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Hello everyone! I'm super excited to post this chapter, it's definitely got some of the most complex action sequences I've ever written. Let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading!

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The Next Morning

Before Dawn

Harmond stood at the front of a crowd of locals who had drug themselves out of bed to see them off. Ennrion had been receiving honours for an hour, and had so far been celebrated with bags of coin, jewels, a camel for every member of the party, and promises of land and titles if he chose to stay. He accepted everything except the promises. Zroc groaned and tapped his feet impatiently.

"Gods be good," He huffed and growled quietly, "How much more can they give him?"

Harmond nudged the shorter male and shushed him.

"There's one more tribe," Harmond began, "Then we can go."

The four other members of the party stood behind Zroc and Harmond..

"Would have been nice to have been let out of jail a little earlier," Warren smirked, "I would have liked a shot at some of these rewards. Or at least a night with some of those Shahaada zealots."

Zroc tensed up and glared at the Rat, their personalities did not mesh well. Zroc was, more often than not, abrasive, while Warren was eager to make himself the center of attention with his antics. Most days the pair just ignored each other, but when they had to be in close proximity for long periods of time, things tended to hit the fan very quickly. Uvoc put a heavy paw on Warren's shoulder and squeezed hard.

"Bad rat, no reward," He growled menacingly, "Bad rat, get Uvoc in jail. Drunk rat. Giant asshole."

"You know he won't keep any of it," Jaal began, "It's all going to go to food, travel, and lodging. It always does."

The six men in the party quieted as the last gift, a beautiful scimitar in a jeweled sheath, passed from a robed Canine's paws to Ennrion's.

"My tribe, the Gu'kalth, had this sword forged and enchanted in your honour," She took a step back, "Once again, all of us leaders, thank you, and hope these gifts aid you on your journeys to come."

Maikan let out a low whistle as Ennrion unsheathed the sword. Flames licked up the length of it, emanating from the obsidian dragon head on the guard.

"The flames only harm your enemies my lord," The Gu'kalth chieftain continued and bowed her head, "May it serve you well."

Maikan nudged the Crocodile.

"Don't think he's going to give that up," he chuckled and crossed his arms, "What a lucky cunt."

Ennrion bowed his head in respect to the chieftains standing beside him. He gestured to his party members to join him.

"Here we fucking go," Warren said quietly, "Finally!"

"Show some damned respect," Zroc snarled, "You're lucky they didn't chop your head off for what you did to that shrine."

The six warriors moved to Ennrion's side and waved at the crowd. Zroc and Harmond received a cheer, while the other four males were met with a tepid reception at best. They mounted up on their camels, bowed their heads, and made their way out of the small town of Nizaharaq, and back into the desert.

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Night

Foothills of the Ana'ashrai Mountains

The Khami Oasis.

Harmond took a deep breath and looked over the tranquil oasis. They had reached the hills by midday and sheltered there for the worst of the midday heat. When it cooled, the party traversed the dunes and arrived at the oasis just after dusk. Ennrion was going over maps in his tent, while Warren, Uvoc, and Maikan splashed around in the water. Ja'al was nowhere to be seen, but Harmond was sure he was tending to the camels. They weren't alone, a slaver's caravan, ten camel riders of assorted species, five fennec fox slavers, and fifteen two-legged reptilian slaves, were also using the oasis tonight. Harmond was not a supporter of slavery, and thought the entire practice was barbaric, but he held his tongue. The last thing his party needed was to cross blades with the locals. Zroc sat down beside his mate with a chuckle.

"It's going to be nice tonight. No clouds, full moon," The Kobold chuckled, "Maybe we should go for a moonlit stroll, just the two of us."

The Golden Retriever looked back at his lover and smiled. The Kobold had already stripped down to his loincloth. Harmond wasn't able to ride next to Zroc on the arduous journey to the oasis. He let Warren keep him company. Something had changed in the Rat, his friendly demeanor towards the Golden Retriever had evolved into barely concealed flirtations. From what Harmond had been able to tease out from the conversation, the newfound relationship that he had forged with the Kobold had given Warren the confidence to be more open with his own sexuality. While Harmond liked the Rat, he definitely didn't see him as a viable sexual partner. If anything, it was something to tease Zroc about the next time the Kobold acted up.

"And what would just the two of us do on that stroll?" Harmond smirked and leaned in for a kiss, "Hold hands and look at the stars? Or something a little more chaste?"

Zroc gave the Dog a kiss with a chuckle and slowly rubbed a hand over the Golden Retriever's arm. The other moved to the Golden Retriever's navel, his fingers teasing the waistband of the Dog's pants. Harmond shuddered and spread his legs for the Kobold's questing hand.

"More like make love under the stars until the sun comes up," Zroc chuckled, "Why are you still wearing all of these clothes? We're not going anywhere for the rest of the night."

Harmond leaned back against the Kobold.

"Maybe so, but," His breath caught in his throat as Zroc's hands slid into the front of his pants and started to grope and tease his sheath, "What if we're needed for something? Who knows what kind of trouble could show up at a place like this."

The Golden Retriever moaned as Zroc's talented fingers teased over his sheath. A moan escaped his lips as one of those fingers teased the sensitive flesh inside of it and coaxed his tip into the air. He bit his lip as his lover's hand moved down to squeeze and pull down on his sheath and scooted away slightly. The Kobold rolled his eyes.

"Come on," He chuckled, "We're going to be left alone the rest of the night. I promise. Let's relax, have a little fun, work out some tension. We both need it."

Harmond looked out over the oasis again. His sheath was swollen, his tip peeking out already from the Kobold's teasing. Zroc leaned in and kissed over his lover's neck, his paws snaking down into the Dog's pants again. From across the oasis, Warren waved at the couple and started to walk in their direction.

"You spoke too soon," Harmond chuckled, "Here comes Warren."

Zroc growled against the Golden Retriever's neck.

"What does that dickhead want?" Zroc began, "Can't we just close the tent flaps and pretend we're asleep?"

Harmond rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"He already saw us. Besides,I think he's into me," He replied, "I sleep on my side remember? He might take it as an invitation."

Zroc pulled away and frowned.

"You're joking? Warren?" Zroc glared at the approaching Rat, his arms wrapping around the Golden Retriever possessively, "He won't think it's an invitation with my knot buried in you."

The Golden Retriever laughed.

"Since when have you been a two pump chump?" Harmond replied, "If you pulled something like that, I might have to beg Warren for some Rat dick."

Harmond raised an eyebrow and looked back at the Kobold. He was joking of course, but it was fun to rub Zroc's scales the wrong way. The black scaled Kobold reciprocate the gesture and gave the Dog's sheath another teasing grope.

"I'd rather give you to the camels for the night," Zroc smirked, "Maybe one of those slavers wouldn't mind parting with one of their horses for an hour."

Harmond blushed hard and leaned back into Zroc's touch. He really liked being held like this. The Kobold's lewd suggestion shut him right up. He had told Zroc his hidden desires, but that didn't mean he was ready to act on them. The Kobold leaned down and kissed his mate on the top of the head.

"I'm only joking love," Zroc nuzzled Harmond's muzzle softly, "You know I'm not gonna stop you from doing whatever you want."

Harmond turned and kissed Zroc softly on the cheek.

"I know," The Golden Retriever replied, "Besides, I'd never sleep with Warren. Who knows what kinds of nasty diseases I would catch?"

The pair shared a laugh as the Rat walked up to the ledge Zroc and Harmond set their tent on with a huff. He was mostly naked as well, his fur was still wet from the dip he had taken in the oasis earlier. He gave the pair a wave before bending down to catch his breath.

"What's so funny?" He asked with a smirk and pushed his hips out, "Never seen such a big cock before?"

Zroc rolled his eyes.

"Please," The Kobold began, "I've seen baby worms with bigger cocks than you. What do you want?"

Warren looked out over the oasis and started to pant again.

"Why'd you camp so far out?" Warren asked, "It's such a hike to get up here."

"That's the point," Zroc replied and wrapped his arms around the Golden Retriever's waist tightly, "We didn't want to be bothered. It's been a long day and we wanted a little time alone. Away from annoyances like you"

Harmond elbowed Zroc sharply. Warren shrugged, apparently whatever he needed to say was important enough to let the quip lie.

"Well anyways you two," The Rat began, "Ennrion wanted to see you. Supposedly there's an issue with the planned route. Something about monsters in the hills."

Harmond's eyes went wide.

"Monsters?" The Golden Retriever asked, "Like what?"

Zroc nuzzled into the Dog's cheek.

"It's probably just some ogres," The Kobold replied, "But I'd wager even more it's just goblins. We can handle those easily. Don't you worry."

He sighed and stood up.

"I'll go see what's going on. Just to be safe," He continued before kissing the Dog on the top of the head, "Let me get dressed. We'll have our fun later tonight."

"Promise?" Harmond asked, his tail wagging behind him, "You were right. I really could use it after today."

"I promise," Zroc winked, "Now we'd better stop talking about it or else I'll never go down to Ennrion."

Harmond chuckled and stood up as well. He walked over and picked up his sword and scabbard. He didn't have a chance to replenish his spell ingredients. The Golden Retriever put it on and tightened it around his waist. After the incident with the mummies, he wasn't going to be caught without it again.

"Alright, well I'll go look for Jaal," The Dog replied, "Warren, maybe you can round up the others. We should meet back at Ennrion's tent. Just in case."

"Look at you giving orders," Warren smirked, "Nothing cuter than a confident pup."

Zroc rolled his eyes and walked out of the tent, fully dressed in his clothes and armor. Harmond wagged his tail as the Kobold brushed his hand over the canine's lower back. Hopefully this was nothing. A night under the stars with the Kobold thrusting away between his legs until the sun came up sounded like ecstasy.

"Come on Rat," Zroc began as he started to climb down the ledge, "Let's go find some monsters. Maybe you can get some of those rewards you missed out on while you were pickling in the drunk tank. There's no Sh'aadha zealots, but I'm sure one of those scaly fuckers over there would suck you off for a copper."

Warren winked at Harmond before following after the Kobold. He chuckled as he watched them walk off. They hadn't walked ten steps before the pair started to bicker. Harmond climbed down the ledge and walked away from the oasis. Sounds of chatter reached his ears and made his tail wag. The merchants and the guards drank and smoked around their campfire, while the slaves told stories in their native raspy-sounding tongue. He paused to listen for a short while before continuing towards the camel. He had studied some languages while he went to school in Redcking, but Draconic was the only one of them that stuck. The Golden Retriever passed one of the caravan guards, a tall grey Horse, urinating behind a rock. He left him alone.

Harmond walked over to the sheltered precipice where the camels sheltered. They were restless and bellowing with fear into the night. Jaal stood in front of them, his hands outstretched, speaking quietly in a language the Dog didn't understand.

"Jaal," Harmond began softly, "Ennrion wants us at his tent. There's something in these hills."

The Crocodile nodded.

"The camels have been restless since we stopped for the night," The Crocodile replied, "Scaled beasts of some kind. Their name for them is different than our own. I've never heard this word before."

Harmond blinked.

"So what?" He asked, "Like kobolds?"

Before Ja'al could answer a piercing shriek rang out over the hills. Harmond whirled about and drew his sword. More screams rang out from the oasis. The Golden Retriever swore, the natural rock wall protecting the camels blocked his view of the campsites. Jaal hissed and pulled one of the camels free from the wall.

"Stay here," He began, "Guard the camels."

Harmond whined. He wasn't as afraid as he should have been. Realistically, he knew he wasn't ready for a battle. His swordsmanship was shoddy at best and any spells he could conjure would not be very effective if there were more than a pawful of enemies.

"You know I'm not that good with a sword," The Golden Retriever whined, "If there's more than one, I'm done for."

Jaal swore under his breath.

"Then cut them loose and follow me," Jaal replied, "I'll get you to the others."

The Crocodile mounted his camel and kicked his heels roughly into his side. The beast bellowed and slowly moved out from the sheltered precipice. Harmond drew his sword, sliced through the camels' reins in a couple smooth strokes, and ran out into the night air. His longsword shook in his hand as he followed in Jaal's camel tracks. He put the camel's flank between himself and the darkness of the nearby mountain pass. Between Harmond and the camp, two legged lizards, similar in appearance to the slaves and armed to the teeth with scimitars and shields were dueling with the caravan guards. There were six of them that Harmond could see. They were his height and fully nude. Judging by the hisses and shrieks echoing in the hills around them, there were many more.

Harmond's gaze shot up to Ennrion's tent. His friends were gone, but three larger lizards with long-whip like tails patrolled around it. They brandished savage looking clubs; already wet and dripping with blood. Behind them, a flaming spear streaked out from the mountains and ignited the red fabric of Ennrion's tent. Jaal swore under his breath and flourished his spear.

"Asabi," He growled, "They must have come down from the mountains."

A throwing knife flashed by Harmond's face, clattering against the rocks on the other side. The camel startled and bellowed loudly. Jaal bent down and whispered in the beast's ear. Like magic, the four-legged animal slowed and stood still.

"You should find Ennrion and Zroc," He looked out over the darkness and ducked as another knife flew over his head, "Stick to cover and avoid the fighting as best as you can."

From the rocks above the camel a slender, black-scaled lizard lept towards the duo. Jaal hissed and smacked the slender scaled creature aside, knocking it to the ground with an audible thud. He circled in front of Harmond and charged the downed lizard. It shrieked as the Crocodile's spear pierced its chest just underneath its shoulder. The Golden Retriever looked away with a whine as the shrieks subsided and shuddered at the sound of squelching flesh as Jaal retrieved his spear. He was no stranger to death, but it still alarmed him.

"What the fuck are you waiting for?" Jaal hissed, "Go!"

Harmond ducked another throwing knife and ran towards the Dragonborn's flaming tent. The Asabi had started to free the slaves and gave them weapons of their own. The last of the caravan guards, the urinating Horse, rode in on his camel with a shrieking battle cry and sliced one of the double axed fighters from neck to hip with his curved sword. The lizard hissed out with a puff of blood and fell forward, still writhing as it died. One of his companions snarled and threw their axe, burying it up to the shaft into the camel rider's back. His mount, streaked with its rider's blood, ran off bellowing into the night. The horse's corpse bobbed limply on the camel's back before slumping off without ceremony into a patch of desert shrubs.

The three whip-tails surrounding Ennrion's tent had ran off. The Golden Retriever scurried over to it, narrowly dodging another throwing knife aimed at his head on the way. Harmond ducked behind a boulder to catch his breath. Ennrion's tent was smouldering ashes, and his friends were nowhere to be seen. He whipped his head up to look towards the oasis. Maikan was crouched behind a small tree across from the slaughter at the slavers' camp. All of the Fennec Foxes were dead or dying. Harmond looked back toward the Horse just before one of the Scimitar wielding reptilians slashed his blade across one of their necks. Maikan fired his arrows into the rocks surrounding the oasis. The trembling and panting Golden Retriever ran over to his side, ducking a crossbow bolt as he slid behind the tree trunk.

"Where's Zroc and Ennrion?" Harmond asked, "Warren and Uvoc? Is everyone okay?"

Maikan fired off an arrow with a smirk. The rocky hills filled with the sounds of pained screeching.

"They're up at your tent," Maikan began, "It's the only place those damn sneakers in the hills can't get. Those sneaky bastards can't hide from me."

A javelin buried itself into the tree a hair away from Harmond's muzzle. One inch higher and he wouldn't have been around to worry about it. He whined and ducked down lower.

"Think you can cover me?" Harmond asked, "I'd rather not die tonight."

"I'll do my best," Maikan replied as he nocked another arrow, "I can- GLRRT"

Maikan hit the ground behind the tree with a thud. The splintered haft of a javelin stuck out of the front of the Stallion's neck. It had splintered on impact, but had buried itself firmly into the Horse's windpipe. Harmond's jaw dropped. They had never lost a member of the party in combat before. He mentally swore, a wound like this was far beyond his ability to heal, but he still wished he had his medicine. Maybe he could have even helped the Horse on his short, painful journey to the other side. He bent down and kissed Maikan's forehead, tears falling from his face as the Horse sputtered and died beneath him. He didn't have the chance to get to know him well, but Harmond enjoyed Maikan's company. The Golden Retriever reached out to close the Horse's eyes as a chorus of cheers and desirive hisses erupted from the rocks.

"Harmond!" Warren shouted out through the cacophony, "Get over here!"

The Golden Retriever looked up and saw Warren and Zroc standing at the base of the rocks their tent was on. Ennrion and Uvoc were ahead of them, swords lifted high, and charging into the burning and bloodied remnants of the slaver camp. Warren pulled out a throwing axe and hurled it into the skull of an Asabi lining up a Javelin with the Dog. Harmond took one last look at Maikan, the image of the horse lying face up in a growing pool of blood searing itself in his memory, and ran back around the outside of the oasis.

Ennrion and Uvoc drew the surviving swordsman and the whip-tails back into the burning camp and gave Harmond an open line to Zroc's side. A straggling whip-tail swung at him with a scimitar and lunged to cut off his retreat. Harmond pulled out his sword and sidestepped the lunge, sending the Asabi sprawling. The Golden Retriever continued his run towards the camp, the lizard hot on his heels. He turned and faced the advancing Lizard, his sword held tightly in front of his chest. The lizard swung wildly at Harmond's arm and nearly fell over with the effort. Harmond parried and followed with a weak jab at the Lizard's head.

It snarled and struck out with its shield. The blow caught Harmond on the chin and knocked him down with a groan. Blood welled up in his mouth and stars danced in his eyes as he slowly got back to his feet. Time seemed to slow. Every detail, from the blood on the sand below and the drool that dripped from the Asabi's open and screeching maw, stood out in ways Harmond never could have imagined. The lizard charged again and broke the spell. Harmond hopped to his feet and repeated the same maneuver. This time he brought his sword down fast and true, carving a gash from the bottom of the creatures ribs to its hip into the black-and green scaled lizard's side. The Golden Retriever averted his eyes from the lizard's writhing and screeching body and dashed towards his friends.

Warren had jumped up onto the rocks surrounding the hill and was cutting down a trio of retreating spear throwers with his hand axe. His shield was stuck full of knives and spears. Harmond skidded to a stop at Zroc's side, breathing hard from exertion and adrenaline.

"Are you okay?" Harmond asked with a whine, "Maikan is..."

Zroc nodded and sighed.

"I know. I saw. Stay with me okay?" He began, "We aren't out of this yet."

Hissing broke out from behind the pair. The two lovers whirled about, their swords drawn. Two brown scaled vipers, easily longer than two of the Golden Retriever's combined, slithered down the rocky hill towards them. Venom dripped from their fangs and saliva pooled in their mouths in anticipation of a fresh kill. Zroc stood in front of his lover and pulled out a dagger from his belt.

"Please tell me you've got something in that little pouch of yours," He began, "I don't know if I can fight the both of them off alone."

Harmond took a deep breath and stepped forward to stand beside his lover. He stared the closest of the two beasts down and pointed his sword at it.

"Then it's a good thing you aren't alone," Harmond replied, "We can handle them."

The viper closest to the Golden Retriever roared and lunged forward. Zroc's dagger left his hands and buried itself behind the creature's jaw. Harmond stepped aside and brought the blade of his sword down on the monstrous snake's neck. He pulled the weapon free in time to swing it against the fangs of the other snake. Zroc stabbed the distracted beast in the stomach and drew his sword down towards its tail with a draconic shout, green fire licking around the corners of his mouth. The symbol on his chest glowed; Shahaada was with them tonight. He pulled the sword back and jumped towards his lover to avoid the splash of snake innards at his feet. Two more slithered down the hill, their violent movements further incensed by the death of their comrades.

Zroc sliced up as the first of the new snakes lunged but only managed to glance the flat of his sword against the creature's scaled side. The second one drew back and pounced at the Kobold. Zroc did the same maneuver and didn't miss, cleaving the snake's lower jaw in two and burying his sword in the base of the snake's skull. Harmond tracked the head of the last viper, his sword tip following every motion of the snake's head. It's yellow eyes stared into the Golden Retrievers, sizing up its prey. It feinted to the right, making the Dog drive forward with his sword point. The Viper's tail swept out and yanked the Golden Retriever to the ground, hard.

"Harmond!" Zroc cried out as he tugged on his completely stuck sword, "Fuck! Fuck!!!"

The Golden Retriever kept his grip on the sword and pointed the tip up as the snake coiled and struck. Harmond's blade broke the fang off with a clang and flew out of his paws into the nearest dune.. Venom spilled over the ground and the Dog's clothes, staining the soft fabric and turning it a noxious coloured black. The Dog pulled a paw free, opened his fingers, and glared at the viper above him.

Haelrai!

Bright light glowed from his fingertips and merged into one larger light. The most powerful sunbeam the Dog had ever created burst forth from his paw. The pulse blasted the viper under the chin with enough force to lift the body up into the air. The scaled skin underneath it burned and smoked. Before the creature's body fell back on top of him, Harmond was able to make out the blackened jaw bone framed by the still smouldering flesh. Zroc jumped on top of the writhing beast and drove his last remaining dagger into the top of the snake's head. It spasmed uncontrollably until the Kobold twisted the sharp blade and roughly yanked it out.

The Kobold panted and rolled off of the snake's corpse. Blood and venom pooled out of the creature's mouth onto the Golden Retriever's trapped body. Most days this would have bothered Harmond beyond belief, but after making it out of that scrape with his life, he let it slide. Zroc chuckled and looked over at the Golden Retriever. Judging by the sounds of shrieking lizards, the battle was nearly over.

"I'll help you out in a bit," Zroc chuckled, "You did amazing. Did Ennrion teach you that?"

Harmond's eyes widened. Another viper was crawling down the hill towards Zroc. This one was bigger than the others and was now within striking distance of the Kobold. The Dog mentally ticked through the list of spells he knew and whined. There was nothing he could do that wouldn't scorch the Kobold.

"Zroc!" He shouted, "Move!"

Before the viper could strike, Ennrion sprinted in and stood between the Viper and Zroc. The Kobold jumped to his feet and strained against the corpse that covered his lover. Harmond helped as best he could, his arms pressing up against the still smoking head of the creature. Slowly, the monster's corpse rolled off of the Golden Retriever. Harmond climbed to his feet and gathered up his sword. The Golden Retriever stood beside the Kobold, panting hard and dripping with snake blood. Uvoc and Jaal ran to the pair's side. Uvoc's sword dripped with blood, while Jaal's legs were wet with gore. He looked at Harmond and sighed.

"It's not mine," He replied, "It's Faza's. They butchered her. Warren saved me."

Ja'al brandished his spear towards Harmond.

"And you?" The Crocodile asked, "Are you okay?"

Harmond panted and nodded.

"Yeah," He gestured at his bloody clothes, "It's not mine."

The two of them shared a laugh. It felt strange to be laughing like this, especially when there were still who knows how many Asabi hiding in the hills. Harmond didn't care, it was nice to see them regardless. Warren huffed and panted as he stepped into line behind the two warriors. A roughly made throwing knife stuck out of his thigh.

"It's not poisoned," The Rat chuckled, "At least I don't think."

Harmond looked over the wound and back at his tent.

"I can take care of that if it is," Harmond replied, "The important thing is not to-"

The Golden Retriever groaned as Warren reached down and yanked the knife roughly out of his leg. Warren looked at the knife and down at the gash in his thigh that now gushed blood. The Rat let the knife fall to the sound and hung his head.

"Let me guess," Warren replied, "The important thing is not to take the knife out."

"Yeah," The Golden Retriever sighed and nodded, "Just keep pressure on it for now."

"Pressure?" Uvoc asked with a grunt, "I help."

The Wolf walked up behind the Rat and lifted him. Warren almost shrieked in shock as the big Canine's paw came down hard on Warren's leg. Ennrion screeched in Draconic at the viper, making the party turn their attention back towards the fight. The other Asabi started to surround the party as well, looking towards with rocks with clear apprehension. Harmond smirked. Were they really that scared of them?

The viper hissed, watching Ennrion's slow teasing sword motions. Blood dripped down from both blades, coating the rocks surrounding their field of battle with lizard blood. Ennrion charged and skillfully decapitated the final snake with a loud shout. Suddenly, the ground started to rumble and shake. Rocks and snake corpses slid down towards Ennrion's feet of Harmond. The party cowered and lept back as the sandy ground nearby crumbled into an underground cavern.

A crested viper, the size of an adult dragon burst forth and raised itself up. It towered above the party and surveyed the scene of the battle. The giant snake threw its head violently to the side and hissed at the surviving warriors. The newcomer glared at the party. Behind them, the surviving Asabi formed up, brandishing their clubs and axes and hissing threateningly. They were surrounded.

"You have slaughtered my children," The giant snake hissed, "Why did you come here? Why did you throw in your lot with these slavers? Speak, before I slaughter you too."

The party shared some looks between each other and circled up. Ennrion, Zroc, and Harmond faced the snake while the remaining three faced the whip-tails. Warren brandished an axe from Uvoc's broad arms. In spite of everything, the Wolf wasn't letting his paw off of the Rat's wound. Harmond took a deep breath and stepped forward in front of the Dragonborn. Ennrion took a step back, his jaw agape as he watched the scene in front of him The snake snorted and looked down at the smaller warrior with disdain in his eyes. Harmond knew he didn't look intimidating, but he knew better than to try. Their only hope was to negotiate their way out of any further fighting.

"Are you the leader of this paltry lot?" The snake asked with a scoff, "What were they thinking? They must have been mad letting a whelp like you lead!"

Harmond looked back at his friends. Ennrion kept his mouth shut and looked away. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but it was clear he trusted whatever plan the Dog had cooked up. Zroc meanwhile, gestured violently for Harmond to get back beside him. Jaal gripped the Kobold's shoulders and held him back.

"We're deeply sorry for slaughtering your children," Harmond began, "We are merely travellers. We stopped in the oasis on out way out of the desert."

"Really," The snake slithered closer to the Golden Retriever, "Do you really expect me to believe that?

The Golden Retriever stood his ground, even as one of the large viper's coils ominously encircled Harmond. The large snake bared its fangs in a laugh before bringing head down and extending his forked tongue to tease over the Dog's neck. Zroc cried out and fought harder against Jaal's grip. Ennrion bent down and helped to hold him back.

"Shut it!" Ennrion hissed, "Let Harmond do this."

Harmond closed his eyes and craned his head away from the giant snake as best as he could. The viper tightened it's coils, holding Harmond firmly in place.

"Brave aren't you," The snake hissed out against the Golden Retriever's ear, "I'm waiting little one. Why shouldn't I make a snack of you?"

Harmond gulped and took a deep breath. Being eaten by a giant snake was not how the Dog thought he was going to go.

"There's nothing I can do to stop you if you do choose to kill me," He replied, "All I can do is face that uncertainty with dignity. To make my lover, and my friends proud of me."

The snake's features softened slightly.

"You're currently next to my tent," Harmond continued, "The rest of our tents are across the oasis, on the farthest side. Those slavers were separate from us."

The giant viper surveyed the oasis. Its tail tip twitched restlessly behind it as it ruminated over this new information. Clearly it was still itching for a fight.

"If that were true," It coiled around tighter, now holding the Golden Retriever in place, and brought its massive head down to look into Harmond's eyes, "Then why did you fight? I hear your "innocent" friends killed quite a few of my children."

Harmond grunted and whined as those coils squeezed him tightly. It was getting hard to breathe. He strained a little, but relaxed. The snake seemed to respect bravery. Harmond now feared that it was going to take every ounce of his to get him out of this.

"We defended ourselves," Harmond replied calmly, "Your children were saving their people, their tribe. They killed my friend in the process."

The giant viper let out a loud sigh.

"I'm sorry," The snake began, "It does appear to be a misunderstanding. Yet I need to make sure my children receive the payment due for the slaughter of their kin. They require blood."

"Please," Harmond began, "Be reasonable. I'm sure you don't want to see any more bloodshed tonight."

The snake surveyed the battle again. Harmond turned his head to look at his friends. Zroc was on his knees, tears streaming down his face. All of the members of the party, except for Warren, were holding him back now. Ennrion pinned the Kobold's arms to his chest, keeping the smaller male from unsheathing his last dagger.

"Your friends seem to be worried," The viper began, "Which of those is your lover?"

Harmond blushed hard.

"The um, Kobold," Harmond replied, "He and I are together."

The viper snorted.

"Which one is that?" The snake leered over Harmond's ragtag group, "I'm not familiar with your kind."

"It's me!" Zroc huffed, "And I'll kill you if you so much as hurt a hair on his head."

The viper looked to the Kobold and back down at the Golden Retriever.

"Big words for such a little creature," The snake chuckled, "Even a god-touched one. Tell me, does Shahaada condone such wanton violence. I can tell you're a killer. Does your goddess shrink away from you? Are you a monster to her?"

Zroc frowned and broke free from the party's grip. Ennrion put a firm paw back on the Kobold's shoulder, indicating for the older male to stand down. Regardless, Zroc unsheathed and readied his bloodied dagger, making the Asabi surrounding the party hiss and rattle their weapons.

"I might have been a monster long ago," Zroc replied, "But now. I kill for love. I kill to keep Harmond safe. If she didn't understand that, then she wouldn't have picked me."

"Bold of you to claim to know the nature of the gods," The viper smirked, "Tell me, do you know my nature? Do you know the nature of Cherathei; the first son of Ydersius, the ancient and terrible one?"

"Bold of you to think I care," Zroc growled, "You're holding my whole world in your coils. If you destroy that. I'll climb my way down to whatever hell your foul father calls home and slit his throat myself."

"My my my," Cherathei hissed, "You've got such fire in you. If I didn't have other plans for this one. I'd kill him just to see what you did."

Harmond gulped. He couldn't imagine what devices the giant demigod had for him. Zroc fell silent and gripped the hilt of his dagger tighter. He was just as worried as Harmond was.

"So," The snake began, "Here's what's going to happen. I will take Harmond with me along with the best warrior of my children. Since they will not get their blood tonight, I must reward them somehow."

Zroc and Ennrion both tensed up.

"The remainder will travel together to my home," Cherathei looked over the Golden Retriever's friends, "If the intruders were truly in the wrong place at the wrong time, then there should be no problems and I'll let everyone go free."

Cherathei looked down at the Kobold with a violent glare.

"If not," He continued, "I kill all of you. Starting with my prisoner."

The snake turned his attention back to Harmond. He whined and looked away from Cherathei's piercing gaze.

"Say your goodbyes while I explain the situation to my children," The demigod began, "You won't be seeing your friends for a few days at least."

Cherathai released the Dog and slithered behind the group. The reptilians turned their attention away from Ennrion's company and focused fully on the demigod. They chatted back and forth in hushed hisses and snarls. The snake's proposal wasn't very popular. Zroc was the first to Harmond's side. He embraced the Dog, his claws digging into the Golden Retriever's shoulders.

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Zroc began, "I promise. I will keep everyone on their best behaviour."

Harmond chuckled. He knew he should have been crying and panicking about his new scenario, but there was nothing he could have done. Now he just needed to stay calm. There was no reason to make his friends feel worse and the snake feel more powerful.

"Isn't that Ennrion's job?" Harmond chuckled, "I thought you were the instigator."

Zroc smirked and chuckled.

"I guess I'll have to take a break from that," Zroc replied, "You're more important."

Ennrion came up to the Dog's side and put a hand on his shoulder. Uvoc and Jaal stayed back and helped Warren down to the ground. The Rat was pale and clearly exhausted. He would need to be treated before the group moved.

"Good job," Ennrion began, "I thought we were all going to be dead for sure."

The Dragonborn looked over the group and sighed.

"Hopefully they don't turn on us," Ennrion replied, "I don't think we'll be able to kill all of them."

Zroc gestured towards the snake.

"He's giving them quite the talking to," The Kobold growled, "I'm sure the vicious bastard would rather make good on his threats."

Harmond squeezed the Kobold tightly and kissed him on the side of the muzzle.

"Don't give him a reason to," Harmond replied, "Play his game. He seems to be a, well, snake of his word."

Zroc sighed deeply. It was clear he hated the idea.

"Be careful okay," Zroc kissed the Dog one last time, "I'll be counting the minutes until you're in my bed again."

It was romantic in Zroc's way. Harmond smiled and stood up. He was going to need his pack for sure. He didn't have much in the way of food, but the medicine and extra clothes could come in handy. Particularly if things went sour. He pulled the pack on just as the snake slithered up to the Dog's side with an Asabi in tow. It was a black and green scourge tail, bleeding moderately from a large gash on his side. It was the creature that had attacked Harmond during the battle. The reptilian was trying his best to stay upright, but Harmond could tell just how hurt the lizard was. In spite of everything, Harmond couldn't help but pity the warrior Asabi. His eyes widened as he saw the Scimitar glistening on Bhisk's hip. He sheathed his sword and looked up at the Viper.

"This is Bhisk," Cherathai began, "The bravest of my warriors. He killed five of their caravan guards single-handedly. I will take two of you to my home on the other side of the mountains. You will have food, comfort, and an opportunity to rest and heal."

Bhisk was breathing harder now. His wound would need tending before the night was through. Hopefully the journey wouldn't be as long for the snake as it was for their companions.

"Climb on my back," The snake continued, "I'll take us a secret way. One only I know. Your friends will join you in five days. Provided they behave."

Harmond climbed onto the taller snake's back and held on as best as he could to the Cherathai's sinuous body. He was a shoddy rider in the best of saddles and the best trained of mounts. Bhisk climbed on behind him, wrapping his arms around the Dog's waist and locking his legs tight around the snake's body. The position, and lack of clothes covering the lizard's crotch, made things a little more awkward, but it was better than falling off. Harmond made eye contact with Zroc one last time before the snake started to rapidly slither away from the oasis.