A mass of green scaled warriors made for an unsettling sight. They moved with rhythm. Marching through the forest boasting great discipline as their feet rose and landed in sync to each other.
Their backs stood proud and tall. Weapons had never been gripped so hard. Nor were these scaled men found any other day that their eyes lit up in flames of conviction.
Behind me... Was said lizardmen army. All heading towards the fearless spear tribe's camp.
How am I supposed to fix this?
I held back the great urge to pace back and forth. Or bite my nails.
The safety of the two tribes comes first before anything else. But right now. I intervened too much!
Now the Grimguard tribe had cooked up a plan out of nowhere. Inspired by my words. If things go well without a hitch then rest assures. I succeeded in one thing.
Aiding the green scales to slaughter the yellow scales.
A bitter sigh escaped the confines of my lips. My grip on my wooden staff felt shaky and unsure.
"This isn't what I wanted to achieve Ruda'ar..."
"Yet this is what had transpired. Young Dominic. It could be considered fortunate of you to experience this ordeal early on. For you will learn from it."
Fortunate? Fortunate?
There exists zero fortune in this new life of mine.
I reincarnated! As a main character's childhood friend! And oh boy do we all know that every main character has some sort of complicated or dark backstory.
I'm destined for death. And I am not happy with it.
And to top things off. I have no cheat. So no extra lives or plot armor for me neither. I'm too poor or unimportant for that priviledge!
My -1 luck is a testament to how bad my new life start is. I didn't even want to be isekaid.
Ruda'ar shook his head with pity. A hand reached for me and I frowned at it.
Pat... Pat...
Did you just...
"There there... Everything would be alright Dominic." Ruda'ar's voice softened. His eyes squinted as he smiled.
You...
Why did you pat my head!?!?!?!?
I'm not a dog! I am a child but I am a man! A grown up!
I snorted at the Shaman. He merely chuckled in return.
Shaking my heads free of thoughts later. It didn't take long until the trek ended.
Celo tapped my shoulder after seeing me in a daze. "We have arrived. What is your command Dominic?"
Ah, crap... I forgot that I have to raid a camp.
Squinting my eyes at our target location. I took a deep breath.
Fuck me...
Fearless Spear Tribe looks so intimidating.
A large wall made up of tall log-stakes of wood deeply embedded into the ground. Erected around the yellow scaled lizardmen's tribe was one fine wall. A wall made out of great lumber. If it was only that then I wouldn't be too intimidated but.
Runes...
Runes everywhere.
On the walls itself. On the ground and even some nearby trees had glowing runes etched onto their surfaces. I may not be some rune mage yet it takes no genius to tell.
If you touch the runes... Maybe you'll explode?
With runes engraved on the surrounding floor. The opposing tribe's village was smackdab in the middle of a stupid minefield. The wall runes... I guess they strengthen the walls.
But these are only my baseless conclusions. Whatever those things are. I wan't no part in touching them. Nor do I wan't my lizard troupe touching them.
"Hey Celo! This one glowy rune looks extra funky after I stepped on it!"
Oh dear god! Twisting my neck towards the source of the voice. I saw...
Brobha.
You fool! You've just activated their traps!
Anxiously staring at Brobha. Celo flinched. Ruda'ar's expression worsened and everyone gaped at Brohba.
The Lizard fellow had managed to reach the base of the walls without exploding. Alas. He's rooted to the spot. Magical mana chains tying the strong lizardman to the spot.
Suppressing an urge for a facepalm. Ruda'ar did it for me. And barked an order. Telling the dumbo who got stuck to stand still. Making the curious reptile stop moving as he stood straight as a pole.
Let's see what we have here. I started counting all the forces under my command and they... Tallied up to over fifty.
Fifty four to be exact. Me included.
Two captains.
One shaman.
One lousy healer. (Me)
And twenty shieldmen followed by the rest being simple swordsmen.
The class composition of all my forces were...
Enabler (Me) Shaman(Ruda'ar) Rogue (Celo)
Shield Bearer (Brohba) x20 Shield Bearers and 30 Swordsmen.
Dang...
Those numbers are small yet high at the same time. Enough to really raid a camp clean.
But I can't really... I can't really afford to lose anyone here.
Unlike the Grim Guard tribe's wish for total annihalation of the yellow scaled ones. I have different agendas.
The battlefield was oddly peaceful. It was a calm before the storm.
These rune traps. And rune reinforcements on the walls. They're just things. Tiny obstructions to serve as a hindrance to our march.
The real party starts after we breach inside. But how are we supposed to get inside that compound?
We have no siege weapons. We have no tactical advantage except for Ruda'ar being here. If only there was someone strong enough to bulldoze a way into the camp.
A sudden idea lit up.
Chief! That hulking mass of physical destruction! As far as I remember. The lizards mentioned something about him and Tethra being evenly matched.
Come to think of it. Their little wrestling match may not be over.
I get it now.
"Ruda'ar come with me. Celo watch over our forces."
"Do tell. Why leave?" The cloaked lizardman scratched his chin.
"We don't have siege weapons. To break open the turtle shell that is this camp. We need what we could get our hands on. And we need. Chief. Chief hates humans. But he listens to you Ruda'ar."
"Fair choice..."
Telling the rest to hold the fort and camp outside the other tribe's perimeters. Ruda'ar and I ran off to go find the great leader. The leader who can snap trees like twigs and toss around boulders like beach balls.
If we have him then Chief. Chief can just punch a large hole into the wooden magic reinforced walls of the yellow scale lizards. Or he could toss a boulder into it! Inspiring dread and awe! Setting up a wonderful momentum for us to charge in!
Countless strategies filtered through my little brain.
I could also maybe try smoking the yellow scales out. Setting the walls on fire. And letting all the smoke, ash and panic settle in and kill off their whole race. Any and all attempts at escape would be prevented by my forces.
Trapping the enemy like a live chicken burning inside an oven.
All these options... I'll set them aside for now. As for the fearless spear tribe.
My footsteps stopped. I turned back to look at the high, rune filled walls of the opposing faction.
It was eerily silent. A scene of a small group of armed green scaled lizardmen camping around a whole settlement. Surrounding it like ants posed ready to strike.
Knowing the hate filled relationship between the two camps. I had expected insults. Insults to be hurled at one another as we try to siege them.
Yet all shouts or degrading hollers at the enemy was met with deaf ears. Nor any rebuttal followed.
"Dominic... This is not the time to space out." Ruda'ar noticed my strange trance. Patted my back and I shook my head. I have to focus. Right.
I need to find Chief. Have him open up the can of steel which was the yellow scales and go inside to try and work something out. After beating everyone up that is.
A man and a lizard. Rushed through the thickets. Following my memory of the path and where I last saw the two mountains of flesh fisting each other. There was nothing.
Nothing...
Just blood spilt on the surroundings. Crushed boulders. Snapped trees.
The prescence of the two violent beasts was non existent.
And I couldn't even hear nor feel any violent shockwaves.
Scrunching up his eyebrows. Ruda'ar dug a handful of dirt. A bunch of debris and closed his eyes.
"Their battle was fierce. And cold blooded."
"What do you mean?"
I felt anxious. If one of the two chieftains die then I am in deep shit.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps alerted me. Ruda'ar chuckled.
"Took you long enough. Chief."
And emerging from the ruins beyond the barrier formed by broken trees was a towering figure.
Ten feet in height.
Verdant scales sparkling like emeralds.
Green eyes that started at me with poison.
Muscles ripped to the point of being enough to put three body builders combined to shame.
It was a giant. A giant lizardman bare of clothes.
Deep wounds riddled his body. Especially a large bleeding scar that ran down his mighty chest.
His left arm seemed to be dislocated. Hanging limp.
And that hulking lizard.
Was dragging behind it a head of a yellow scaled lizardman.
A head with the spine attached to it. As if it was pulled out whole.
It was Chief.