“I wouwdn’t go that faw out into those mountains if I wewe ‘ou, it said those mountains hab see-pwaces. Wike somethin’ am awways watchin’ 'ou when am dewe…”
[A quote from a concerned friend in Nickel City, trying to stop his buddy from going out and mapping the southeastern mountains]
Those soldiers riding there raccoons down into the monsters looked nothing like anything I had ever soon before. There main bodies were long but slim, there necks faced slightly sway from there bodies and were long, and even though they were all wearing full body armor I could notice that when it come to there helmets they had long snouts and long ears, and at there bodies they all had wings that looked large as well. Who were these people? Everyone around me looked like they were thinking of the same question and as we thought we were interrupted by Edwin, with him speaking in a slightly harsh tone.
“C’mon what am ebewyone waitin’ fo’! Dey nee’ ouw assistance!”
Not waiting any longer we raised our weapons and began charging at the monsters, and as we started getting there I noticed several things.
Firstly was our surroundings, all around us stood war camps and wagons but also several things I had never seen before. Like how there were dozens of these large wooden wheeled structures, with them having what looked like a large spoon attached and some of them being pointed up and having large rocks. As we got closer and closer we started to hear the first of the Calvary attacking the monsters, I could hear the clashes of metal and the sounds of both monster, soldier and racoon screaming. Now at the monsters the first of us started attacking there defensive positions, with the ones in the front attacking with all there might, trying to break the monster’s defense. this went on for several minutes, with us barely making any progress and us all feeling exhausted. Ix speaks as we pull out wounded soldiers.
“Ugh c’mon! These things don’t know when to give up!”
We were just about to pull out another soldiers when I heard the sound of a roar as I looked up and saw a monster with a mace raised right at me. But just then as I was about to desperately try and dodge, I heard the sound of something in the air and less than a second later I saw that same monster with a arrow plunged right in his neck. Actually I could see dozens of arrows hitting these monsters, with them all coming from the south east. Less than 10 seconds after the first arrows started hitting the monsters, I heard one of them speak words that filled me with pure relief.
“RETREAT!”
We had done it now, we had won… But at what cost?
Soon after those words were spoken, a massive amount of the monster’s started running as fast as they could. With a good portion even dropping there armor, and weapons as they ran. For awhile we tried to catch them, but to avail as the monsters when ordered to, ran pretty fast. Looking over the battlefield as the sun began to set bodies littered the ground, with it hard to even walk with all the blood. Suddenly as I looked at the bleak sight infront of me, someone spoke.
“WOOK!”
Everyone began looking at what the voice said, and as I did I saw what they shouted about. Three of the southwestern soldiers were walking towards us on there racoons. And they were close to and getting closer, so I was finally able to get a better look at there armor. There chest piece made it look like they had scales with the upper part being covered in cloth, with the arms and legs being plate, and the helmet being round at the top with one of one in the center having a helmet with horns. As they stopped infront of us, Edwin made his way up front. With him trying his best to gain as much composure as possible, and sounding formal as he spoke.
“Nice to meet 'ou! Ugh… Do 'ou by any chance know what am saying?”
They were silent for a few seconds, with us seeing the soldier of the left looking and whispering at the one at the right, than the one in the center noticing this raises his arm making the left and the right one go silent, and speaks looking at Edwin.
“You did not need to intervene, the battle was completely under our complete control you Sssee…”
His voice was like sandpaper, with it sounding rough and scratchy and at the end of the sentence he spoke with a hiss. The central one seemed to catch on to our confusion and spoke as he put his arms around his helmet.
“Sssory for my abruptness, my name is Valuuk. Leader of the Great Dragon Clan, Brimbar.”
With that he removed his helmet and we got a look at his face. The first thing I noticed was the almost complete lack of hair on his body, with him instead having a bunch of dark red scales that covered his body, kind of like a snake. His snout was long and short and he had long triangular ears, with also the fact that the only hair he did have was in the form of a long black mustache the drooped down a bit. Valuuk continues to look at Edwin through his emerald eyes as we all look shocked and whisper amongst ourselves about this strange creature and Edwin speaks trying to ad some levity.
“Dis suwewy am goin’ to be a day Edwin won’t fowget…”
Edwin chuckles but Valuuk doesn’t seem that amused at all, and speaks with a neutral tone.
“I wish to Ssspeak with you’re leader Edwin, these things… These Nuuk’s we know where they come from and wish to Ssshare at once.”
Nuuk’s that is what there called? Edwin speaks looking out at the setting sun.
“Enoch won’t awwibe untiw mownin’ edwin thinks… Do 'ou know about him?”
Valuuk speaks with him also looking out to the sun.
“No… I do not know much about these parts.”
Surprisingly I could hear Dar speak, with him going up to Valuuk.
“Who eben am 'ou exactwy? Whewe do 'ou come fwom?”
I could hear the others in the crowd agree and Valuuk seeing this speaks with him looking a bit bitter.
“We come from the Appalachian mountains, rich lands far to the Sssouthwest of here. Our Sstrongholds are where we live and where we work some of the last pieces left by The Old Ones.”
Slightly less confused I thought about what Valuuk said. Strongholds, Appalachian mountains, The Old Ones? Now I felt myself getting even more confused as Dar speaks again.
“How come we nebah heawd of 'ou?”
Valuuk gives an answer filled with condescension.
“We choose who Sssees us, and who doesn’t…”
After that Valuuk speaks again, putting his helmet back on as he does.
“We have a camp set up on the Sssouthwestern hills, We will wait this “Enoch” and talk in the morning, goodbye.”
With that Valuuk and the two soldiers with him leave and not long after we do to, heading into the destroyed city. To camp until morning. Fin
Thank you for reading my story! I have been waiting for quite awhile now to introduce these reptiles, and I’m happy to finally do it! The next part is going to go a lot more in depth about who they are, and there relationship with the Nuuk’s. Of course constructive criticism is appreciated and I hope to have this part done in a few day’s to a week. May you have a good day!