The Welcome Party Was Late

Following the lizardman out into the hallway, they were greeted with the sight of Sinzarus and two other Lutra soldiers groaning on the floor.

"I expected your people to kill them on sight."

The lizardman kept his pace, eyeing the corridor ahead. "You would be right Samuel Grier. As they would us. However at this time we cannot."

"Um, why?"

"Were we to kill any of their people here, they would surely pursue us. We are not here to fight on this occasion, and a quick retreat is required. That cannot happen if they seek our blood more than usual."

Sam rotated it all in his head. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. If everyone is just injured, efforts will focus more on getting them to the med bays and reporting. If you kill them though they might want revenge." Heinrich made a confused noise in his ear. "But wait, they said they are a peace loving people."

The lizardman stopped and spun around faster than Sam was ready for, who almost ran into him. "That is a lie! My people may be accustomed to war, but we are far more peaceful than the Lutra!" He heaved with barely restrained anger. "Any village, town, or city they overrun is left home only to spirits. Innocents are not safe from their armies. My own wife and daughter are gone because of them." With effort, he calmed himself down.

Still wide eyed, he coughed out an apology. "I'm sorry, I only know what I've been told. I don't know what's truth or lie."

"I understand." He made to turn around.

"Wait, I don't even know your name."

The lizardman stood up straight and looked Sam in the eyes. "I am Zel'Vok." He gave a slight bow.

"Nice to meet you." He imitated the bow.

Zel'Vok snorted then continued along. He disabled any soldiers they came across in their path, leaving moaning hallways behind them. He couldn't help but be impressed with his new companion. To kill would be much easier than to intend to disable any who'd do you harm. Sam recognized the need to hold back in order to do so. After about ten minutes, they came across other lizardmen warriors. Each one gave a respectful nod to Zel'Vok, who returned them with just as much respect. Coming up to a corner, a breeze began to pick up.

"Are we going outside?" He asked.

Zel'Vok tilted his head thoughtfully. "You are correct." Turning the corner they saw a large hole cut out of the hull. Someone must have used a plasma cutter or something similar. On the other side was a transport, hovering at the ready. "We shall board and leave this cursed place."

"Oh, ok then. I don't suppose you guys have something to eat by the way? I haven't eaten ye- oh thank you very... much." He was handed a piece of raw meat. "I suppose I can just wait."

Hopping through the hole, Zel'Vok turned and gestured for Sam to join him. The other warriors began to board. With the last few left, there was a commotion from back on the ship. A lizardman flew into view through the hallway, followed by another cut down by a sabre. The warrior that was about to jump across cried out in pain as the tip of a blade erupted from his chest. His attacker ripped it back, and the instantly dead lizardman fell out of the hole and plummeted towards the ground below. Sam looked up to see Commander Grielda. He wasn't sure, but he thought she looked furious.

"I see our hospitality didn't suite you. No matter. Just like those lizards, we'll deal with your treachery."

"Treachery? I don't-"

"Save it, human." She interrupted.

"You will pay Grielda!" Zel'Vok roared beside him.

"Ah, the one who got away!" She lifted her arm to her mouth. "Dispatch a wing of fighters to the aft starboard side to deal with an enemy transport."

"Yoka, commander!" A voice responded from a device. No sooner had she gave the order, the lizardman at the helm veered the transport off and fled towards the mountainous terrain below. Within minutes they were being pursued by airships. The pilot took them amongst many stone spires, weaving in and out to avoid the fire raining down on them. 

A gunner on a rear turret was doing his best to return fire, but the fighters were more agile than the transport. "I have five Legio class fighters on our rear!" He screamed as he swept the gun to and fro.

Sam looked from the rear gun to the spires around them. The stone itself doesn't look very stable he noted. Sure enough, one of the fighters attempted to bank out of the way of the incoming fire and clipped one of the spires, ripping it's own wing off in the process.

Running over, he threw the lizardman out of the way and swiveled the gun around to aim at the spires ahead of them. "Make sure we're going as fast as we can!" He called out to the pilot, before squeezing the trigger. The shots ripped through the spires, like the final straw landing on the camel's back, collapsing them onto each other. The transport just barely kept ahead of the avalanche of stone, but the fighters weren't so lucky. One by one they succumbed to the numerous boulders bearing down on them.

The gunner approached Sam and smacked him in the back of the head. "Haired ones know no respect. Words are meant to be used." It yanked the handles from him and began to scan the area around them. Feeling the exhaustion taking over from all the adrenaline from moments ago and the stress from earlier, he sat on one of the benches.

Heinrich made an exaggerated noise of clearing it's non existent throat. "That was quite clever of you."

Sam panicked for a moment, but calmed down when he realized that none of the lizardmen could hear the doctor. "You mean with the pillars?" He whispered.

"Yes. How did you know the spires would collapse in such a way?"

"Well I saw what that fighter did to the first spire. The fighter's wings looked relatively thin. If it collapsed that bad from that much, I figured the taller spires raining down on the smaller ones would have the same effect."

Heinrich hummed to itself. "Intriguing."

Zel'Vok approached him. "We have crossed the border into Urotyx territory."

"Urotyx? Is that the name of your people?"

"Indeed. We are a collective of tribes that have united as a nation to combat the increasing threat of the Lutra." He spread his muscled arms wide. "Welcome to the Coalition of Bek."

"I feel welcome." Sam said, unsure of how to respond. The collective Urotyx warriors around him growled approvingly.

"Seems they like your response. Listen at them purr." Heinrich mused.

"Purr? I'd call that a growl."

"My sensors are better than your ears, just listen to me."

He grumbled at the doctor and looked out over the terrain around them. It was heavily forested, and behind him he noticed the mountains had a spattering of snow all over. "Where are we on Terra exactly?"

"Really going with that are you? Very well. Comparing this terrain to what I have on Earth, we are most likely leaving a mountain area called the Wine Spires which would be located in the state of Washington in the United States, but geographically, a lot of things are different. Most likely, however this version of the planet progressed to this time, the features aren't quite what we'd expect."

The transport drew closer to the ground. Ahead Sam could see structures. When he had heard that the Urotyx existed as tribes, he had expected smaller communities, but what stood in front of him spoke of city-states if nothing else. The buildings themselves looked to be nearly as tall as the sky scrapers he was used to. Ringing the perimeter of the city he saw massive cannons pointed at the sky. Each one seemed to be housed within a small fortress. He could see armored vehicles and Urotyx warriors going about their duties within the walls of one as they flew overhead.

"I'll be quite honest here my boy. This faction seems just as advanced as the other. It would seem it is commonplace for this world's nations technological levels to be above the nations of our world."

"For sure." Sam noted that not many people were out and about on the streets below. "Hey Zel'Vok, let me ask you a question."

The warrior turned his head to face the ground as well. "You may."

"Where is everyone?"

A sigh escaped his mouth. "Our citizens contribute to both our safety and supplies for now. Rupes has increased their violence towards us in recent months. Our defensive technologies are a wall they have yet to overcome, but there are still ways, and they probe them almost daily." He glanced over at the fort they had passed. "Many that you see as warriors or not so. We have adopted a practice of enlisting our citizens to aid in the duties of our true warriors, in the event that they must take up arms themselves."

Sam nodded. "No no, that makes sense. It's sad you guys have to do that though."

"Since the Imperium crowned their newest emperor their attacks have intensified, yet, I have heard that centuries ago our peoples were more friendly towards one another. A shame we cannot return to such a time." He gripped the rail harshly. "Though I could not live in such a time now."

"Because of your wife and daughter?"

Zel'Vok looked him in the eye. "You are correct. I cannot because of their murder." He looked forward once more. "We approach our destination." Ahead of them was a short building in comparison to all the skyscrapers, but it wasn't small by any means. The architecture of all the buildings thus far has appeared shiny and sleek, but this building looked matte and blocky.

"I bet this building is hard to pinpoint with echo location mapping techniques such as radar."

"Indeed." As they touched the ground, a group approached to meet them. Stepping down from the transport, Zel'Vok bowed at a forty-five degree. "Kemfa, your excellency."

The leader of the group also bowed. "Kemfa, kin. Were you successful?"

He waved Sam down. "We were indeed, though we lost two warriors initially and three more to Grielda on our escape. This is Samuel Grier. The Strange One."

He imitated Zel'Vok and bowed. "Kemfa, your excellency."

The Urotyx around him began to chuckle. The leader quieted everyone down with a smile on his face. "Kemfa is a greeting between Urotyx warriors. One could say it is a military custom. My name is Kip'Son'Lek. The Lek addition to my name would also be a military custom. A rank, to be more specific. As you are not of the military, you may call me Kip'Son."

"How about Kip?" He nervously looked around, hoping he didn't offend anyone like he did with the Lutra, but more chuckles echoed.

"That would be unwise. We are a welcoming people, and we enjoy a good joke. However, such a choice would be disrespect, and eventually, our good will would waver. Likewise, you must not remove Vok from Zel'Vok's name. Son and Vok denote respect among our people."

He smiled wide. "Thank you for being so understanding and actually explaining it to me. I called the Lutra otters and they gave me a big speech about it being a hate crime or something."

The warriors around him couldn't hold it in anymore it would seem, as they all roared with laughter. Zel'Vok being the loudest of all.

"Enough of names," Kip'Son said, reigning in his own laughter. "I would like to formally welcome you to Bek. Our agent within the lab in the mountain told us of a Strange One like nothing they have ever seen, and we knew we needed to act. Grielda is not known for questioning nicely."

"She said they were spies or something, and to be honest she seemed gentle during her questioning of a scientist. Though she seemed sure of the answers already anyway."

"That was not a true interrogation of hers then, I assure you." He bowed slightly. "I must return to my post. You are welcome to go anywhere you wish, within reason. I encourage you to get to know our people more. Zel'Vok."

The warrior stood straight. "Yes?"

"I release you from your basic duties. Instead, I would like you to accompany Samuel Grier. Assure his safety, and answer any questions he may have." With that, he turned on his heel and walked toward the blocky building.

Sam rubbed his hands together. "Now that felt more like a welcoming committee. I have to tell you though Zel'Vok, I'm starved now. Please take me to a restaurant or something!"