Thwack!

Todone huffed with satisfaction, having slung down the lizardman in this bout with ease. With a twirl, he stamped his bamboo pole down and struck a pose.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" The toadman taunted. "I'm barely breaking a sweat now!"

The lizardman could do nothing but groan as he stood up. He stared at the toadman carefully and tiredly, seemingly weighing whether or not his pride was worth the beating. It seems as though a sense of self-care peered through, and the lizardman took to walking off and away from the sparring circle. Todone sighed, shaking his head. He stepped out of the ring himself, realizing he had nothing worth doing.

"Match set, Todone wins!"

On one end, he was becoming apparently stronger than even the average lizardman. Certainly, there were differences in terms of experience and skill as some of these lizardmen were career warriors, but regardless of that Todone usually came out on top. It disappointed him, if he was being honest. Maybe he would get a challenge when he returned to his tribe, there were plenty among them that grew strong from facing the beasts of the lake.

As the toadman stretched back to ease his muscles, a trick the human taught him, the goblin Yulg stepped into the ring. He twirled a pole of his own with determination, before holding himself in a stance.

'I'm still impressed that he can hold his own against the lizardmen' Todone thought. 'Even if it's just barely. Laudable, for a goblin'

Another lizardman stepped into the ring, this one wielding a cocksure look alongside his own bamboo pole. There were no words spoken between the two, this was a song and dance routine the sparring group was growing accustomed to with the goblin. He seldom spoke aside from absolute necessity, and banter held no affect toward him

'His stance could improve, but aside from that he at least knows the right steps. I'm not sure whether to chalk that up to the human once again, or if the goblin is quick to learn. Steady breathing, proper grip, and he's keeping his eyes equally prioritized on the opponent while still keeping the weapon in his sight if the subtle darts are anything to go by.'

"Match… begin!" The referee called, the sparring match signaled by the clack of bamboo in the starting swipe.

'The lizardman in the bout is confident, enough so that he's already lax around Yulg. That was his first mistake'.

Though the goblin lacked somewhat in strength, he more than made up for it with his dexterity. The initial clack of bamboo poles wasn't even for the sake of marking the first strike on one another; however, that much was obvious. No, it was to decide the flow of the battle. Who would be on the offense, and who would be on the defense.

The goblin used his size as leverage, weaving his pole to slide the offending stick overhead as he closed the distance and prepared to strike with the other end of the pole on a twirl. The lizardman attempted to make a sweep with his tail, a painful trick Todone was all too familiar with. Yulg was just as familiar as well, enacting a trick of his own that would have been impossible were it not for his weight and size.

In the blink of an eye, he jumped up and spun the bamboo onto the lizards pole, catching it on the topside and pulling himself up like a monkey swinging from a branch. Light weight or no, that requires some dedicated core strength on the goblin's part as Nolan would put it.

"What the-" The lizardman stuttered, attempting to retaliate with an open claw. This was met by an immediate thwack to the hand and a twirl up that shut the lizard's jaw with another loud crack.

He fell back dazed and attempted to swing back at the goblin, but the green cleric deflected mid-air, using the momentum once again to bring himself down and crack the lizardman in the leg. This was followed by the lizardman tipping over, and the goblin using his staff like a lever, carrying the poor soul's momentum overhead and throwing him to the ground with an 'oof' and a thud.

'Mmm, a risky technique. Still, he's just as dangerous outside of his armor as he is in it it seems. One would think that a 'tank' normally isn't so well suited for speed, but his tenacity shows'

It genuinely surprised and confused Todone. Any other goblin would be hard pressed to be so well suited for combat in such a direct manner. But, if there was any such person that took their training more seriously than himself, it was Yulg. The young toadman would even go so far as to say his training was borderline fanatical. Everyone morning and night was spent training if he wasn't eating and sleeping, and he even saw him almost… meditating? That wasn't quite what it was, but Todone had no frame of reference for it.

"Point, Yulg!" The referee called, waving a hand to the goblin while another lizardman marked down on a board of wood with charcoal.

"Nngh, slippery little runt," The lizardman moaned, standing back up and forming a more guarded stance. Both the goblin and his opponent sent a nod to the referee

"Round two, begin!"

The both of them were slower to start immediately, cautiously moving around one another within the ring's limits. As the two eyed one another for openings, Todone heard the voice of Crusch from the side.

"And this is our sparring area. Here our warriors train and test their fighting styles against one another"

Todone adjusted his gaze, and was greeted by the sight of the albino with two unfamiliar lizardmen at her side.

"I see…" The brown one of the pair murmured, glancing at the fight between the two in the ring. Though it was obvious his attention was more focused on Crusch, something that made the toad chuckle internally.

"If I may be bold in my question, why is there a goblin here of all places?" The green one asked, his eyes glancing up at Todone as he moved in to join the conversation. "Or… others for that matter?"

Todone bit his long tongue at that. He thought carefully about the situation, as well as the their response.

'These lizardmen are clearly new here, they aren't fully up to date on mine and Yulg's situation. Nolan wouldn't let such a hiccup stop him from befriending others, and neither should I''

"Ah, Todone!" Crusch exclaimed. "It's good to see you!"

"Likewise. Who are these two?" The toad queried.

"Er, right, these two are the sons of Zarusosa. Zaryusu, Shasuryu, this is Todone. I understand if you have any… resentment towards him, but please know that at the very least he is not our enemy"

"I see," Shasuryu murmured thoughtfully. "Then I suppose I should be grateful to meet a toadman that is… cordial"

"Likewise. I'm always grateful to meet lizardmen willing to put grievances aside"

The toad and the lizard shook hands, firmly testing one another's strength. Though there was hardly anything said, those two sentences were all they needed to know about one another. Shasuryu was resigned and eyeing the toadman carefully, obviously mulling over his words. For whatever reason, Todone couldn't say, but at least Zaryusu was more willing to speak his mind.

"I'm sure there must be a reason why you're here and not at the lake," He spoke with a trace of venom on his tongue.

"A chance of fate, mostly. I have your father to thank for me still having my head actually. I owe him a great deal," Todone attempted to placate, trying to appease to his family. If there was one thing that Todone had learned about the lizardmen, it's that when compared to most other demihumans of Tob, they were more family oriented than others.

This seemed to work, at least to a degree. The lizardman seemed more confused to a great deal, and it probably made sense in the young lizard's eyes. Neither species was all to kind to one another, so hearing one admit to the other that they owed a debt was practically unheard of. Any degree of remotely neutral, let alone cordial behavior was unusual between the two.

"Er, okay" Was all that Zaryusu could say.

The lizard didn't have as much of a way with words as his brother, he was loath to admit. As such, awkward silence stretched between the two, before a loud thwack resounded from the arena to catch their attention.

"Point, Yulg!" The referee sounded, getting polite applause from the crowd. Though that was all he was getting, internally Todone was much prouder of the goblin.

'What is it about the human that seems to make those close to him prosper? I wonder…'

It was a thought that Todone had been entertaining for some time now. The tribe as a whole had gone nowhere but up since Nolan's appearance, and seemingly endless patience for any slights thrown his way. Though it was seldom to his face as the lizardmen were grateful to the changes he'd brought, there were clearly others that didn't have as much respect for him, and even Todone would be blind to not see it. He doubted the human wasn't aware either, something that made his actions of kindness all the more inspiring.

As the crowd muttered at the goblin's success, Todone got an idea. Something that would be bound to close the gap between himself and the young lizard. "Say, Zaryusu, would you perhaps be interested in sparring with me?"

The lizardman looked back at the toadman, a brief mixture of perplexment and uncertainty, before being painted with a coat of bravado. "Hmph, are you certain? The only reason your tribes even won was because you relied on cheap ambush tactics. Are you sure you can handle something in a fair fight?"

'I probably would have sounded similar if it weren't for old Zarusosa and Nolan throwing my preconceptions out to the leeches, even if I agree with him to a lesser extent on our use of ambushes. Still, he could certainly stand a moment of humility himself'

Crusch couldn't help but smile sheepishly at the young lizardman's antics. She herself was already a witness to Todone's occasional bouts, so she already knew of the toadman's favor. And she could tell they were probably not in the boy's favor.

"I believe you should save the boasting for after our bout. Er, Rekushio!" Todone called out, catching the referee's attention. "Would you be so kind as to oversee a match between myself and Zaryusu here? It seems as though he's itching for a fight with myself"

The older lizard chuckled, shaking his head. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt, I'd like to see just what the Striking Salamander's son could do against you"

That made the four of the teens pause. Todone was the first to speak up. "Hold on… did… did you say 'Striking Salamander'? As in the same lizardman that could pierce through the lake fog and strike a toadman's heart over a hundred stone throws away? That… that Striking Salamander?"

It seems as though the two brothers weren't aware of that information themselves, and were left scratching their heads. Meanwhile, the referee couldn't help but blink. "Wait… you didn't know…?"

"He never exactly talked about anything like that. I- I mean, we knew our father was good with a bow, but…" Shasuryu began, but his train of thought trailed off.

"Wait, wouldn't that mean their father is… around sixty summers old?" Crusch spoke aloud, and the math added up.

"I think it was more around seventy, actually," Rekushio noted, seemingly unsure of how to proceed. "I know this is probably a lot to take in, but your father used to be quite the sniper. He put his bow up for glory hunts when he met your mother, but… ah, I shouldn't be talking about this. It's up to your father to talk about these things, not me"

The referee clapped his hands, calling out to the crowd before the four younglings could speak out. "Alright, listen up! We have a new challenger here to hopefully knock this toadman down a peg! Will he make his victory, or will he be another tally under the warty bastard's belt?!"

Todone internally chuckled. He knew the referee well enough to know he didn't actually mean anything by it, he was one of the few lizards that respected strength regardless of where it came from. He was certainly rousing this fight up better than the performance between Yulg and the other lizardman.

"This match is between Zaryusu of the Greenclaws and Todone, son of Kodrotti! The best victor two out of three wins! Are the challengers set and ready?!"

Todone stepped onto his part of the ring, breathing deeply as he stretched, relaxing his muscles for this fight. "I stand ready".

The young lizard, Zaryusu, seemed to be far more focused on the fight now. It seems as though the mention of Todone's prowess was something he took seriously. "I am ready"

'Good. He may be brash and confident, but at least he knows when to take something seriously. Better than can be said about some of the other warriors of this tribe'

"Good… begin!"

Instantly, the two met each other near the center, clashing with spears and instantly getting into the fight. Both were quick and aggressive, neither one willing to give the other a moment's breath.

'He's surprisingly fast, and he can read my moves fairly well. That's a good start. Let's see if he can think on the fly'

Just as Todone made a feint strike, he ducked and attempted to sweep his legs. The lizardman surprised him by leaning back on his tail before delivering a powerful kick in the chest. It didn't match the kicking strength of his kinsmen, but it was by far one of the more painful ones he's received. He was sent sliding back in the dirt, and had no time to catch his breath as the lizardman immediately pushed the advantage. The toadman brought his staff up and blocked the next strike, pushing through his breathlessness to hold his own.

'He's not quite as strong or fast as me, but he's making up for it with skill. No doubt he gets plenty of practice'

With a yell, Todone ducks under another strike and lands a blow in the Zaryusu's chest, before hoisting him up and throwing him out of the ring much to his dismay.

"Point, Todone!" The referee called out.

His opponent grunted, standing up and stepping back into the ring. No words were spoken, but a look from the lizardman made him feel something he hadn't felt in a second. Apprehension. Before the referee could say anything, the lizard broke his staff in two, wielding the two pieces of bamboo like swords. The referee clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"You will help replace that later boy," Rekushio stated.

"Understood," He replied simply, more focused on Todone.

For the first time in a while, the toadman felt hopeful that someone here was going to put up a fight.

"Round two… Begin!"

The pace changed. Where once Zaryusu was aggressive and to the point, now he flowed like water, swinging the both of his practice 'swords' as though they were nothing more than extensions of himself. He almost fought like an actual toadman.

Forget hopefull, Todone was excited.

Todone made a twirl with his staff, forcing the lizardman to weave backwards, and the toadman flourished, moving like an exotice dancer before coming into a spearman's stance. His specialty. Todone couldn't help but think back to a conversation he and the human had once about a situation like this.

The toadman was admittedly curious about the human's insight. It wasn't long after one of the few sparring sessions he could afford these days, as Nolan was usually busy trying to improve the quality of life in the tribe as best as he could. And despite all that, he still made the time to come to these matches, however few they were.

It didn't help that Marscha was watching over the human like a hawk, even if indirectly, after his proven habit of getting hurt even off of the battlefield.

"Aaaagh, shit," The human groaned. "Say what you will, that reach of yours with the spear is fucked"

The toadman bristled with pride, but before he could say anything the human continued. "I'll tell ya, if I was thicker built I'd probably be able to hold you off a little better"

Todone was curious. The human seldom spoke with a lack of wisdom, so he wanted to know why the human saw it that way. "How do you figure, Nolan?"

The human took a swig of water and sighed, shaking his head. "Don't get me wrong, it isn't guaranteed, but there's a certain… eh, let's call it a 'pecking order' between weapons and the ones that wield them. I know I've already explained the rough difference between mages versus rogues versus warriors, and in much the same way those three groups both compliment and offend against each other, they aren't the only ones that those comparisons could be made. Same goes for the very weapons they wield. Bow versus crossbow, firebolt versus ice knife, and in the case of weapons spear versus sword. There's more to it than that, as always, and sometimes skill can really close the gap"

There was a moment of silence, before the human opted to continue. "With martial weapons and combat, it usually boils down to four groups. Unarmed, sword, spear, and hammer. Now that's a gross simplification, but that's what it roughly boils down to. Spears tend to work well moving around and running circles around sword wielders due to range as well as how difficult it is to properly parry a spear thrust. Hammers and their wielders, on the other hand, usually don't care about needing to parry like a sword does. Most of their wielders are more defense based, often covered in heavy duty armor that would easily make any spear glance off of their plates. As a result, they seldom need to care about things like parrying or dexterity when being a fuckin' meat wall is their specialty.

And then there's swords. Swords, though they certainly can't hold well against the spear, are capable of handling the hammers. Whereas the spear is built for fighting your enemies at a distance and doing so with plenty of control over your weapon, the sword can afford to be far more flexible and direct, bringing themselves much closer to the enemy. Allowing them to move around the lumbering movement of a hammer wielder and hit them in spots a spear wielder couldn't usually go against"

"I… see…" Todone mumbled. It made sense, truthfully. There was something nagging about this conversation, something he wanted to bring up. "You mentioned that sometimes skill can help one push through, narrow the gap. Is there more to it than that?"

The human chuckled at that…

Todone was keeping the swordsman on his toes, but loath as he was to admit it, Zaryusu had good reason to feel proud of himself as well as his skill. He danced and weaved, never truly focusing or caring about trying to direct his opponent's weapon and more focused on simply nudging it with deflects and glances. It seemed as though the toadman finally found an opponent his age that could put up a fight against him.

Not that he planned on letting him win just because of that, mind you.

With a sweep and a jab, Todone though he had the boy… up until he noticed the sharp pain in his stomach followed by getting swept up by a tail and pinned, 'swords' against his vulnerable throat.

"Point, Zaryusu!"

As he recollected himself and waved away the stars with his hands, he realized that despite the situation, Zaryusu had managed to score a point on him. He stumbled up, grunting through the pain, and grinned. The lizardman fumbled in his quiet pride for a brief moment at the sight of a grinning toadman. There was one thing that stuck through in his memories with the human, after that conversation.

"Yeah, there's more to it than that. There always is. However, when you find yourself facing an opponent that seems to have the skill to face you regardless of what weapon you carry, there's one means of combat that in my opinion easily pushes things down to a more level field regardless of what your opponent has"

The large, almost unnatural grin felt vaguely unsettling to the toadman for some reason, but he couldn't quite place why. Whatever the case, he certainly seemed passionate about it.

"Unarmed combat"

"That… doesn't make any sense, coming from a human. Many demihumans and heteromorphs have natural weapons that would make such a choice feasible for them, so why do you find it so useful?"

"For several reasons. Unarmed combat is the very point of using your body as a weapon, and no amount of training with a weapon would make one understand their weapon as though one would understand their arms and legs. Of course, actually properly training in the arts of hand to hand would certainly help. Humans are just as capable of turning their hands and feet into tools of death just as much. Grapples, pressure points, and throws are a human's natural weapons when it comes to unarmed combat"

"And what does this have to with the other three weapons?" Todone asked, unsure of where this was going.

"Everything," Nolan spoke with certainty. He looked up to the referee, and called for him. "Ah, excuse me, when you get the chance would you be willing to let Todone and myself fight again so soon? I have a few things I wish to teach him in the ring"

Rekushio looked at them, giving them a nod, before continuing to pay attention to the current bout.

"Tell me," The human began. "I've seen you fight hand to hand before, so I'm a little surprised you don't quite see it, but how many methods can you think of to get around any of the three weapons groups with your hands alone?"

"Several, but some of them are high risk…"

His grin widened even further. "And just as much high reward. That's part of the thrill. Swords can't beat hands when it comes to grappling spears, spears will find themselves struggling against someone that's effectively grappled the haft, and though hammers may be tricky, the thing about hammer wielders is the fact that they're topheavy. Sweep them off of their legs and…"

The human clicked his tongue, making a waving motion with his hand.

"But nevermind that, it has more uses than leveling the playing field. If you were in a bout and threw your spear to the ground, when facing someone with honor and integrity on the line, how do you think they would respond?"

"They would… respond in kind," Todone answered, a spark of understanding coming to him

The human's unusual grin settled, coming back down to the softer and wise smile Todone had grown accustomed to. "Now you're cooking with gas".

The crowd was riled up, and for good reason. Someone around the same age as Todone had managed to push past the practical bulwark that was his reach and skill with a spear. It seems as though the toadman was finally meeting his match.

"Are the challengers ready for round three?" Rekushio asked.

Todone didn't respond, staring at Zaryusu straight into his eyes. Slowly, and methodically, he extended his staff out without breaking eye contact, and dropped it to the ground. The group was silent, no one sure of how to take what that meant. Zaryusu understood though. He extended his sticks outward and dropped them, getting into a hand-to-hand stance.

'Looks like I was right, he was going to take the bait. I'm going to have to thank Nolan for that some time in the future'

"I stand ready," Todone spoke out simply, taking up the 'Boxer' stance that Nolan taught him.

"As do I," The lizardman responded.

"Very well then… begin!"

Unlike the first two rounds, neither one was willing to strike aggressively and immediately. Though the average person wouldn't be able to see it at first glance, there was much more at stake in this simple fight. Pride. Honor. And most of all… was that a glance? Todone looked between the lizard, and the glance he directed at Crusch, and suddenly his absolute ferocity in battle made sense, why he was taking Todone seriously from the start.

'Seems as though the boy wants to make a great first impression. Adorable'

It was no doubt an acceptable and honorable tactic, to prove your strength to a female of your interest. Strength was a part of the demihuman way. Though the definition of that strength varied from tribe to tribe, it was accepted as a universal truth for the most part. Though his father and mother both were… unorthodox when they formed their relationship, it still ultimately stood on the bonds and understanding of such a concept. Even if his mother was the more skilled warrior of the two.

Woosh!

Todone cursed himself, for getting distracted in thought. He narrowly dodged a blow from the lizardman, glancing it away with his arm on the underside of his opponent's own limb. Lizardman scales were rough and dangerous depending on the individual, something that would easily scrape the toadman's own softer skin if he didn't play his cards right. Which shouldn't be too difficult.

Thump!

Todone landed a balled fist on the underbelly of the lizardman, firmly below the spot the human called the 'sternum'. It seemed to have the effect that the human said it would, easily knocking the wind out of the lizard. Todone followed up with more blows. One strike with the left, another jab with the left, a third, and just as the lizardman reached up to deflect, a fourth one came up. But this one wasn't another blow, it was a feint.

'Right hook'

The blow came from the side, nailing the lizardman in his jaw. Though the scales scraped his knuckles, it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. The lizardman swept with his tail, forcing the toadman to move back on the offensive. Duck, dodge, dip, dive, and dodge. That was what the human told him, before beating himself down thoroughly.

The human huffed, holding a hand down to the toadman. The human had never beat Todone like this so thoroughly before today.

"Say… what you will when facing me with a big stick," He rasped out, picking the toad up and dusting him off after claiming the victory this match. "But when it comes to hand to hand, I know my shit. Heh, I blame my aunt Myra for making me take boxing and martial arts classes"

He chuckled low and proud, patting the teen toad on the shoulder. "C'mon, a nice refreshing cup of tea oughta be the perfect thing after this. I'll show you some more pointers in a more relaxed environment, make ya take a look at where ya messed up, alright?"

'That was why everyone grew around him! He didn't hold his secrets, he didn't look down on others. He acted almost like an uncle, or a father figure even. Always willing to sit down, talk, and explain things in a way that the other party would get, and built them up to succeed and grow!'

With a final weave, Todone avoided another claw strike and grabbed the forearm. He then planted his foot on Zaryusu's, and twisted, pulling the yelping lizard over shoulder and with a heavy thud, landing him on the ground. Before he could react, Todone planted another foot on his collar, pinning him as he pulled and faintly twisted his arm.

"Yield," Todone spoke simply.

The lizardman grunted, seemingly weighing his options. A brief tug on the arm made him yell.

"I yield!" He shouted in pain.

"Point Todone! We have a winner!"

The crowd both cheered and groaned, clearly excited to see if Todone finally met his match while some of the younger ones were disappointed that someone their age hadn't beat him yet. Meanwhile, the toadman sighed, releasing the lizard from his grip. He bent down, extending an arm to pick him back up. Zaryusu looked at the extended hand cautiously, uncertain.

"What… are you doing?" He asked.

"It's common sense to help someone back up once you've knocked them down, no? You put up a good fight, and I respect that"

The lizard looked between the extended hand, the crowd, and Crusch. It was only a brief dart, but even he could read the situation. He sighed, and allowed himself to be helped up by the toadman.

"Alright, but you have to show me how you learned to fight like that!" He shouted, any negative feelings towards the toadman not necessarily gone, but directed towards mutual respect and rivalry.

Under normal circumstances, one wouldn't expect to get information out of a rival tribe when it came to anything, especially combat and tactics. But Todone merely chuckled, patting Zaryusu on the shoulders.

"Gladly," He said, much to the surprise of the lizardman. After all, he wouldn't want to scorn his teacher's philosophy that all should be able to access knowledge.

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)

AN: Hear ye, hear ye, I have returned ye beautiful creatures, those whose presence humbles my very existence. Sorry 'bout that y'all, got hit with the big sad for some personal reasons I wouldn't wanna go spitting out on some website, but yeah. Kinda messes with my creative process, so I was struggling for a while on what would make for a good next chapter whenever I wasn't marathon reading the backlog of fiction's I'd favorited over the years. I appreciate all the reviews y'all sent me in the mean time, and I appreciate both the feedback and even a small spattering of critique I noticed that brought up some good points. So lets get to the reviews;

samuelcaldeira76: Appreciate that ya love it, and I'm sorry it is a bit late for the frequent updates I did before hand

LoudOpinions: Yup, it's absolutely disgusting that there's a good person in the new world. Be a real shame if something happened to change that...

Anon (Guest): Hatred and anger is not necessarily a rational response. Kukri is by far not exactly rational, but for good reason. But at the very least, he does have his sources and fonts for obtaining information from the human.

Apostle-Of-Darkness: Who knows how it'll turn out? I do, you don't, nana-nana-boo-boo

Those are the ones I could find in my emails, sorry if I missed someone. Anyways, I'll see y'all around, should expect something again soon.