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Zrask

He could smell the mire before it ever came into sight--a sickly stench of death and decay. There was a light fog about the ground that crept from the swamp, almost as if the swamp were creeping further out into the woods. Even the mosquitoes were overly abundant, always winging their way in to feed on exposed parts of his body. The Raglash mire as they came to call it was the quickest, though not the safest route to Caladir. There were rumors spread about the swamps themselves and how very few escape it alive, but he was led to believe that they were just that, rumors.

Talaron shifted his pack on his back and slowly walked toward the stench. His companion was slapping at his arms, face, and hands like a lunatic trying to kill the mosquitoes. He gave the young man a smile and said, "This next trek is going to be worse, so get use to it."

"Yes sir," said the youth with a touch of disdain.

The mere sight of the swamp was as mutually disgusting as the stench it created, and the fog was heavier here and barely moved at all. Nearby puddles of goop bubbled as rotting vegetation released gasses. A nearby frog croaked a final warning and leapt into the filthy water with a sickly splash. Talaron took his walking stick and prodded a nearby patch of grasses, hoping it'd be dry enough to support his weight. Even as his stick touched the patch, the water rushed in to take over that spot his stick had touched almost as if it were alive.

With a sigh of resignation he took the first step into the mire. The thick water spread to his invading foot and he could feel the thick mud beneath sucking at his legs. He shook his head and placed his other foot in, letting himself get accustomed to the feel of the sickly fluid. He turned around and said, "You know, if you picture this as a big puddle of mud water you can almost bear it."

The youth smirked sarcastically and edged closer to the brink of the mire. He sucked in his breath and took a dainty step into the puddle, only to recoil as it sucked at his boot. Talaron chuckled as the youth pulled his foot out with a look of disgust on his face. He held up his hand and said, "Well you can't turn back now, its only forward we can go."

The youth looked down and stuck his foot into the muck again, this time settling his foot into the muddy water. Talaron nodded and said, "Good, then onward we go," as he turned and started plodding through the thick slime and mud.

Talaron ran into a few potholes where his lower half completely submerged under the surface of the water, and other times he'd find some solid ground where he could get out to pluck leeches and the like from his skin. The youth was more disgusted by the presence of leeches in the water then the water itself as they always found their way into his clothes. Even the mosquitoes were less bothersome then the leeches were, most mosquitoes leaving them be for the most part.

After a brief pause to pluck leeches from their bodies Talaron forged on, sticking his feet back into the dirty water. The youth was hesitant to enter the water, but as Talaron continued to walk on further he stumbled into the water and called out, "Wait up!"

Talaron chuckled and called back to him, "Look, it could be a lot worse. WE could be something's meal right now, but we aren't so live with it."

The youth nodded and trudged as quickly as he could to catch up to Talaron. The swamp seemed to go on endlessly, as the fog concealed anything more then thirty feet away from them. More then once Talaron could hear his companion mumbling under his breath as he stepped into a particularly slick part of the swamp. He had a few ideas about what his face looked like after each fit, but he didn't turn to look.

It was practically impossible to tell what time of the day it was because the fog, so thickly spread through the swamp even blotted out the sun. He knew that they had been in the swamp for about four hours, so it had to be around mid-afternoon. Talaron looked back to his companion, chuckling as the youth struggled with a root that had snagged his pants. After the youth managed to dislodge the root from his clothes Talaron said, "How does a short break sound?"

The youth looked around at the water around him and said, "Uh, uh. Lets get to drier ground this place is an awful place to stop."

Talaron nodded and continued his trek through the swamp--the youth stumbling after. The swamp seemed to let up slightly as a few slightly raised clumps of grasses appeared ahead. Talaron turned his head and shouted, "Looks like you are in luck, I see some dry areas ahead."

The youth pulled his foot up out of the water and shook a few rotting leaves from it and then he stepped forward again, this time coming down into a pothole. The youth yelped as he sank up to his hips in the water and Talaron turned to see what had happened.

"I told you to follow me," said Talaron with a chuckle, "don't be wandering stray from my path or you'll find yourself swimming in the stuff."

The youth climbed out of the pothole and stood with his arms out to his sides as goop dripped off his sleeves. He frowned and trudge quickly over to where Talaron stood, humiliated. Talaron smiled and said, "Don't worry we'll take a break soon enough, just as soon as we find a larger clump of raised land."

They trudged on to the clumps of grasses and used them as stepping-stones to avoid walking through the mire. This sped up their progress a little more then if they had been trudging through the water, and they soon came to a larger patch of raised grasses. The youth happily scrambled up onto it and sat on a log peeling leeches, leaves, and any other debris he picked up off. Talaron did likewise and removed as many leeches as he could find, though he knew he couldn't remove all of them. Talaron rifled through his backpack until he found his dried foodstuff and he too sat on a nearby log. The youth pulled off his own pack and pulled out his food as well.

After a short meal their journey continued across the marsh. Talaron made sure to keep them on dry land as long as possible, always exploring dry patches with his staff and checking each log for support. They progressed much faster then they had previously and soon came to a part of the marsh much more elevated. Talaron could also see faint traces of old traveler's--a broken belt strap strung over a branch, or a few semi-rotten carved pieces of wood. Talaron's companion became more joyous when they saw these objects and said, "I guess we are almost out of here after all."

Talaron nodded and said, "It would seem that way lad."

Talaron looked as far to the east as he could in the fog knowing that they had a long way to go yet. The fog was thickening with the coming of the night, and the frogs were in chorus along with the insects. The swamp was slowly becoming dark, and the stench was increasing. Then he noticed a lone frog unaware of a snake creeping up on it. The snake lunged, coiling around the frog and squeezing it till it no longer moved. Talaron looked around and said, "We'll set up a camp here, there will be no more traveling for the night."

He flopped his backpack on the ground and sat down on a nearby log. His companion did likewise on a different log and asked, "Should we set up a watch for tonight? I mean just in case?"

Talaron chuckled and said, "Well if you want to go ahead be my guest, I'm going to sleep."

The youth looked askance at him in disbelief that he isn't even slightly worried about sleeping here. With a shake of his head Talaron pulled out his traveler's blanket and draped it over a nearby branch. He also pulled off his tunic and began removing the leeches that slipped in under his tunic, also pulling away wet leaves and small pieces of wood. He looked up and said, "You should probably do the same, no sense in sleeping with all this grime all over your body, and the leeches will likely suck you dry."

The youth quickly stripped off his tunic and started plucking leeches away with gusto. Talaron chuckled and shook his tunic out to rid it of drying leaves and twigs, and also to help dry it out a little bit. After a thorough check for leeches and other uncomfortable debris Talaron laid his blanket on the ground and fell back onto it with a sigh, looking skyward. The youth, a little more apprehensive remained on the log watching the surrounding swamp bubble and slop.

As the night fell over the swamp the noise of the frogs and insects seem to amplify and the sound of bubbles rising to the surface rose to almost screeching heights. Talaron's companion couldn't even lay on his blanket, fearful that something out there was waiting to get them. Talaron was still on his blanket, his eyes closed, his hand resting over his belt where a dagger lay sheathed. The youth started to feel the ridiculousness of staying up if Talaron wasn't even worried. So settling down onto his blanket he closed his eyes and tried to drown out the sounds around him so that he could get some shuteye. He was exhausted from the long days trek through the swamp--the mud having made it more difficult then if they were walking on dry land.

As his mind settled into the pre-phase of unconsciousness, the moment where one would feel separated from their body, he heard a barely audible sloshing sound. It was a similar sound to something that walks. He opened his eyes and shifted them to the right side, inspecting where Talaron lay sleeping, nothing was there yet the sound grew even louder. His heart rate began to quicken as the sound grew, and he almost feared looking the other way. His eyes slowly rotate in his skull to get a bead on the left side of him, facing the marsh, and a large black pool of slime. Nothing could be seen, just a gnarled log and the few floating pieces of vegetation and twigs. He blinked, his breath coming in short gulps as he felt a sudden fear surge up inside him. He risked moving ever so slightly and caught a movement out in the black pool of water, a slow almost deliberate motion coming his way. His eyes focused on the pool, but he still couldn't see anything.

He thought his mind was playing tricks on him, hallucinations deduced by the fog, and the stench of the bog. He closed his eyes and again heard the same sloshing sound from the water, and growing ever clearer. He began to shake, not sure of what to do. He could wake up Talaron, but if it were his imagination Talaron would get quite upset. He could stay up all night and keep watch, but he knew he couldn't manage to do that. He shuddered slightly at the thought of being wrong, and then heard a great rushing sound that was quite perceivable as something not in his head. It was the sound of something large, very large rushing through the water.

He turned his head sharply and readied himself to run, but it was too late. A great gaping maw full of sharp teeth came down, closing around his lower body. He let out a scream of pain and fear that jolted Talaron from his sleep. Then the youth was flung from side to side by an enormous reptilian monster like a rag doll. The beast was huge, its skin covered in thick scales, and its back covered in large bony protrusions.

Talaron whipped out his lengthy dagger and rushed at the beast attacking the youth. The youth screamed and clutched at the great snout of the monster that held him in its great jaws. He could feel the teeth grating into his hips, and his thigh, each thrash from it digging the teeth in even deeper. It was a pain like he were being slowly torn apart. Talaron jumped to the beast's side and stabbed the dagger downward, piercing its right eye. The beast let the youth go as it thrashed to relieve itself of its pain, but it was now blind in one eye and blood coursed down from its eye socket to the murky water. A ruddy froth erupted from the water as the beast thrashed in pain, the dagger still embedded in its eye. Talaron scooped up the youth's smaller dagger and got into a steady stance, ready to fight.

The youth lay on his side, the wind knocked out of him, and blood coursing down the bank and into the water. His whole lower torso was shredded and his clothes were in tatters. As the beast descended into the water Talaron quickly knelt down next to the youth's side. He gently turned him over and said in a rushed voice, "You'll be okay," and then he ran over to his backpack and drew out a rolled up piece of cloth.

He knelt down and unrolled the cloth, applying it to the youth's wounds. His companion cried out in pain as the cloth touched his torn flesh, and the blood quickly soaked into the cloth turning it crimson with his blood. Talaron continued to apply pressure to the wounds, but there were so many gashes that he didn't have enough cloth to cover all of it. Talaron shook his head and pulled his blanket over, using that to stuff into the wounds as well. His companion felt lightheaded from the loss of blood and he started to go into shock as his hands started to shake involuntarily. Talaron grabbed the youth's blanket and wrapped him in it to keep him warm, and to help keep him from going into serious shock.

The youth was crying, all feeling fading from anything below his waist. He guessed that it was due to the loss of blood, or shock. Talaron heaved a log over and elevated his legs to help keep the blood where it was needed, but there was still too much blood loss and the youth was slipping away fast. Talaron leaned over and held the cloth firmly to the youth's wounds and he said, "You'll be okay, we just have to stop this bleeding," then the youth started to daze out. Talaron smacked his face and said, "Stay with me."

The youth gasped out, "I don't," then paused as he tried to catch his breath, "think--

"No, you will be alright, I didn't bring you out here to die Velarn," replied Talaron with a hint of doubt and sobbing on his lips.

Velarn held his arm and asked critically, "I can't feel my legs anymore, what does that mean?"

Talaron shook his head and replied as confidently as he could manage, "It means nothing, just relax, I'll have you fixed up in no time."

Talaron could see how pale his companion was becoming, and how dazed he was. Somewhere he knew the truth--he wasn't going to live. He gritted his teeth and tightly compressed the wounds, and then said, "Hold these as tightly as you can."

The youth held the cloth to his wounds as hard as he could though his strength was waning, and he was losing coercion. Talaron looked around for anything that could help them, but to his dismay and fear there was nothing to help them. Not even some vines to tie the cloth to the wounds. Talaron picked the youth up and said, "We'll get you out of here as quickly as possible, just hold in there."

Velarn nodded and held the cloth firmly in his wounds, preventing any further blood loss--the damage already done. Talaron rose to his feet carrying his companion, leaving his other belongings behind, and walked into the murky water heading east toward Caladir. As the night wore away Talaron found himself lost in the murky black swamp, his thought leading him astray of his direction. It all looked so familiar to him now, almost as if he were traveling in circles. The youth was in worse condition, his eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow. Talaron couldn't let him die; he had taken him under his protection after his parents died of the vursa scourge. He couldn't die.

His wandering produced nothing more then tiring him and he soon came up to another dry shore. It was bare of debris, and dead branches and yet a couple large trees stood up along its shore and further in to the elevated land. He rested his unconscious companion on the shore and crawled up onto it sucking in his breath. The youth's breath was very shallow now and he looked almost dead. His pale skin reflected the scant moonlight that dared to touch the sullen swamp, making his skin glow. Talaron lowered his head and closed his eyes in silent mourning. This couldn't have happened. It was his fault, and he knew it. He was the stubborn one that wanted to take the shortest route, even though the peril was greater.

Talaron heard a sound coming from a clump of undergrowth, and he raised his head to see what had made the sound. He grabbed the youth's dagger and held it up to shoulder level ready to use it if the need called. He slowly rose to his feet and walked toward the bushes, passing a few trees that towered above him. He didn't hear a single sound now, almost as if the sound never were. The only sound he could hear now was the sound of the insects and the sound of the frogs and any other small animal that managed to stay alive out in the swamp.

He brought the dagger up and walked toward the bush, there was something there and he had to find out what it was. He took one step closer to the bush and then his whole world turned upside down as a noose caught around his foot and pulled him up into the air. He cried out startled and he dropped the dagger without thinking. There was a quiet sound from the bush, as of leaves brushing past canvas. Then he saw something emerging from the bush, a humanoid form, but not humanoid. The creature had gray scales all over its body, except on its stomach where there were more pale almost pearly-colored scales. As the form neared, Talaron began to panic, he jerked his hands up to fend off the creature, but the creature stopped a few feet away from him with its head cocked to the side. It was inspecting him, and didn't know what to make of him.

As the creature showed no signs of attacking him he lowered his hands and let them dangle under him. He stared at the creature and saw it pull a long slender blade from behind its back. It kept staring at him and for a moment Talaron thought it was going to actually kill him. When it threw the blade his instincts told him to close his eyes and prepare for a sharp pain anywhere in his body, but none came. Instead he heard a snap and then felt himself falling by the rope at his feet. He collapsed on the ground roughly and mashed his face in some mud at the base of the tree. He winced as the repulsive stench reached his nose and he jerked his hands under him to push away from the ground.

The creature quickly got into a stance with its tail perked up behind it and its clawed hands were held in the air. Talaron held up his hands and said, "I am unarmed."

The creature flicked out its tongue and straightened out, standing just a little shorter then he stood. He noticed that it had a leather harness around its body and on its back was a spear. He looked at it with apprehension, and then remembered his companion dying over on the shore. He raised his hands and said, "I don't want you to hurt me, but I have a dying companion over on the shore that needs help."

The creature leaned its head to the side and spotted the pale form on the shore, lifeless. It pulled the spear off its back and nodded in the direction of the body. Talaron slowly turned and walked over to the youth, who lay motionless, almost dead. He leaned down and grabbed the youth's cold hands and then looked up to the creature.

"Can you help?"

The creature knelt down and gently felt the youth's neck for a pulse, and when it felt a barely readable one it stood up and let out a deep guttural hiss that was echoed by something in the bush where this one had come from. A second creature emerged from the bushes and walked over--this one having mud-brown scales and an orangey colored underside. It walked over and then Talaron noticed something about the two of them...they were slightly different, the mud-brown colored one having short horns on its head and the other having no horns. Perhaps it was a male and a female? Or maybe it was age?

He didn't mull over it long as his main concern was his companion. The mud-brown scaled one leaned down and scooped up the lifeless form and turned toward the bush. For a moment he thought they might eat the poor lad, but the way it handled his body he guessed otherwise. The gray scaled one looked at him and hissed out in a slightly female voice, "Isss...you human?"

Talaron stared in amazement at the creature and nodded his head solemnly. The creature nodded and spoke in his broken tongue, "You...come."

Talaron nodded and rose to his feet. The scaled creature turned and walked back to the bush from which it came, this time leading Talaron through it. Behind the bush was a long dry elevated area of turf, and the swamp lay all around it. Beyond that he saw it branch off in several directions. It was like a bridge made of earth, and yet it was dry compared to the sodden soil so familiar in the swamp. There was even less of a stench here. Surprisingly the mud-color scaled creature was nowhere to be seen with his companion, and it amazed him how fast they disappeared. They had followed seconds after his companion was carried away.

The gray scaled one walked ahead of him, its spear now slung on its back. He never saw a creature quite like these. From the one he was following he could see it had a short snout, and gray scales all over its body. Its tail was long, and slightly undulated as it walked. Talaron found himself fascinated by the way the tail moved as the creature walked--it walked like a human. It also had small claws on its fingers, and they were well maintained, almost as if groomed.

She led him down the trail further until they reached another large clump of trees and a large bush. She hissed and parted the bush to let him enter. Talaron looked in the opening and saw an immense village there with many torches and building structures. There were even a few of the creatures walking around. He couldn't believe that such a place existed here. Never in any of the stories he's heard did anyone mention any such place. He then thought about the negative side to not hearing about this place...perhaps the others to make it out of this swamp never came this way, and those that did were captured and held prisoner here...or worse. He looked nervously at her and she motioned for him to enter.

He cautiously walked through the bushes going against his better judgment and she followed after, letting the bush fall back into place. There were many of these creatures walking around, some with bundles of sticks over their shoulders, and others with weapons, namely those used for hunting. The fog was held in limbo just outside the light from the torches, almost as if it were afraid of the flames. There was even a pleasant smell in the air that overcame the putrid smell of decay--the smell of cooked food. It was a welcoming smell, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was that was cooking. For all he knew it could be his companion.

She led him to a long flat building made of mud and sticks. There was a furry skin hanging in the doorway as a partition from the outside, also there to offer privacy. She nodded at the doorway and said with a little difficulty, "Go inssside."

Talaron nodded and smiled as warmly as he could at her, letting her know that he meant no harm. She caught his smile and smiled in return, showing a few of her sharp teeth. Talaron's smile quickly faded, and she became aware of why and closed her lips. Talaron parted the skin and walked into the hut. The building was decidedly warmer then outside, and was quite dry. He noticed a few furs on the ground from animals he has never seen before. There were no windows in the building, and there was a small fire pit near the wall where a small fire crackled away. The smoke from the fire slowly left the building through a large round opening in the ceiling. He also noticed that there were some mediocre furnishings in the building as well, made from dried wood and tied together with leather straps. He sat on the furs and waited to see what they would do with him.

The same gray-scaled creature entered the hut and stared at him for a moment. She then pulled the spear off her back and set it against the wall near the door. Talaron could feel his arms shaking from the tenseness of his muscles after carrying the youth so far and for so long. She noticed his shaking and raised her hand.

"I ...not...harm," she said jaggedly.

Talaron nodded his head and asked, "What are you going to do with me and the lad?"

She slowly walked over with her head down and she took a seat in one of the chairs in the room. Talaron raised his voice again thinking that perhaps she didn't catch what he asked.

"What are you going to do with me and the lad?"

She looked up and spoke softly, "Young one isss...gone."

Talaron couldn't believe her words and rose to his feet. She looked at him in apprehension and raised her hand in peace. "We not kill young one, kassza kill him."

Talaron slowly settled down on the ground and placed his face in his hands. He shook his head and asked, "Why did I choose this route?"

She cocked her head to the side and asked, "Why did you choossse thisss route?"

Talaron looked up at her and said blandly, "It's suppose to be the quickest route between Caladir and Murgan--now I believe it is just a death-trap."

She flicked out her tongue and said slowly, "Sswamp no place for humansss? Isss they too ssslow?"

Talaron nodded and said, "Well if this place weren't so wet we'd be faster."

He noticed her brows furrow and she said, "Who isss you?"

Talaron regarded her with mild apprehension, and saw that she was neither threatening nor imposing. "My name is Talaron."

She nodded and slowly worded it out, "Ta-lll-arr-on."

He nodded and asked, "What is your name?"

She flicked out her tongue again and said her name slowly, "Ssseraisssa."

He nodded and she rose to her feet. She slowly walked over and offered a hand to him. He looked at her hand for a second, noticing the fine scales all over her hand that blended perfectly with lighter scales on her underarm and palm. He placed his hand in her hand, and found out something else--she was warm-blooded. He was expecting cold hands but they were warm...warmer then his own. She pulled him to his feet with little effort and he tumbled into her not expecting her strength. She let out a brief hiss as his body collided with her own and his hand grabbed at her shoulder trying to steady himself. He pulled away embarrassed and frightened that he just did something to startle her into aggression, but she snickered and held onto his hand.

Talaron could feel the strength of the muscles in her hands and knew that he would stand little chance against her even if he had caught her off guard. She would have had no difficulty tearing him apart. He looked at her wide eyed and stumbled out, "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean to--

She smiled and said, "You are a ssstrange human."

He smiled at her and she let go of his hand. Talaron looked down at his hand and noticed a couple small marks in the back of his hand from her claws, but they weren't bleeding, just indents. She looked to the skin in her doorway and noticed a face peering through at them, but with a quick hiss from her the face disappeared from view. Talaron felt doubly embarrassed. She said softly, "Come Talllron."

He nodded ignoring the lull on his name and followed her as she exited the hut. There was a little more commotion in the village, and the light seemed to increase slightly as if dawn were approaching. Talaron looked around noticing that many of these creatures had similar colors to that of the swamp--dark hues of green, brown, and lighter hues of gray, brown, and green. And it seemed that all the males had horns on their heads, while the females were lacking. Seraisa led him deep into the village, to where larger, more prominent buildings stood. Seraisa looked at him and said, "Ssstay outssside. I return."

Talaron nodded and stood exactly where she said to stand. She gave him a brief smile and quickly entered the building. He started to notice that some faces were peering out doorways in nearby houses, and the longer he stood there the more plentiful the faces became, until it seemed he was a strange spectacle for the viewing. He had to remind himself that these people probably never saw something like him before and so they were justified to be inquisitive. He bore the stares he got until he heard the skin on the doorway shift and then open. A brown-scaled person walked out and then another and then another. And finally Seraisa walked out behind them.

They in turn looked upon him in disbelief, they too had never seen one of his kind before it seemed. Seraisa hissed to them and looked back to Talaron. They looked uneasily at Talaron and then hissed in conversation with each other and Seraisa, obviously about him. It was strange being the target of a conversation and not even understanding the tongue they spoke--it was alienating. A few of the brown-scaled ones nodded and hissed some more, this time at Seraisa. She looked down and nodded, and then with a bow she hissed something back to them--possibly thanks?

She turned on Talaron with a sly looking smile on her face, a smile that was really creepy. Talaron raised his eyebrows and asked, "What did they say?"

She walked closer to him and said softly, "They decide you isss no threat. You get to ssstay."

He furrowed his brows trying to place where he said to her he wanted to stay. Maybe she asked if she could keep him? He didn't know, and was afraid to ask her what she had planned for him. He couldn't believe he managed to get into this situation, and the thought of never leaving bore down his mind. He knew he had to escape from this place, though inside he knew it would not be wise. There was so many thoughts flying around in his head that he was not even sure of what to say when she finally asked, "Isss you ready?"

He looked up to her but not a single word left his lips. She cocked her head to the side trying to figure out what had suddenly come over her new find. Talaron shook his head and said, "I need to know some things first Seraisa," he looked into her eyes, "What did you tell or ask them?"

She righted her head and said in a short burst, "If me can keep you."

Talaron was right; he knew he was nothing more then a pet, a prisoner. It was true that he wasn't going to face any perils other then what the creature possibly had in mind for him, but it was the essence of his residence here. He looked down and clenched his fist, again cursing his trek into the swamp. He would have been wiser to take the longer route around, but eagerness and stubbornness made him take the swamp route. Seraisa cocked her head to the side and purred.

"What isss wrrrong?" she asked with a touch of the purr influencing the 'r'.

Talaron breathed in deeply and said, "Am I a prisoner?"

She furrowed her scaly brows and asked rhetorically, "Prisssoner?"

Talaron nodded and she snickered, "No, not prisssoner. You are ssspecial, not prisssoner."

Somehow this didn't feel assuring, maybe special meant pet, in which case he was a prisoner. He looked around at the many scaly faces that seemed to have congregated around him, noticing some younger ones in the midst. They reminded him of little kids back home; only they were scaled, and had tails. Seraisa nodded back down the path, and hissed out, "Thisss way Talllaron. We go back now."

He nodded and followed after, trying to ignore all the eyes focused on him. Though, as they walked some followed. It was as if he were some mutant that was dragged in from the woodlands. It was attention he hated, almost as if they were waiting for something. Silently he followed Seraisa--back to her hut. He had no clue what to do now. He wasn't even sure he could find his way out of the swamp now that he was all turned around, and even the stars couldn't help him find his path. He was trapped here, and not by force.

As her hut came into view he saw the ones following him fade to a very scant few, apparently he was less appealing then most had assumed. She slowed to a stop just outside her hut and said softly, "You ssstay with me in there, I will return."

He nodded and entered the door, back into the dry warmth of her cozy hut. There wasn't much he could do. If he ran they'd catch him surely, if he tried to swim, who knows how good at swimming they were...or how good with the spear they were. He'd be dead before making it twenty feet. He walked over and sat on the furs, and placed his chin on his fist in contemplation. Maybe since they didn't bind him up he could just walk out on them, but where would he go from there? He had to remember that he was deep in the Raglash mire, far from any human civilization. No one knew they had walked in here so no one would expect them to show up later. He closed his eyes and listened to the slight crackling of the fire, it reminded him of his last night with Velarn, the youth he traveled with. They didn't even set up a night shift to make sure nothing bad happened. It was all his fault. He shook his head in despair.

He heard some noise outside the hut, from something brushing against the skin hanging over the doorway. He darted his eyes up and briefly caught sight of a dark green-scaled person retreating. He nodded, and thought to himself, they are so ignorant. It seems they never saw anything outside their race before; maybe I'm the first to actually live long enough to be found by them.

He shook his head not believing what he just thought. Maybe people made it through the swamp, but they took alternate routes. It was a big swamp from what his maps said, so it was possible to miss someplace like this. Not to mention that the fog would make visibility real low. Talaron stretched, feeling the stiff muscles in his back grow taut. Then a pain shot up his back from his overworked muscles and he recoiled into a hunch with his eyes closed tightly.

He righted again and sighed, he couldn't do more traveling this night...or morning, and in fact he felt weary. He had very little sleep during the night, and he also carried Velarn the long distance to this village. He fell back onto the soft furs, and stared at the nondescript ceiling. It was a simple thatched roof, solely made for providing cover from rain. He looked at his hand and noticed how grimy he looked. There was flecks of mud caked on his skin, and also pieces of rotting vegetation. Talaron's clothes were even more ghastly to look at. He quickly got off the furs so as to not make them dirty with his grime. He looked down at his clothes, which were slightly torn, and very dirty. He peeled off his boots and placed them next to him, and then he pulled off a few leeches that had managed to squirm their way down his boots. He lobbed them into the fire where they sizzled and popped. He rolled up his leggings and peeled off a few more leeches, also tossing them into the fire. He then unbuttoned his tunic and pulled it over his head. He felt the sticky bodied leeches on the inside of his shirt, and he promptly started picking them off. There were tons of leeches, and it was amazing that they didn't suck him dry.

As the last leech sizzled noisily on the fire Talaron collected his boots and tunic, and then draped them over a chair. He rubbed his hand through his hair, and felt the mud caked there as well. He wasn't sure that the fascination the reptilian people had for him was unjustified anymore; he knew he must've been a sight. His hair was matted and caked in mud, his face had streaks of it all over, and his neck was completely covered in the stuff. He felt repulsed with himself and sucked in his breath. He also smelled slightly musty from the mud and vegetation.

His eyes caught sight of a large bowl over by the door, though he didn't remember seeing it there before. He slowly crept over to the door and opened the flap of skin only to see the swamp beyond, not the reptile he was expecting to see. He grinned and closed the flap, and then picked up the bowl of water. Surprisingly the water was clear, and not swarming with the filth of decaying matter. He also found a strange porous object in the water. He reached into the bowl and touched the object, feeling how resilient it was. He nodded and decided it was something to help clean himself with. He pulled the porous object from the water, and squeezed it to release some of the trapped water inside it. It was a strange sponge he realized. He was amazed at how much water could be held in the thing, as it seemed the bowl seemed to fill almost to the brim. Talaron gently applied it to his face and neck, continuously dipping the object in the water until the water turned brown with the mud from his face and neck.

He carefully cleaned the grime from his shoulders and chest and his arms, leaving his back due to the inability to reach that far back. He tried to get as much grime off his back as possible with the limited range he had, and then he felt something grab the sponge. He froze for a second, startled. He looked over his shoulder and saw Seraisa kneeling there. Talaron wondered how she snuck in so quietly; he wasn't being noisy about cleaning. She nodded at him and started to scrub his back, cleaning away the mud and debris that he couldn't reach. He was still a little uneasy--after all he was practically naked in front of a stranger, and it wasn't a human one. She dipped the sponge in the bowl and rinsed it off as best she could and then she repeated the process.

She stopped scrubbing him and said in a low tone, "You isss cleaned--well mossstly cleaned."

He nodded and said quietly and slightly embarrassed, "Thank you."

She nodded and hissed, "Ssstill not clean, you handle ressst. Me go outssside get more water."

He looked at her and nodded, knowing that he still had to clean his lower body--he didn't want her helping him with that. She rose to her feet and grabbed the bowl. She said, "Me will be back," and then she disappeared through the flap.

Then minutes later she returned with a bowl of clean water. She handed Talaron the bowl and then walked outside. He looked at the flap making sure that no one was watching and then he stripped his pants off. He scrubbed all the grime off and then went over his whole body again, this time cleaning off the remnants of the muddy water he used before. His hair was a different story and he had to dip it into the bowl and scrub it out that way. Once he was sure his hair no longer had globs of mud clinging to it he squeezed out his hair into the bowl and placed the bowl on the floor. He looked at his now clean body and then looked at his filthy clothes. There was no way he was going to get dressed in those grimy clothes. He looked at the flap and noticed an eye peering in. Instantly, he felt his face flush and he covered his genitals--the eye disappeared.

Talaron wished there were a clasp, or maybe even wooden doors to the hut so he could keep it shut and not worry about people peering in. He picked up his clothes and piled them by the door, and then looked around for a spare fur or something to wrap around himself so he could try to find some water to clean his clothes with. He found a piece of bare skin and picked it up. This too was soft like the furs that made up the bed. He smiled in satisfaction and wrapped it around his body. As he turned to retrieve his clothes he found the pile missing, stolen the moment he turned to grab the skin. He sighed in resignation and sat on a chair. It creaked slightly under his weight, but it held.

He rubbed his face feeling completely lost. Talaron looked down at the ground and watched as a few droplets of water slowly evaporated and disappeared. He closed his eyes and listened to the flames, and then he felt a slight breeze. He opened his eyes not even surprised that it was Seraisa who had just entered. She looked him over and flicked her tongue. She lowered her head and said, "I sssorry. Clothesss isss very unclean, it being wassshed."

Talaron nodded at her and said, "Thank you Seraisa."

She looked up and smiled at him appreciating his thanks. She walked over and said, "Me want to sssee you body. Ssstand pleassse."

He raised an eyebrow at her and slowly rose to his feet, folding the edge of the skin around his waist into itself to hold it up. She cocked her head to the side and flicked her tongue briefly. Then she reached out a hand to touch his hair, no longer muddy and matted down. She purred and said, "Sssoft like peltsss, but no like peltsss. And you isss not all furry. Ssstrange..."

He nodded and asked, "What do you want from me Seraisa?"

She shifted her gaze to his eyes and repeated his words, and then replied, "Me no want anything, jussst sssee you. Never sssee you kind here, only hear ssstory."

He grinned and asked, "How long have your people been living out here?"

She furrowed her brows and replied slowly, "Many, many moon cyclesss. Longer then many of usss remember."

She touched his shoulder, looking at his skin and how dissimilar it was from her scaly skin. Her touch sent a chill up his spine, and she noticed little bumps form across his skin. She rubbed her hand over them and asked, "What isss thessse bumpsss?"

He looked at his arm and said, "They are called goose bumps, you made me shiver so that is my bodies reaction."

She gave him a wry look and said, "Try that on me," and she took his hand in hers.

He held his breath for a second and nodded, not seeing any harm in it. He carefully ran his hand up her arm, and she did nothing. He said, "I guess it is not in your bodies natural response."

She looked at her arm and then back to his and hissed. She leaned her head to the side and reached out her hand to his face, touching his nose, and eyebrows. She flicked her tongue and then looked in his green eyes.

"You eyesss isss prrretty," she stated with a slight purr.

He felt heat rushing to his face--this was a strange conversation and he wasn't use to it. He smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, your eyes are quite unique as well."

"Unique?" she asked.

"Yes," Talaron replied, "Like saying pretty."

She smiled and said, "Thanksss," it almost seemed like she was blushing.

She continued to look at his face, and she ran her clawed finger over his lips. He partially smiled and she looked closer, inspecting his flat teeth. She reached up a hand and touched her own feeling how pointy they were. Talaron said, "I eat vegetables and meat. So my teeth are more flat. You have sharper teeth so you must eat more meat."

She nodded and hissed, "Yesss...that isss it."

Talaron nodded and asked, "What is your race called Seraisa?"

She looked into his eyes and said, "I am Zrasssk."

He nodded and repeated the word 'Zrask' and then he said, "I've never heard of your race before. I've heard of the Sauran who are similar to you, but they are cold-blooded, much like common lizards."

She tilted her head and said, "Sssauran isss long cousssinsss to Zrasssk. We no know they ssstill exissst."

He nodded and said, "They do exist, but they live to the far south, in the warmest part of the land."

She smiled and he saw her eyes glint for a second, and then she said, "You can teach me much."

He nodded and for a moment thought to ask about the pending question, "Can I leave", but he heard a slight hiss from the doorway and looked over there forgetting to ask. There was a dark gray-scaled Zrask there, a male. He flicked his tongue and then said in Talaron's tongue, "Human, sssee what we do for companion."

Talaron nodded and looked at Seraisa again, she had resumed looking at his body, noting his many similarities and dissimilarities. Talaron took her hand and said, "I must go to see what they did for my companion."

She nodded and straightened up. She gave a nod to the dark gray Zrask and he disappeared. She said, "I sssorry you friend not here. Kassza isss big animal, but we catch Kassza many timesss."

He nodded solemnly and replied, "I know, it is still saddening."

She cocked her head to the side and asked, "Me isss sssorry, me try to make better."

He looked up and she smiled at him. She took his hand and said, "They make you friend ssso he no look chewed."

Talaron nodded and followed her. He re-tucked the skin around his waist and then continued. They traveled deep into the village again, his semi-nakedness drawing more attention then he liked. But unlike humans they were only curious about what he, the human was doing, coupled by the fact he was now clean. Seraisa led him to an open sided building and Talaron could see a form lying on a table, he had vines tied in a circle under him like a stretcher. Velarn was now all cleaned up from his attack. All blood was washed away, and all his wounds sealed by stitches. He looked almost as he did when he was alive, the only difference was that he was pale, ghostly pale. Seraisa walked over and stood next to another Zrask that was waiting nearby, and then they both started to talk in their hissing language. Talaron walked over and knelt next to the table. He looked over Velarn's face and said to him, "I'm sorry this had to happen to you. It was my fault, and I should have never come this way at all."

He sighed and looked down for a moment, and then looked up to Seraisa and the other Zrask. Seraisa hissed something to the other and then they both walked off. Talaron nodded his appreciation, and then looked over Velarn's face again.

"Lad you were a brave one, and a true friend. You will surely be missed, and I hope that the realm of Eathor is kind upon you. It looks like I shall be staying here for a while...perhaps a lifetime. I don't know, but I know that your memory will live on far beyond your death, and even mine. I will have to go on now, and lay you to rest. I will tell them to burn your body so that you are not defiled by the filth of the swamp."

He felt a brief spasm of sorrow overcome him and then he sucked in his breath. He wiped his eyes and said, "Farewell young Velarn, the adventure was great," and he placed his hand on his brow giving his final parting. And then he rose from a crouch and looked for Seraisa and the other Zrask. They were a few yards down the street watching him, and when he stood and turned to them they began walking over to him. As they neared Talaron said, "Please burn his body."

Seraisa nodded and the other Zrask said, "I isss sssorry for your losss. I will honor your requessst and burn hisss body."

Talaron lowered his head and said softly, "Thank you."

Seraisa placed a hand on his shoulder and then as he raised his eyes to her she said, "Letsss go Talllaron."

Talaron nodded and walked away with her, leaving the other Zrask to his work. The route back to her hut was full of the faces of Zrask of many different ages, and most had their eyes on him. He looked over the many faces and noticed a face unlike many of the others. It was a Zrask but her face was not the normal color of the swamp, but rather a more ruddy color. She looked quite out of place amongst the many gray and brown faces, and it showed Talaron that diversity did exist in this place like many other places he's seen.

Talaron felt the weight of the need for sleep pressing down on his head and he yawned despite all he's been through. Seraisa nodded and said, "Yesss, itsss been long night."

Talaron nodded at her and said, "I've been awake the whole night, and had a very short rest last night."

She flicked her tongue and walked over to the entrance of her hut. She parted the flap and let Talaron enter first, and then she followed after. Talaron eyed the cozy looking furs and felt the need for sleep overcoming him. He was exhausted mentally and physically. Seraisa walked over and knelt down on the furs. Talaron watched her for a moment and she looked up at him and said, "You sssleep on fursss."

He nodded and walked over to the furs cautiously. She followed his movement with her eyes and then held out a hand to him in invitation to join her. He knelt down and he could hear her purring. She smiled and pulled his head back with her as she laid back. His head rested on her chest, and she remained supine. He felt a little strange lying in the bed with her, but he was so tired he couldn't help but relax. Her purring was like a child's lullaby, and soon he felt his mind drifting. Seraisa gently stroked his hair until he fell asleep and then she smiled to herself. She wrapped her tail up around him and placed her head on the furs, she too falling asleep.