Dawn rose and the three lizardmen stirred as the sunstones in their cell activated, bathing them in energizing heat.
Chawsess sighed.
It was time for another horrid day in the lumbermill.
He checked his fingers and saw that they were slowly regenerating. It was actually rather painful, like the growing pains he’d had as a kid but a million times worse. He had no idea how anyone expected him to saw wood properly with an injured hand, though Chawsess doubted that they cared.
When Rodrigo had promised them positions on the wolf guard, his hopes had lifted. But now, of course, he had no expectations. Someone would, indeed, replace Spenser’s dead lackeys, but it likely wouldn’t be three random guards.
Palseks was supposed to be their ace in the hole, but she was nowhere to be found. He hoped to the Gods that someone hadn’t caught her and transformed her into something. Or even worse, that she’d taken one look at Rodrigo’s fancy mansion and decided that she’s rather spend the rest of her life as his maid than as the party’s bard.
The others began to stir, all waking up for the scheduled breakfast.
They were never given enough time to eat it before they were herded to the lumbermill for another 12-hour shift of backbreaking labor. Even the meager gruel that was served at lunch wasn’t enough to fill their empty stomachs.
His stomach growled loudly.
Chawsess patted his scaly abs. At least he didn’t have to worry about getting fat. Maintaining his muscles, on the other hand, was a different story. Soon, poor nutrition would start to take its toll. That would make the hard work even harder. He didn’t want to end up like Roran, feeble and half-regenerated because he didn’t have enough food to fuel his regeneration.
The others stood and waited by the chute, eager for the day’s gruel. Minutes ticked by. Still, no one came. Chawsess looked at his clutchmates uneasily. Were they to be denied food this morning as well?
Then there were screams from outside. But not the kind of hissing screams that Chawsess was used to hearing in the lumbermill. No, these were warmblood screams, and from the clanking noises that accompanied them, it was obvious that something serious was going on outside.
Chawsess look at his clutchmates – they had all come to the same fearful conclusion. And whatever they had been before, now they were slave laborers. None of them knew how to fight, or even hold a weapon. If trouble came in here, there wasn’t anything they would be able to do about it.
Fearful for their own lives, the three lizards did what slaves do best – they packed into a corner, behind a wooden stall, huddling together as they hid their heads in terror.
The doors to the jail slammed open, and something stepped in. Its footsteps were heavy and metallic, *clanking* with each step. Chawsess couldn’t tell what it might be. A man in full plate, perhaps?
Chawsess pressed his head into his clutchmates’ chests and shut his eyes as tight as he could. There was the sound of doors being pried off their hinges, followed by screams and the sound of limp bodies being dragged across the ground.
And then, there was simply silence.
Chawsess wondered what had just happened. Their cell had no windows, so it wasn’t like he could peek out and check on the town. And he didn’t want to risk peeking his head over the stall to check through the still-open doors of the jail. The intruder might still be there, watching for sound or movement.
A few minutes later, his paranoia was justified when someone moved in their stall and the metallic clanking started again. He heard a scream and then that person, too, was dragged away.
They waited in tense silence for something to rip their door open and drag them away.
Then there was a scrape and the sound of a key entering the lock on the door. This was it – whatever had come for this village had now come for them. With nowhere left to hide, Chawsess pulled away from his hatchmates, puffing his body up as best as he could and letting out a threatening hiss.
The door slowly opened. Chawsess felt his muscles tense up in anticipation. And then-
“Palseks!” Chawsess sagged in relief.
Standing in the doorway, the little red-scaled kobold was looking at them with some interest.
“You quite handsome with scales, Charlie.” Palseks said.
Chawsess didn’t know if she was joking.
“We…” Chawsess cleared his throat. “still lizard.”
“Yes. You very handsome,” Palseks patted a scaly arm. “It wear off. Temporary potion in food.”
“Thanksss?” Chawsess… Charlie rolled his eyes.
“Come, follow me. Bad things gone now.” Palseks said.
The three lizardmen staggered to their clawed feet and stumbled out of the jail.