[TWS] Chapter 288 – The Odd Tribe

“I agree,” Zoe said with a firm nod, capturing everyone’s attention.

“Looks like it’s not only me.” Selene rubbed her chin while glancing at the wolfkin. “I’m not surprised by Master noticing too since he is as sensitive to spiritual energy as I am, if not even more, but I’m curious about what you mean.”

“Do you know something, Zoe?” Miria trotted to her friend and tilted her head curiously.

The Wolfkin girl smiled softly. “Honestly, it’s not much, and I’m not even sure how correct it is since my knowledge comes from family stories and general information. The Lizardkin here are kind of weird.”

“How so?” Asterios raised a brow at her.

“First of all, it’s the tails,” she pointed out. “They shouldn’t have those. Lizardkin belong to the kind of beastfolk who don’t get tails from their beast bloodline. Their lineage shows through their reptile-like eyes, usually yellowish, and sporadic scales covering their bodies. With their bloodline activated, more scales appear, and after achieving their full potential, they become completely covered by them with their faces slightly changing shape like in Miria’s case.”

“Ah. Now that you mention it, that’s true.” The person in question hit her palm with her fist. “Remember that first Golem we found in your village, Master? You asked me about it and I mentioned that it didn’t look like any species of Lizardkin I know of. I can’t believe I missed it.”

“I wouldn’t be too hard on myself there, Miria. We’ve only seen a single person with a tail from up close and it was the guard that intercepted us. I think the chief had one too but it was almost fully covered by his clothes,” Silvia comforted her a little bit.

Asterios nodded at them and turned back to Zoe. “Anything else?”

“The scales,” she replied. “Their patterns aren’t what I’m used to, both from knowing a few Lizardkin personally and from some small artworks that can be considered family heirlooms that depict the Lizardkin from the Steppes.”

“That’s certainly true, in both cases.” Selene hummed to herself. “Though, in terms of scales, we can’t rule out the possibility of partial evolution and acclimatization due to the change in the environment.”

“There’s one more thing I noticed, and I’m sure you had too,” the canine girl continued. “It’s just that one guard and the chief, but thanks to the latter wearing loose robes, it was somewhat apparent that their backs are kind of uneven, puffed up perhaps. Not sure if it has something to do with those cuts in the material, but again, I’ve never seen those amongst the Lizardkin.”

“Yeah. It kind of looked like he was slightly hunched but he seemed to stand naturally straight.” Miria wrinkled her nose while pondering over it. “I met a person or two with hunched backs and you could almost see the curve go along with their neck.”

“It might just be part of their tribal attire or something. Maybe it’s somehow important and symbolic since only the two people you mentioned seemed to wear the altered clothes. Or it’s too connected to the harsh climate around here. They might be amongst those who aren’t perfectly adapted to it for whatever reason, maybe being born weaker, and the vertical slits are to cool their bodies somehow,” Tina suggested.

“Well, I don’t think we will be able to come up with an answer without asking questions,” Asterios said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Which will be tough since we promised not to pry too much. I’d rather save any potentially rude or nosy inquiries right before we leave just in case we create some bad blood between us.”

“I agree, my Lord.” Selene flashed him a gentle smile. “Besides, there’s one more thing, isn’t there?”

He smirked back at her. “Right. The spiritual energy.”

“Spiritual energy?” Grea frowned at them.

“You should try using your Third Eye when you get a chance, but be careful with it or you might hurt yourself,” Asterios replied, looking at his demon lover with genuine concern. “The mana around here is quite something. The whole Steppes are rich with it, but it concentrates around the village. My guess would be the meteor, but after being picked up so clean and after centuries have passed, there should be no more of it than mere traces.”

“So, it’s like in the Demon Continent?” Silvia asked.

“Similar, but different.” Selene shook her head. “Back there, the mana was condensed inside the massive barrier spanning over the entire continent. Here, it’s coming from beneath, from under the ground. It’s hard to say if we are dealing with another formation or something entirely different.”

“Do you think it might be one of the hideouts Master’s parents used? The other one isn’t exactly that far away from here but a True Dragon’s den might be the only thing capable of affecting an entire region like this. We’ve seen it in the Demon Continent, as you said. Perhaps this one is damaged or something. Maybe the meteor’s crash interfered with the protective arrays around it. In one of Master’s memories, Red said that their safehouses could become beacons when affected by external or internal influence,” Bryn shared her thoughts.

“We’ve barely crawled out of one underground pit and there’s already another to dive into? Ah fuck, are we sure Ast comes down from a Dragon and not some armored mole or armadillo? Maybe it’s the descendant of the Lizardkin’s god just like with the Foxkin goddess.” Grea snickered to herself.

“There is no doubt that Master is a True Dragon!” Miria strongly protested. “You’ve seen his magnificent shift yourself!”

“Alright, alright, chill, kitty girl.” The demon lady waved her hands in surrender while chuckling. “It was just a joke. I’ve thoroughly felt how mighty our handsome Dragon boy is.”

“What’s the plan, then?” Tina glanced at Asterios.

“I think we should split up and look around a bit more,” Selene answered first. “Some of us could search the village while the others examine the crash site and the settlement’s close vicinity in the meanwhile. We did promise not to bother the locals on our own, but it’s a different topic if they approach us first. There is bound to be at least one person curious enough to step forward.”

“Sounds good.” Asterios nodded. “We’ll have to be careful not to push it too far. Any suggestions on how we should split?”

“You should be in the group investigating the crater while I hang out with those in the village just in case they need me to refresh the spell. Your physique can deal with the atmosphere here without my help,” Silvia answered.

“Since you have your own magic eyes, I should lead the tourist band,” Grea chimed in.

“I’ll take Zoe to check out our surroundings if you allow us, Master.” Miria glanced up at him with puppy eyes. “We’ll take Umbra with us in case anything happens. I’m not going to recklessly put my friend in danger, even though I know how tough she is and that we can hold our own against the monsters here.”

“Leave the sky to me, then.” Bryn hit her breastplate with her fist. “I’ll keep an eye on everyone from above and move in whenever necessary.”

“That leaves just the three of us.” Asterios turned to Tina and Selene. “You going with me?”

The duo exchanged glances and the fox lady chuckled lightly. “I’ll head to the village. A beastfolk has the highest chances of getting attention from the residents. Even if they live somewhat isolated here, they should be aware of the existence of other subraces.”

“Then… I’ll go with you…” Tina smiled happily with a faint blush.

“Great. Let’s begin tomorrow morning. For today, let’s just relax after the long and exhausting journey which we should have experienced while getting here. We can’t look too unaffected,” he said and everyone agreed.

They discussed the plan excitedly afterward, unhurriedly spending some time before the evening came. As expected, a guard came to fetch them for an upcoming meal. The house they had been assigned wasn’t stocked up on anything since it was pretty much abandoned and it was only natural that their hosts would want to take care of their visitors.

Asterios and the girls made use of that opportunity and observed the Lizardkin who gathered in the dining hall their group was brought to. It certainly wasn’t the only one judging by its size. They saw and ate in restaurants bigger than that. But, many families most likely made their own food so it wasn’t necessary to have those communal diners be massive.

People generally stayed clear of them, but they could tell that it wasn’t out of malice or disdain. Some certainly were nervous, uncomfortable, anxious, or scared. Their table had no one other than them. Amongst the gathered participants, they didn’t see any more individuals with tails or slitted clothes.

The food was great and the beastfolk girls especially enjoyed it. The meat must have come from some kind of a beast roaming these lands since it was not just rich in flavor but also mana. It was pretty much soaked in it when compared to your usual animals or monsters in other regions of the world. Save for the Demon Continent. And for mystical beasts.

Not wanting to bother people during the dining hours, they returned home right after finishing feasting on the rare delicacies. It didn’t look like the dishes had been prepared specifically with the thought of them so it seemed that the entire tribe consumed that kind of meal daily. That could fetch a decent price outside of the Steppes, especially considering the trouble necessary to gather the ingredients.

Back at their borrowed place, they had some casual entertainment together and hit the bed after it got dark. Miria and Selene decided to jump back to their own residences to ease the burden on the princess, who was still keeping her protective spell active. Bryn followed their example. Naturally, Zoe was invited by her feline friend, delivered to her by Umbra, while Tina joined the vulpine lady. Grea requested to accompany their Valkyrie, leaving just Silvia behind with Asterios.

And just like that, the two people most resistant to the current climate shared the kind-of-simple bed together. The fiery princess could drop her magic without a single worry and they enjoyed each other’s blissful embrace and affectionate closeness even despite the prickly mattress.

In the morning, they regrouped for a private breakfast prepared by Miria and Zoe. Finished, they made their move. Guards were stationed nearby so they approached the men first and explained their plan to move separately in simple words. As expected, each group had to be accompanied by someone and they all left with their own sentries.

Asterios and Tina soon arrived in the vicinity of the meteor hole once more, heading out on their little date. They circled the landmark while attentively examining it from the edges. Unfortunately, just that couldn’t reveal anything new. So, he enhanced his eyes and took a closer look. It wasn’t exactly easy with most of the ground emanating mana thick enough for his special sight to emphasize it.

“Hmmm… I think I can see something at the bottom but it’s hard to tell from up here.” He stroked his chin while squinting. “Would it be alright for us to move closer?”

As they turned to their guard, the normal-looking Lizardkin man nodded. “Yes, but please do not interact with the soil. This is an important place to us. Also, the descent might be dangerou—”

“Thank you. We promise not to touch anything.” Asterios smiled kindly before glancing at Tina. “Ready?”

She reciprocated with the same, joined by a tame blush over her sweet cheeks. Wings materialized behind Ast’s back and he swept her into a princess carry, diving into the crater. The shocked, wide-eyed face of their overseer being the last thing they saw.

Touching down at the very bottom, Asterios let Tina out of his embrace with a quick peck on her temple and crouched down. It didn’t take long before he focused on the point he had noticed from above and examined the spiritual traces displayed by his draconic sight.

“It’s… red…” he murmured under his breath.

Tina’s gasp reached his ears from behind him. “Red?!”

Asterios chuckled and shook his head. “Not that kind of red. I’m talking about the color of the spiritual energy here. The mana coming out of the ground around the Steppes is a mix of brownish-reddish more or less, but there’s some here that’s pure red, like scarlet or crimson I guess. It’s clearly related to the fire attribute.”

“The remaining spiritual traces from the meteor, perhaps?” she pondered. “Or something else?”

“I’m not sure. It could be leaking from underneath. Maybe there are still some bits of the ore that the Lizardkin missed. Something has to be emanating this energy because while faint, it isn’t exactly weak like ancient traces. The meteor might have shared an affinity with fire, which should be confirmed by the metal’s properties like its ability to withstand powerful heat and flames.”

“We won’t be able to confirm it with the guard watching.” She sighed softly. “It would do us no good digging up their sacred grounds. Should we try to sneak out and excavate some earth in a remote location to see if it’s the same?”

“It’s not the worst idea. I’m just wondering if we should really do it in secret. Though, getting permission for that might be tough, and even just asking could be suspicious. In the end—”

~Hey handsome, we have a small situation here,~ Grea interrupted him with a mental message, making them both flinch.

~What happened?~ he replied immediately.

~The tension seems to be growing. We talked with a young boy with a tail and the guards aren’t exactly happy about it. Especially the head warden,~  she explained.

~We’ll be there in a moment. Everyone, gather up. Try not to cause too much ruckus while moving, though,~ Asterios ordered and received mental pings of affirmation from all the girls.

Tina jumped into his arms without a single word and they soared into the air right away. Ignoring their guard, he flew them back into the village and followed Selene’s presence. Soon enough, they spotted the commotion easily from above. The others were already all there as two clear sides had been created between the participants.

The head warden stood in front of his men, who seemed to hide a young Lizardkin boy behind their own bodies. He was facing Selene and it was clear that their conversation was heated, even though the fox lady remained calm and collected. Asterios didn’t miss the subtle frown on her forehead. Behind her, the girls tried their best to hold Miria down from throwing herself at the guards.

Asterios dove towards the ground and landed right next to his vulpine mate, letting Tina jump down right away. “What’s going on here?”

The leader of the guards froze mid-sentence as he stared at his wings with wide eyes. It took him just a moment to recollect himself and the man’s face hardened even more as he turned to the new arrivals.

“You gave your word not to pester our people yet you have been seen snooping all around our home and even pulling the kids into this,” the captain replied.

“As I’ve been saying multiple times, and the little one was too, we haven’t pulled anyone in,” Selene interjected with a faint sigh. “Ireh came to us because he was curious about the world past the border of the Scorching Steppes and we didn’t mind a little chat. As far as I know, we weren’t prohibited from talking or interacting with people if they initiate the conversation.”

“I heard you question the child about his tail and other features. As a beastfolk, you should be aware of how intimate and offensive such demands are,” he said.

“I mean, isn’t it natural that we would be curious about that just as he is curious about us and the outer lands? The individuals with tails here are a quite rare sight—”

“Cease your lies. I’ve already seen through you.” The man pointed his dark brown spear at them, glaring at Asterios. “Who sent you? How did you learn about our lineage?”

“We have no idea what you are talking about.” Asterios frowned at him. “Nobody sent us. We heard about this place from our Wolfkin friend here and wanted to see the meteoric crater with our own eyes. Its origins intrigue us and we were kind of hoping to find some of the ore but we weren’t planning to steal it from you or acquire it through any other dubious means.”

The man snarled at him. “Yet you still remain dishonest and try to weasel your way around with half-baked falsehoods. Do you think we are stupid? I can see what you are. We had no idea there was another but we won’t let you go back and report to your chief. You know too much. Men!”

His companions leveled their weapons at Ast’s group too and the leader thrust forward.

“Bastard!” Miria growled and appeared in front of Asterios while fully transformed, smacking the tip of the spear away from his throat with her own blade.

Surprised by her fast movements, the captain stepped back but she chased right after him with a furious scowl, slashing at him with her clearly mana-sharpened shortswords. He struggled to block the blows with his polearm, which already was a surprise on its own since everyone had expected it to be sliced into pieces in a blink. Yet, the spear seemed almost unaffected.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Unable to keep up with the panthergirl’s ferocious, blood-thirsty barrage, the man escaped… into the air.

Two leathery wings burst out of his back and he flapped them in a hurry, rising above everyone. The girls watched the rest of his squad carefully with a few of them already engaged with the men too, but no one seemed to follow their captain, remaining on the ground.

Or perhaps they couldn’t.

Asterios watched as the ladies incapacitated the men one by one, abiding by his request not to hurt the guards since it was all the result of a misunderstanding. Miria growled in frustration as her opponent escaped her reach. But, before she gathered enough mana in her legs to lunge after him, he started taking a deep breath.

Her pupils narrowed into thin slits as she recognized the motion and instantly jumped aside with a practiced movement. A scarlet inferno rushed straight at the spot she’d been in just a moment ago, originating from the man’s mouth. While incomparable to that of her master’s, it still clearly was a fire breath.

Additionally, the man couldn’t keep it up for longer than just a few seconds and needed to repeat the motion again. Just like with his flying, none of his companions seemed to be able to assault the girls with a fire breath of their own. The poor Lizardkin guards stood no chance against any of Ast’s mates while he intently watched the leader with raised brows from the moment his wings had pushed through the slits.

“Enough!”

Just as the man was going to launch another stream of red fire, Ast’s loud, booming voice echoed through the surroundings. Everyone froze from its might and the sudden spike in spiritual pressure caused by his leaking, overbearing energy. All the men’s gazes snapped to him, finding Asterios with his fierce crimson eyes glowing ferociously, his tail, horns, and scales out as he flooded the area with his aura.

“Heavens…”

Someone else gasped in disbelief and Asterios glanced over his shoulder, realizing that the voice felt familiar. He found the chief of the village in the middle of the road, staring at him with a look of either pure awe or terror. The man seemed to have come out from behind one of the houses, possibly hiding there the entire time.

Just as their eyes met, he shivered and immediately dropped to one knee, lowering his head.

“Great Lord Ancestor…”

All the guards followed suit, including the leader, who hastily descended to the ground too. In a few seconds, Asterios and the girls were surrounded by a crowd of kneeling Lizardkin of all ages and genders.

It looked like it wouldn’t be too hard to get some answers out of them now.

And he definitely had a lot of questions.