For the next few weeks, Cassandra spent her days training with the lizardmen. She struggled with their techniques at first, but soon enough she became used to utilising her axe, and proved to be an even more proficient fighter than Lizardman could ever have anticipated. One day, after they had collected food for dinner, Lizardman went up to her and proposed that they might spar together that afternoon.

"Spar? Do… do you think I'm ready?" Cassandra asked, somewhat flustered.

"You're more than ready, my child. It's time to put your skills to the test"

The two of them walked outside, and got into position. The other lizardmen crowded around them in a large circle.

"Ready… go!" Lizardman shouted, and the fight began.

Cassandra began by swiping at Lizardman's chest – he easily blocked her attack, and knocked her to the ground. She quickly got up, and aimed a kick at his shin to open him up for further assault. However, he caught her foot and she fell to the ground.

"You're too impetuous", Lizardman said. "Step back, and plan your moves carefully"

Cassandra did just that, and a few seconds later, the match resumed. Cassandra decided to hit Lizardman's head with her shield – this time she got a clean hit. He swiped at her, but she managed to duck under it and swipe him in retaliation. Cassandra found that defense, rather than offense, was the best strategy – she anticipation Lizardman's moves, and took advantage of her opening to attack. Eventually, Lizardman called off the sparring session.

"I think I have seen enough", Lizardman said. "You have clearly learnt our fighting techniques very well. They shall come in handy in the near future"

The other lizardmen cried in a primitive cheer.

"Great!" Cassandra felt happy once again. "So shall I start teaching you my techniques now?"

"We have no time just yet, my love", Lizardman said.

"No time? What are you talking about? What else are we going to do?"

"The time has almost come"

"The time for what, exactly?"

Lizardman looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Is it not obvious? We have to calculate how we shall take vengeance upon those who have betrayed us!"

Cassandra was shocked, as though everything she had ever known had been revealed to be a lie. "What? We can't do that!"

"Why not? What purpose is there in living if we cannot gain revenge?"

Cassandra suddenly became very agitated. "You know, Aeon", she said, "I thought you were different, but I guess I was wrong. I thought you were a kind-hearted, level-headed sort of person, someone that I'd happily call a friend. But now I see that your emotions have possessed you to the point where you can't see sense. Revenge never solves anything! It only makes us more embittered! And what if it goes wrong?"

"Darling, you clearly don't understand."

"You're right, I clearly don't!"

"All will become clear soon enough…"

"Please". Cassandra's tone had shifted suddenly. "You can't do this! You can't, you can't, you can't! You're the only family I have now! You are the only people I can depend upon! Why would you be prepared to risk your lives and leave me all alone?"

Lizardman beckoned for the others to return to the cave, and once they had done so, he turned to Cassandra once again. "Perhaps hunger is making your mind confused. Come – after some dinner and a good night's sleep, you'll realise that what we plan to accomplish is for the best!"

But whilst the group were eating together, Cassandra's confidence continued to plummet. Eventually, she could not bear it any longer, and quickly ran out of the cave. She thought about everything that had happened to her – this man, who she had thought to be a paragon of compassion and virtue, was little more than a narrow-minded, cold-hearted and jaded spirit. She vomited onto the ground as she thought about everything that was happening. After a couple of minutes, Lizardman came out to comfort her.

"Please, my darling. Don't be so mournful", he said, laying a hand on her shoulder. Cassandra was ominously pale. "We will be fine, as long as we work together"

Cassandra sniffed, and turned to him. "Are you…are you sure?"

"I have never been so sure of anything in my life. We shall gain revenge on those who have done us wrong, and then we can live in peace."

"But why? Why must they do this?"

"My girl, in this world, you have a choice – you can either kill, or you can be killed. If we let these people live, they would not hesitate to annihilate us in an instant. We have to do this for the greater good. Trust me."

As Lizardman gave her words of encouragement about their upcoming siege, Cassandra listened and tried as best as she could to put faith in him. But deep in her heart, she knew that she could never agree with what this creature was telling her. She found herself unable to sleep that night, so she looked upon the lizardmen surrounding her. For weeks she had considered these creatures to be more than just friends, but almost like a true family to her. But now, they seemed as abhorrent as when she had first met Lizardman in his primal, insane, inhuman state. Suddenly, without any conscious thought, she found herself praying. She was not sure what to pray for – she had kept her emotions suppressed most of the time, out of necessity, and it was as though she had almost forgotten how to feel. Perhaps that was why these lizardmen could not be helped – they had lost their capacity for emotions. The air was silent – Cassandra did not gain any response. She was not surprised, but she was saddened nonetheless - this had been her last hope. Now all she could do was wait, and see what happened.

The other lizardmen woke early the next morning. Cassandra was weary from her lack of sleep, but she immediately became alert when she saw the other lizardmen gathering their axes and shields. She did not realise that the attack would be so early. Lizardman came over and handed Cassandra her weapons.

"Aeon… we're leaving now?"

"Of course. The city is several miles away – we must make tracks as quickly as possible"

Indeed, within five minutes, the group were heading off towards the east, into the sunrise, having skipped breakfast. Cassandra was beginning to feel somewhat hungry, but she did not dare to complain. She simply followed these creatures without saying anything, saving her energy, afraid of the future. With each step, Cassandra felt as though another piece of her soul was dying – she could hardly bear it. She wanted to break away, but she knew that there was nowhere else for her to go.

As time went on, her fears were replaced by exhaustion. They marched for hours on end, and yet they appeared to be no closer to civilisation. The other lizardmen had ceased communication – they were all intently focused upon their goal. Finally, on the horizon, Cassandra could see the faint outlines of several tiny huts – they were close to a village.

Once they had arrived at the village, Cassandra could see people tending their cattle and harvesting vegetables, just as she had with the lizardmen for so many weeks. A little girl was playing with stones on the ground, but as soon as she looked up, she could see these creatures staring at her with menacing blood-red eyes. Immediately, she screamed and ran away. Soon enough, everyone else who was outside, men, women and children alike, fled from them. Lizardman raised his axe.

"Charge!" Immediately, the lizardmen rampaged towards the innocent village people. Cassandra watched in horror, and could hardly believe what she was seeing. Left, right and centre, the lizardmen were mercilessly slaughtering these helpless people. Children were sliced into pieces, and men and women brutally attacked until they fell to the floor in agony, their blood culminating into scarlet puddles on the floor. It was not long before every person in the village had been killed. After they had completed their massacre, the lizardmen began to feast on the corpses. The blood gushed, and splattered Cassandra's clothes. She could not stand it any longer – it had been even worse than she had feared. She could not believe that everything had changed so quickly, and so horrifically. The realisation sank in that these lizardmen had been savages from the start – she had simply been blind to their atrocities before now.

She backed away and, unable to control herself, she let out a blood-curdling, ear-splitting scream. All of the lizardmen cringed in agony as Cassandra's voice resonated through the air. Disturbed ravens flew upwards, away from the trees where they had been nesting. Exhausted and totally disillusioned, Cassandra fell to the ground, yet she remained conscious. She lay there for several minutes until the lizardmen picked her up and carried her back to the caves.