolan," The brown one of the two stated. "I am Zaryusu, and that is my brother Shasuryu. We are here with you until the break in peace talks, and until then we… will…"

Zaryusu trailed off, staring at Crusch. Her hood was down, giving a clear sight of her face. A face of concentration, as she was busy handling a more volatile extract, though I could tell her ears were at least on us. Ah, love at first sight, and young love at that.

"W-who… uh…" He stammered, and his brother barked out a laugh.

"Hah! Speak up brother, lionfish got your tongue?"

Crusch put down her vial, breathing in relief. After ensuring everything was secure she looked up from her work. Her attention now available, she turned to look at the stammering lizardman.

"Er, is something the matter?" The albino girl asked.

"Like… clouds…" He murmured, something which I barely caught.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked.

"Your scales…" The lizardboy half murmured. "T-they're like a pure, fresh white cloud, soaring high in the sky like an angel. Eyes are… like a sunset sun… ah, uh…"

Y'know, I'm not gonna lie, young Zaryusu not having the confidence he did in the main series to woo his woman is fucking hilarious. Also reminds me of my days of attempting to court girls in highschool, before I gave up on that for other pursuits.

The compliment however, seems to have an interesting effect. She seemed flattered, and even blushed at it, but it… wasn't quite as much as you'd expect? I dunno, maybe it was because his words weren't quite as confident.

"O-oh, I see. Ah, I um, I'm grateful for your kind words," She responded sheepishly, blushing and thumping her tail. "Er, my name is Crusch Lulu. I believe you said yours was Zaryusu?"

I smirked, getting an idea. "Crusch, why don't you take a break? Take the newbies out on the village?"

She looked at me with a blink. "Sir?"

I waved her off. "The most important stuff is done, I can handle everything else being worked on. The stuff I'm stirring won't be cooled and ready for at least a couple hours before we can give it a test. You've been working yourself to the bone lately, so I feel like you should take a break, yeah? And besides, this lab's hardly the place to have conversations. I'll catch up with you guys in a bit while I wrap things up, alright?"

The young lizard girl looked like she wanted to protest, but a look from me gave her a defeated sigh. Hah, eat it girlie, go get that bag.

"Very well Nolan. Er, Zaryusu, Shasuryu, if you would come with me?"

As those three left, the young delivery boy almost made to leave with them. Before he could however, I grabbed his shoulder, getting a confused look from him.

"Where do ya think you're going?" I asked. "I ain't done with ya"

His confusion slowly morphed into an expression of fear. "O-oh? What do you need sir?"

"Two things, a pair of hands and some muscle"

"I thought you could 'wrap things up' sir?" The lizard boy stated, trying to back out of what I was about to have him do.

"Yeah, well, I kinda lied. The kid needs a break, and you look like you need to exercise those arms. Besides, this isn't the kinda work I'd put on a young girl like herself if I can help it. You on the other hand are just fine"

The lizard gulped, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and sigh.

"Oh don't be a pansy, it's just a cauldron full of scalding hot fluid. Toss on a pair of mits and help me pour this crap into some molds would ya?"

Nolan Potts, Human (Karma: 70 [Neutral]) [20/24 Spell slots used]

Classes: Brawler (6), Ranger (3), Druid (5), Clothier (3), Translucer (1). Total Level (18).

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

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: -10 [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: Crusch Lulu of the Red Eyes (Karma: 50 [Neutral])

Classes: Awakened Elder Blood Lizardman (1), Druid (6), Spirit Shaman (3), Summoner (1), Scientist (2), Total Level (13)

Accountless Fan: Firstly, appreciated. Secondly, I'm only gonna explain half of that. The karma boost could very well be attributed to Nolan's interference. As for the levels, mmm... for me to know and you to wonder. Thirdly, appreciated. Lastly, Pokemon Wild. Basically like pixelmon, except instead of being a Pokemon mod for Minecraft it's more like a Minecraft mod for Pokemon. Has old Gold/Silver-esque graphics. 7/10 Pretty solid gameplay, but it took me quite a bit to figure out the mechanics.