Two men with green skin walked side by side, slowly entering a forest less than a day's journey from Blackwood Village. Unlike humans, who wore extra clothing and protection, these two proudly displayed parts of their wrinkled green skin, pointed ears, and a long tail that started thick but tapered further from their bodies.
Aside from these three non-human features, the two were around 1.60 meters tall and didn't appear very different from humans. That is, until one of them opened his mouth to speak, revealing two rows of serrated, pointed white teeth along with a drawling, gruff voice.
"I can't believe we failed the Raid… Our group of 120 men had the best warriors of our Lizardfolk race, and we didn't even reach a Primary Scar in human territory. Now we barely have 40 warriors left, and we're constantly being pursued…"
The second green-skinned man, holding a large shield in his left hand, hearing his Lizardfolk companion's lament, replied in a drawling, hard-to-hear tone, very similar to his companion's voice:
"Our formation was one of the best. Did we just get unlucky, or are the humans getting stronger? Our leader still thinks we can outrun the human army's pursuit and enter a Secondary Scar…"
"Perhaps they really are getting stronger… The monopoly on free exploration for adventurous humans in the depths of the Scars is causing their race to accumulate more and more valuable resources. I don't think his strategy of collecting leftover resources in a Secondary Scar brings any honor when we return to our homeland..."
"It's still better than returning empty-handed after losing more than 80 men..."
"Between returning empty-handed or half-empty-handed and fighting, I much prefer fighting! We should defeat as many humans as possible and die with honor. We Lizardfolk are born powerful even without scars, while the pathetic humans with their fragile skin are the ones on top? Should we forget our past glory?"
The second Lizardfolk did not refute his companion's extremist ideals of indiscriminate massacre. Humans would not retaliate against other races for invading their territory and attempting to exploit the scars, but if the invading army dared to rob and attack fragile human caravans or villages, it could trigger a heavy retaliation that could lead to the extermination of their entire race...
...And this was not just a rumor; there were ruins of various extinct races in the Wastelands as an example left by humans. These ruins bore only traces of the races that now only existed in legends.
To make matters worse, the Lizardfolk had recently crossed this dangerous line by attacking a human caravan, collecting its resources, and even killing many civilians. If they hadn't intended to exploit a Secondary Scar, the extremists in their group would have even tried to take the humans from the caravan as slaves, since they were also considered valuable spoils in a failed invasion.
The second Lizardfolk wielding the shield looked around the forest, sniffed the air a few times, and, after nodding to his extremist companion, confirmed that the forest their group was about to cross was clear, with no sign of humans.
Beyond this forest, if they marched for another 2 or 3 weeks, they could reach their target, a Secondary Scar on the outskirts of a city called Aster. Even if such a Secunday Scar rarely yielded any valuable treasure, the many monster corpses, herbs, and ores could still help their race…
The extremist Lizardfolk left the forest and soon returned from the fields of tall yellow grass, accompanied by 38 other Lizardfolk. All wore minimal armor and walked fearlessly, unafraid of injury; among these 38, 11 are Scars Bearers.
They all walked with proud postures and fearless expressions, as if they feared nothing.
The leader nodded to the scout who had remained inside the forest and, after confirming that there was no danger, gave the final order. But as soon as everyone entered the forest in a relaxed and carefree manner, the Lizardfolk leader was the first to react, his pupils dilating, and he shouted:
"AMBUSH!"
But it was too late; the surrounding grasses and trees transformed into about 28 human soldiers. Most wore rusty weapons and armor, but the fact that they dared to confront the Lizardfolk army proved something. They were mostly Scars Bearers.
The moment the leader shouted and the moment he clashed with the human leader, eight Lizardfolk were killed by special abilities or simply by arrows and throwing weapons.
With the initial ambush, the numbers of Humans and Lizardfolk evened out to nearly 30 on each side, and soon, flying swords, lightning arrows, and various other strange abilities clashed, causing instant deaths and terrible injuries on both sides as the two races fought head-on.
And in the midst of this bloody and cruel conflict that had barely begun 10 seconds ago, a young man with short dark brown hair and amber eyes, his face partially hidden by a dark-red scarf and wielding a heavy iron spear, stood frozen in place, his face terrified, and still motionless…
***
They came with the emergence of the Scar…
Wolves in sheep's clothing…
They walk and talk like us…
But they cannot hide their demonic nature and bestial appearance…
Their cruelty, greed, and pride surpass the worst of our race…
Do not be fooled by their false charisma; they are cunning in the art of deception…
For them, no pity should be granted.
No mercy should be remembered…
And no forgiveness should even be considered…
For wherever they walk, ruin flourishes…
And where they remain, purity perishes…
And those who extend a hand to them will share in their condemnation!
The First Testament, Chapter 3, Verse 1 - Church of the Scar - Scarmith Kingdom
****
We were chosen by the Scar…
Transformed by its will…
Refined beyond what we were…
Destined to leave our weaknesses behind…
We evolved to obtain superior strength and longevity…
Elevated above all other races…
We are chosen to rule for all eternity…
Let the ignorant say we emerged as monsters…
For they do not understand the difference between being molded and remaining deformed…
And as superior races, we must never bow and accept defeat…
For equality is a lie of the weak…
To deny our ascension is to deny the very will of the Scar!
The First Testament, Chapter 2, Verse 1 - Church of the Scar - Wild Lands [1]
[1] *Elven Edition