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Entry 2 The Journal of Kai Aynsthil {Final}
31st day of Midsomner, 166A.S.
...Now we are into the third day of our adventure, the road ahead takes us through the village of a beast-race known as the Wulgrenn-Ra. The large, canid creatures are not known for trusting outsiders and they defend their borders ferociously, but they do not stray far from home and it would seem the Lassaryan Kingdom tolerates their presence as a deterrence to foreign armies wishing to invade. We will have to make our way through a literal den of beasts in order to continue with our journey, which is 'par for the course' these days.
New revelations still seem to plague my every move, as it so happens. Not long after we left Old Town, we sat for lunch and began to eat, one could be forgiven for assuming such a mundane task would be relaxing and, even, pleasant. Not so, apparently. I bit my tongue more times than I care to remember, such an thin and awkward thing it is, and threw up anything I'd managed to shove down my gullet. It would seem Skaldrings can't eat briny things and they're equally poor at digesting cultured dairy which is an experience not worth revisiting in these pages.
I probably would have starved if it weren't for Jin coming back to the camp with a hare he had poached from the nearby brush. Despite myself, we shared it raw. It's something I'm not sure I want to get used to, hunting and eating like an animal, but it seems like a reality that I need to accept for the time being until I can find a way to change back into who I really am. I can't accept that I'll never be the same again, so let's be on our way.
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You put your leather-bound journal back with the rest of your gear. It's a lot heavier than you remember and writing isn't what it used to be either. As it turns out, having four stubby digits that end in claws isn't conducive to good penmanship. You shake the cramps out of your claws and rejoin your companions.
Jin is walking ahead of you, a spear comprised of a knife - one of Allyn's holdouts - lashed to a sturdy branch in his hand. Despite his poor kit, Jin marches with purpose like a soldier. He always seems eager to follow your every instruction, Allyn, however does not seem to command as much influence. No matter what task your friend gives to your new, scaly compatriot, Jin will always confirm his orders with you. It had become unreasonably annoying, so much so, that you told the little lizard that Allyn now speaks with your authority. You used as many words when you said it, too.
Mildly curious of Jin's devout loyalty, you decide to ask him directly, "So, Kro-Jin..." You get the Skald's attention as you walk up beside Allyn.
"Yess, Mistress Kai?" Acknowledges Jin as he keeps his eyes trained on the road ahead. You bristle a little.
"Don't call me that. I've told you, my name is Kai, that's it, that's all..." It's been weird enough dealing with the most outrageous facets of your transformation and relearning how perform the most basic functions needed to survive, so you don't need Jin reminding you of what you've become. I'm a human in a lizard's body, you think to yourself, your head starts to spin a little as reality starts to catch up with you, I'm a man in a lizard-woman's body. You shudder a little as you try to shake off a sinking feeling in your heart. You need to focus on something else.
You snap out of your reverie as Jin apologizes for his misstep, "Ssorry mis- ah... Kai. I do ass you ssay, but I am not accusstom to informality with the lady-" You cut him off.
"Stop! I'm no lady, so don't treat me like one. Just..." You sigh in exasperation, "Treat me as if I was just another warrior in the.. uh, entourage and we're on this mission for someone important. Can you do that?" You just want to get off this topic as soon as possible.
Jin glances at you with a curious look, "Why would ssuch pretty-sscale not want to be treated like one? You could have large entourage with many conssortss and perssonal warriors. Be happy with lots of eggss and large brood, maybe even be an All-Mother!" Jin gets an excited glint in his eye at that last part. Despite yourself, you decide to ask about it, hoping to change the conversation to anything that isn't you.
"What's an... All-Mother?" You don't really know anything about Skaldring society and if getting Jin to talk about that will stop him from talking about you, then so be it. Jin turns to you, his jaw dropped so low you swear it must have hit the ground.
"I thought I wass the one with amness...amnesian... the lost-thought! How could you not know about All-Mother? Even if you were reared outside of the larger Nest-Families, you would at least know of or have your own All-Mother! How did you survive without one's guidance?" He looks at you perplexed and a little astounded by your bold ignorance. Maybe you should have told him about your transformation, but...
"I-" Quickly deciding to stay with your lie, you shoot a desperate glance over to Allyn to help back you up, "I... wasn't raised by other Skaldrings...I, uh, was... raised by... humans." You quickly tell the sort-of truth. You were in fact raised by humans, but you, too, were a human. Jin's eyes go wide as if you had just told him that you were actually a two-headed augor with tits.
"How...? Who- What? I... how could it happen? There iss no Nest-Mother that would abandon her Egg-Daughter!" The dramatic Skald seems to be beside himself with confusion. Apparently this kind of thing just doesn't happen in Skald society. You try to come up with a convincing cover story.
"Well... I don't remember much..." Good start, "But what I was told by my adoptive family..." Convincing level of deniability: achieved, "That I was... found..." Uh oh, need back up... You nudge Allyn to jump in.
"Yeah, it's a bit hard for Kai to continue, it was pretty tragic..." Allyn starts, you try to make yourself look too distraught to continue, "...You see, a group of Skaldrings got caught up in the middle of a human conflict. They were pinned by two large armies... Near my father's land actually..." He stumbles a little, but presses on, "Magics and arrows were flung at both sides and landed with little discrimination on the land between them. At the end of the day, one army was driven off and the other left us farmers with the dirty work of cleaning up their mess. My father found Kai among the debris, lost and afraid. He decided to bring the little lizard home and we've been friends ever since!" He wraps up quickly, running out of ideas. You nod your thanks to Allyn.
The story wasn't much, but Jin looks like he is about to cry, "Oh... No! Iss too tragic! Too terrible! Why do humans kill sso- sso without thought?" You've had time to ponder that question yourself, but now is not the time for philosophy. "And a human Egg-Brother, oh!"
"Well, humans aren't the only ones to war so indiscriminately... As I've learned." You try to keep things in perspective for the little guy, you wonder if there isn't war between Skald tribes?
Jin nods solemnly, "You musst be quite learned, yess? You learn human things, not Sskald thingss. You sspeak like human, but you know not of our languagess?" You cock your head at the other.
"I didn't know you- we had other languages..." Who'd have thought a race that has problems using their mouths to form human speech would have their own language?
Jin looks at you with... Pity? "You are so removed from uss... Are you ssure you remember nothing?" You shake your head in the negative. "Well... If you want, I could show you some things. It's usually the place of Nest-Mothers to do so, but I remember the bassicss from my whelp dayss." The Skald tentatively offers. You don't know what to say...
"Maaybe...?" You guess you could stand to learn a few things from your reptilian compadre. Jin nods at your answer.
"We can learn new things from each other, too. I learn human things, you learn Skald things..." Something else seems to be on Jin's mind as well, but you decide to ignore it. You can see the Wulgrenn village appearing in the distance, it seems you've made your destination. About time, too, you're just about ready for lunch and you suspect something is going on in the village if the large bonfires are anything to go by. You should have run into patrols by now, though, the territorial beasts have them everywhere, where are they...?