The numbers engraved on Maalick's neck still burned 'Where the hell am I? Why are you doing all of this? Why?! Why?! Why?! Why?!'
When he arrived in the tent, he took one of the many deep blue outfits.
[ Camp Rosibbo outfit ]
[ Outfit worn by the prisoners of the Rosibbo camp ]
[ Other properties have been hidden because your [ Perception ] is too low ]
[ Resistance - 3 ]
'So I'm really a criminal according to the description. And I guess if I wear this outfit, I'll lose 3 points in Resistance. Great... as if it couldn't get any worse'
Reluctantly, Maalick changes his clothes. He put on the pants and hung the sleeves around his waist to avoid touching his scar.
The Lizardian left the tent and walked to the front, where the entire crowd was surrounded by guards.
The SAS agent looked for the long-eared man for a reason 'I need to find this man. Given his age, he must know a lot about this world. And he's probably the only person I could talk to'
The soldier scanned the herd with his new eyes until he spotted him 'Found him'
The man with the bluish color was on his right, at less than 20 meters.
On the bridge, Maria was leaning over the guardrail. She disrupted his plan by saying "Well, the last one to come in is here. Now, I'm going to explain what's coming next. You will be released to find the Rosibbo camp on your own. And a word of advice, don't try to run away"
Arthur still beside her, fired a glowing bullet into the sky.
The crowd was still stunned because of what they had heard, that their only reaction was not to have any.
"Hurry up, criminals. You have until sunset" she said, giving Maalick's target a special look.
Everyone then ran into the jungle. With such a large crowd, Maalick had a hard time keeping his attention on him.
The burned man detached himself from the herd and went deeper into the flora, until he lost him.
"Bloody Hell" Maalick muttered.
Behind a tree, his target quietly approached him. He was about to strangle him, but Maalick's tail caught him first.
"I am not here to fight" he assured him.
When he saw him, he knew he had made a mistake "Sorry, I thought you were a soldier of the empire"
Maalick loosened his grip until he released him completely 'So the guards wearing the uniform are part of this "Empire" '
"Maria looked at you specifically during her speech. You are here for what?" he asked him.
The man in front of him answered with another question "Why do you think I'm here?"
With all the clues at his disposal, Maalick raised a suggestion " From the way you tried to kill me, you must have had some decent military training. Your burns look like they were caused by a very powerful flammable agent that you can't find at the local supermarket. So if I had to take a guess, I'm thinking that you're here for a war crime"
"That' s right. I'm a war criminal in their eyes"
Maalick pulled out his claws in case the situation got out of hand "What exactly did you do?"
His interlocutor spoke casually "Why do you care, Lizardian?"
"I need to know. To trust you"
His words reminded him of another Lizardian, a long time ago 'It seems that the past doesn't want to let me go, but...'
"I'm not going to tell you my past like that, young man. But what I can tell you is that it was a Lizardian who saved my life during the war. I couldn't pay him my debt when he needed it most. So I will pay it to you"
New information was entering Maalick's brain "What war ?"
"The war" he said, as if there was nothing more obvious.
But from Maalick's facial expression, the burned man could see that he didn't know what he was talking about.
The tusked man asked him a rather strange question "How old are you?"
At that moment, Maalick couldn't tell him the truth about his condition. So he opted for a half-truth "I don't know. I have amnesia"
The tall man sat on a branch near the tree trunk "That's why you didn't keep a low profile. You don't even know why you're here, when everyone is trying to kill you"
"Answer my question first..." said Maalick as he searched for his name.
"Raz. My name is Raz and yours? If you remember"
"Maalick"
Raz rubbed his chin "Strange name for a Lizardian, but anyway..."
The man with the long tusks told him what changed the face of the world of Lockarte "Twenty years ago, there was a war, the Beginning of the End. It involved all the countries of the continent, Uispeigna, who joined 2 camps. The Coalition and the Brotherhood" he said, emphasizing the last word.
"You, you belong to the race of the losers, the one of the Brotherhood. That explains why everyone is trying to kill you. Besides, the empire of Nomania, so the Humans, have a specific grudge against the Lizardians"
Maalick analyzed Raz's body language, words and breathing to see if he was lying "You're not telling me everything, are you ?"
Raz looked up at the leaf-covered sky "Sometimes there are things that are better left untold"
The SAS agent needed the information, but he wasn't going to force him "If you don't want to tell me everything you know, fine. But can you tell me where we are ?" he said as he put away his claws.
Raz stood up and began to climb the tree "I don't know. All I know is that our destination is one of the many reform camps of the empire"
Maalick followed him through the silence of the falling leaves, until he reached the top of the tree.
Raz explained his plan to him once he reached a solid branch "We're going to take the longest branches, so we can cross to other trees. This will allow us to avoid the other prisoners and possible guards, who would try to kill us"
The smell of the sea was beginning to dissipate and so was his lifeline. The Lizardian staggered "Yeah... I see. Let me... just rest for a few seconds"
Raz was apparently familiar with this kind of problem " You can' t control your sense of smell?"
"How do you... "
Maalick suddenly stopped talking. The smells around him were multiplying and increasing in intensity 'Shit. I feel like I'm being overwhelmed with information'
Then he felt the smell of carrion, covering all the others. It was so strong and especially to Maalick's surprise, it was moving towards them.
"We need to move!"
"What's going on Maalick? Explain it to me"
The smell was starting to make his head spin "The smell is... moving fast and in groups. We have to leave now. They are probably..."
The smell made him puke, again.
Below them, a pack of large skeletal dogs filled their horizons. They kept growling as they sought for food.
Then they all split up at once, dividing the pack into small, and disorganized groups.
"We're in big trouble," said Raz.
***
On the freighter, Arthur was giving instructions on the various tasks coming up "Get ready to do the inventory and I want everyone ready in 20 minutes"
"Yes, Second in command" shouted the soldiers with a military salute.
As for the Captain, she was still strolling on the guardrail, watching the articulated arms unload the black containers.
"Arthur, can you come?" she said bored.
The young military man walked toward her "You could have done this job yourself, you know?"
"You're better at this stuff than I am. Besides, they love you. You, the survivor of Linbar"
When he heard the name of that place, Arthur clenched his fist slightly in the pocket of his uniform. He changed the subject by telling her "Our guest is asking to see you"
Maria sighed "Tell her to come on the deck if she wants to see me sooo badly"
Arthur made a hand movement and a clone of himself emerged from his body.
"Accompany our guest here" he ordered.
At his command, his double left to fulfill his mission.
"That too you could have done yourself, by sending one of the soldiers to look for her"
"I know. But watching you use your duplicating magic, will never cease to make me jealous and impressed"
Arthur didn't know why "I should be the one to say that. You have polished your mental magic to the human limits, which was confirmed by the change of color in your irises. You are a true hero and national treasure to this country"
'It is just this limit that I seek to overcome' thought the Hyena.
A young adult with a radiant face, silver hair in a ponytail and golden eyes wearing the uniform of the Nomanian Empire stepped forward, accompanied by Arthur's clone.
"What were you talking about?" she asked.
All the soldiers began to bend their backs at 90°, except for the two camp leaders.
Arthur, as a diplomat, began the conversation " Good morning, Bassandia Thedhlianda, 5th princess of the Elven Kingdom of Rielwig " he said, making a reverence of his country of origin.
Her long ears gave her a charming look, highlighted by her earrings.
One was made of obsidian and took the shape of a raven. While the other was a hawk made of silver.
"Let's avoid using the rules of propriety, shall we? Just call me Bassandia" she said with a smile.
Maria took these words literally. She took the elf under her arm like an old friend and showed her the black containers "You know what's in there, princess ?"
Slightly embarrassed by this approach, she replied "No, madam"
The Hyena took out of her pocket a remote control and gave it to her guest "Press this button to start the Promenade" she ordered with her violet eyes filled with madness.
Bassandia as a good soldier did as she was ordered. She took the remote control and pressed the black button.
The doors of the containers opened, and at first nothing happened. Then the darkness offered by the black rectangles, disappeared in favor of the touching light.
The soldiers rushed to the guardrail of the ship, when they heard the grunts and small roars.
Suddenly, a black mass of skeletal monsters emerged and began to scurry toward the jungle, in search of nourishment.
"They are called the Beradors. During the World War, we used them to clean the battlefields. They are real scavengers. But with a deprivation of food and after having installed a psychological reaction to the light. I have turned them into starving monsters for eternity. They will feast on our prisoners"
Bassandia tried to contain the horror and violence of the Captain's words "Why are you doing this, if...it's only to kill them ?"
She put her finger over her mouth and said in a cold tone "It's a secret"
The princess pushed her arm away "I will retire to my cabin now, if you don't mind"
In the distance, she could hear the soldiers betting on who would come out alive from this macabre game, of which woman they would rape, and of Maria who wanted to bring some of the survivors to her playroom.
The only person she saw doing nothing was Arthur. He also went to his cabin, without anyone noticing.
She walked through the corridors of the ship until she didn't see him anymore. Then she quickened her pace.
The elven princess opened her door and locked it.
She sat behind it, completely appalled by what she had heard, seen, and did 'I sent those people... to their deaths. I killed them with my own hand, by pressing a stupid button !'
She remembered the words of her King, before he sent her to join the camp "What is Good and Evil?'
She threw her rapier on her bed, with her eyes on the verge of tears "What is Good and Evil? How should I know ! I'm just a little rebel ! The shame of the royal family and the elven aristocracy !"
The elf waited for an answer from her rapier. She sat beside her while frantically touching her raven earing "Is that why you sent me to this place, my King? To judge the world as it is, unfiltered and through my own eyes ?"