Paradox - Chapter 1
#2 of Paradox
"I called for this meeting half an hour ago, where is everyone?" demanded Lockwood, his patience running thin by the minute.
"Sir, we are all here except for Vaskier, is it too important to begin without him?" questioned Krinauk, third general of Lockwood's Armada, a Snake. The most loyal, work-aholic , perfectionist in the camp. If he‘s given an order, you can count on it being done. His weapons of preference are two spiked maces, both weighing a hefty bit, but move like liquid with his body in a fight. "I'm sure one of us could inform him if he--"
"I called for a full meeting of my generals!" shouted Lockwood, "Where the hell is he!?"
Vaskier is the first general of Lockwood‘s Armada. His techniques in battle is not to be underestimated. Although he spends much of his time attempting to run off with any female he sees in camp, he thinks of everything that could happen in a fight. He is a large Alligator, with a thick enough hide to be a set of armor. His weapon of preference is a massive axe with numerous notches that act as serrated edges, each edge showing a victory in battle.
"Sir," began Zeidak, Second General of Lockwood's Armada, a Lizard. Probably the most fun-loving of them all. He enjoys challenges, be them mind or body, and is sadistic to boot. A perfect example for the men of Lockwood‘s Armada. His weapons of preference are a horridly serrated dagger, with a thin short sword with two hooks at the tip of the blade on each side. "I'll go search for him, I have an idea as to where he is."
"Fine," Lockwood sighed "Fine... " Watching his general exit the crudely made tent of skinned defeated enemies, he sulked in his large chair in the center, back end of the tent. "Damn that Vaskier, I'm getting tired of this... My best fighter, motivational speaker for the men, a good mind for tactics... And yet as soon as we get a new squad of soldiers, he goes for the first woman he sees... I couldn't care less what he does; he just needs to get to these damn meetings when I call for one! Next time he's late, I'm making him build us an arena pit for captured enemies. He and I will be the first to try it out..."
At that, Krinauk would have smirked, having an annoyance for Vaskier. But, knowing his leader was both stressed and greatly annoyed, he held himself back, not wanting an evil, penetrating glance from his superior.
Exiting the tent, Zeidak took a breath of fresh air, happy to leave the heavy atmosphere of his superior's dwelling. "Finally out of there.. Now, where oh where has our little gator gone." Looking around, he examined the barracks in the dismal lighting of the moon, checking for any disturbances. When there was only a sparring fight between a snake and a lizard, he walked up to get a closer look at the fight, hoping to clear his mind some, he hoped the lizard wouldn't disappoint him.
As the brawl began, the snake simply stood there, nearly limp, while the lizard slowly stepped back, blending into the shadows. Moments passed as nothing happened, but then, the snake whipped around and launched his fist towards what seemed to be nothing, but then turned out to be the lizard, falling out of his camouflage. Zeidak noticed the lizard's mistake, he was about to strike, but turned his heel in the dirt and made a sound for the snake to hear. The snake missed his target, but hit him in the side instead. Jumping back to a tree, the lizard held his side in pain. "Bastard.." he commented, under his breath. Shaking off the pain, the lizard backed up into the tree and then, using it as a prop, he launched himself toward the snake. Anticipating it, the snake fell forward to the grond, letting the lizard over him, then grabbing his neck with the end of his tail as the lizard landed on his hands and feet. Slamming the lizard on the ground backside up, the snake began to coil around the lizard, immobilizing his arms and legs and squeezing, waiting for the call of forfeit. "Alright, I'm done, get your damn self off me!" The call being made, the snake loosened himself and backed off, nodding to the lizard, who simply shrugged it off, gave him a nasty motion with his hands, and walked towards the makeshift bar in a cave at a nearby mountain.
Not being pleased with the fight, seeing as one of his own lost, Zeidak proceeded to follow the lizard to the bar, thinking there may be someone in there who knew where Vaskier was.
Entering the Bar, established in a roomy cave in the encampment a few hundred yards from the tent, Zeidak walked towards the counter. "Oi, Zeidak! I ‘eard what you did ‘n battle yest'day, that true? If so, I'm buy'n you a few round 'o drinks, I nev'r 'eard of a general 'ackin a fur in two long 'nough for th' legs to keep mov'n!" shouted a half drunk lizard.
"Another time, Kahn!" he responded. "Oh, by the way, I don't suppose you've seen Vaskier anywhere?"
"Heh, oh aye I saw ‘em. He's on top o' th' mount'en. Me thinks ‘e got anoth'a one from th' newest squad." Smirking, he motioned for Zeidak to come closer." ‘Ere's wh't I ‘eard. Turns out, that lassie ‘e got ‘imself is actually one ‘o th' interrogator's that Lockwood ordered down ‘ere a few days ago. If ya find ‘em, I suggest wait'n a few ticks, ya never know, ‘e might get more pain then pleasure, eh? She‘s a Raptor y‘know, ‘ey make great interrogators, would love t‘ see what's gonna happen!" Spilling his drink from the laughter, Kahn nearly fell off his chair had Zeidak not catched him.
"Heh, thanks for the info, and take it easy Kahn, we might get sent out tomarrow. One more drink tops and you're done, alright? You're in my squad; I don't want any hungover soldiers." Kahn saluted him, as if a taunt, but he ignored it since his soldier was in a drunken state.
Walking outside of the cave, Zeidak looked up to the top of the mountain that it was located at. "Finally, some exercise." Removing his steel-spiked gloves and tying them to his dagger hilt, he leaped up and grasped the cold rock, releasing his long-sheathed claws. After a few tests of footholds, he began his trek up the mountain, loving the challenge. Even more to his joy, there was a fair ten-foot gap in the mountain , which he leaped, overshooting it and nearly missed a foothold. Seeing as he still had a fair ways to go, he began a leap-climb. In a few minutes, he was heavily breathing at the top of the mountain.
After getting a few breathes, Zeidak was ready to begin a long and tedious search for the other general, but was a little surprised to see him and another sitting at a tree a few yards away. Seeing him, he removed his jacket, baggy pants and boots and set them somewhere not very noticeable, leaving him with his scale-tight protective leather armor. Initiating his camouflage, his armor mimicked it's wearer's ability and also blended in with everything around it, and so he slowly walked closer to his comrade.
Zeidak found the woman straddled across Vaskier's lap, both of them in a fight of tongues. Vaskier attempted to move his hands up toward her bosom when she slapped them. "He he, well aren't you the straight-forward type?" giggled the raptor.
"Nah, I just know how to have fun," said Vaskier.
"Do you wanna know what's really fun?" asked the raptor.
"Sure, why not?" smiled the general, leaning in for a kiss.
Then, the raptor slapped Vaskier's face with her left hand, punched his head with her right when he swung his head back, kneed him where it counts, kicked him in the stomach, drew out a serrated dagger from her boot and nudged the blade against his manhood. "Now you listen here, oh high and mighty general Vaskier" said the raptor, waiting for the general's painful grunts to pass.
"I am Kolana, one of the high interrogators Lockwood had asked for; don't think some flirty general of his armada will seduce me, when I am the seductress and painful maiden of all the armadas!"
Zeidak stepped in when he saw her flex her arm, almost ready to nudge the blade farther. "That'll be enough now, he's needed for a meeting." At his sudden voice, she jumped back, drawing another blade from her other boot. Uncloaking himself, he said "Come on Vaskier, let's get back to Lockwood before he lets your little friend there finish what she started." Smirking at that, the raptor returned her daggers into her boots and began her return to camp, passing Zeidak. Although it was hard to ignore, he noticed a wink from her as she walked by, as well as an intentional brush of her tail on his leg.
"Are you getting up?" asked Zeidak, looking back to see her walk away. "It's been more then an hour since Lockwood called for that meeting you know."
"I'm coming, damn it..." said Vaskier, stumbling from the lingering pain.
"Alright, see you there then," said Zeidak, going to fetch his attire.