On the second day of his stay at the Honean headquarters, Vanemar had been barred from the meeting. Instead the details of his job were delivered to him by letter. It contained a map and written instructions from Spidon himself. He would need to obtain one of the Geokeys in Spikel territory, the land of insect-like lifeforms completely unknown to him. But before that he would need to go through the land of the Reptiloyans. Bipedal lizards that held some of the territory between humanity and the spikels. Vanemar saw his orders as completely preposterous. How would he be able to navigate through lands that he had never even heard of? Most of all, how would he be able to convince the Reptiloyan sect to help him?

Before he had departed Raverna, Jioh had gifted Vanemar a simple leather magiglove and a book on the basics of magic. It was this book that Vanemar studied whilst he was on the ship. The lack of reading that he had done over the past few years made it a much more difficult task than it needed to be. Still, he was finally able to become comfortable with it after spending days upon days reading through it. While the book mostly detailed the basics and fundamentals of magic it was very informative and by the time he was done he was able to manipulate the direction of wind. This was what Vanemar had practiced on the rest of his way to Reptiloya and by the time he arrived he still had a pounding headache. Before heading to the city where the sect headquarters was located, the ferry took him to the major port at Newsevas' capital of Frelentress. The city was built at the bottom of a tall charred mountain and was surrounded by grey water and lush islands.

Vanemar spent most of his time in the Port Lounge waiting for the next ferry to Niserinth, which took him nearest to the sect. There he continued to practice his magic, surrounded by many lizard people who watched the tricks of the only human in the room.

During the few passing days that it took to arrive in Niserinth, Vanemar continued to practice magic. While it sapped him of his energy and caused painful headaches it was the most he could do to alleviate the boredom of the trip. As soon as the ship landed he was relieved, it did not take long to realize just how much he missed the lowlands. The air was thick and humid, causing his clothes to uncomfortably stick to him. The dock here was much smaller than the capital, made up of two unconnected wooden bridges which ships could land beside. The city was smaller as well, leaving half the island to the jungle. The majority of roads were dirt paths that kicked up sand and dirtied his clothing. It was not a comfortable experience but it would prove to be better than what came next. The majority of Reptiloyans live in the Shallowlands, a great stretch of shallow water and jungle islands large enough to cover both of their countries.

Vanemar looked out in the distance. Across the shallow waters where pillars of rock sprang and large islands added color. It was what he would need to go across, and he saw no boats. The map he had been given had shown him directly where he would find the Reptiloyan headquarters, an ile west of where he was. It did not tell him how he was going to get there. Having no way of getting there on his own, he began to ask around. Most of the locals were not happy to be near him. Besides the fact that he was human, his face and clothes were dirtied and gave him a threatening look. Eventually he found someone who directed him toward the shore where he found a man with a large lizard. This was a lizard the size of a horse, with a small wagon strapped to it that made it seem even larger. Vanemar went around the beast, taking the long way around toward its owner. He asked the man if he was able to cross the waters. It was a surprise to Vanemar that the man knew where the cultists would be, but apparently many in the city already knew of their name and reputation. It brought him relief to know that they at least treated their own people well, unlike some other cultists he was familiar with.

As they approached the wide expanse of shallow water, Vanemar became more uncertain of the driver’s claim that the lizard could get across it. Without second thought the beast threw itself into the translucent terrain. Vanemar was quick to hold onto the wagon as the rickety thing slid into the water with it. He let out a relieved sigh though as It lightly began to float. The owner of the lizard rode upon the beast with a crudely put together spear in hand. He claimed that dangerous beasts lurked beneath the water. Vanemar paid no heed to the advice though as he thought the lizard beast to be much more dangerous to anything else they would find. It was a strange sight, why would a lizard let another lizard ride it?

Eventually the driver led them between two islands, covered under a dense blanket of the jungle. The sounds from the two islands resonated throughout the air and could not be escaped if one were still near them. Deeper down the stream they went until they came upon a stone structure. They were in front of a large stone castle, one defended by the environment itself. It was worn but completely intact. Vanemar told the driver to leave him behind, if he wanted to leave he could ask for help from the village on the opposite side of the island.

As he jumped out of the wagon, Vanemar began to wonder if they would even let him through the front door. There were no guards or lookouts and no signs of a trap. It was an easy route but one that filled him with unease. If they were to trap him there it would have been his own fault. He slammed the door knocker a few times and stepped back to wait. The sound of footsteps from above could be heard. Perhaps they would be reasonable, unlike what Spidon had ordered out of him. Eventually a Reptiloyan wielding a bow appeared over the castle battlements. They stared at him for a moment and sighed in disappointment. "What's your business here human?" He asked in an aggravated manner.

"My name is Vanemar, I was sent here by the Honean cult because of very urgent circumstances." He answered in a way he thought was diplomatic, hoping that the response would not be an arrow.

"Does it require you to enter this place?"

Vanemar stared at him blankly before remembering the position he was in. "Yes, it requires a bit of explaining."

The man nodded. "Fine, one moment." He disappeared from view, leaving Vanemar to nervously shuffle around.

After the door was slowly let open, Vanemar was ushered into a magic lit hallway that stretched towards the back of the castle. "Our leader is in the dining hall, allow me to take you to him." The cultist said. They passed a few doors before arriving at an open room behind a tall arch. It was the court. A large table was in the center, each seat filled with a Reptiloyan or one of the few who were not. To the right was a row of tall glass windows that permitted in the dim light that fell through the lush jungle.

At the head of the table was a reptile in tan garb who stood up at the sight of him. "Who is this human you've brought with you?" He asked with curiosity as he approached the pair.

"A cultist from the Honean sect. He believes he has something important to say." Vanemar raised a brow but remained silent out of restraint.

The human stood uncomfortably as the sect’s leader observed him like a painting. "Are you from Spidon's council?" He asked gravely as if the answer was life threatening.

"No, just a lowly mercenary." Vanemar’s said with a dry mouth

The man's expression contorted to show his confusion. "What? He has always sent a trusted delegate of his, why would he send you?"

"I believe he wishes to test my loyalty." Vanemar said plainly, hoping that he was not the type to kill the messenger.

The man groaned as if in pain. "What sort of strange mockery is this?" He loudly said to himself as he began to wander in a circle. "What a horrid man he is, sending in anyone he wants as if I cared about what he thought. If only he could come here himself so I-" He looked back at Vanemar and groaned. "Fine, I suppose I must introduce myself. I am Ulstairos, the de-facto leader of the Cult of the Lost in Reptiloya." He offered to shake hands.

"Vanemar."

"Let us hear you out now. What is your reason for coming here Vanemar, speak now or I'll send you back to Spidon empty handed."

Vanemar explained the situation to them and how Spidon recommended that he seek help from the Reptilioyan sect.

"Of course." Ulstairos sighed. "He gives me orders and all the gains go to him. I've had enough of that... Give me one reason why I should help, if you provide me with no answer I will lend you no hand."

Vanemar thought for a moment. He had no real need for their help, he had almost always done things alone. But knowing nothing of the Spikel or the Savannah, he knew that he was better off with help. Even having as much as the single Spikel at the table by his side would likely improve his chances of surviving tenfold. It was true that he had arrived at the place with nothing to give them, but he didn’t intend to leave empty handed. "Spidon may have nothing for you." he said before adding. "But I do."

Ulstairos stared at him for a moment before he began to laugh hysterically. "Really?" He wheezed. He continued to laugh before managing to control himself. "You, a single mercenary?" He said in disbelief. "What could you give me that would be worth even a second of my time?"

"I can get rid of Spidon." He answered as seriously as possible.

The man's eyes widened for a moment. "I hope you’re joking.” He said as he suddenly became gravely serious. “You know what that man is capable of right? He'll kill you before you could even lay a finger on him." The man approached Vanemar, acting as if he were a parent lecturing a child. “Don’t you work for him? You should already know better than me that you don’t have a chance."

"I’m already quite well aware of what he can do." He said as he stared Ulstairos down. "After all, I’m the who’s next on his chopping block."

"Oh." The man said with surprise, giving him some space. "And what kind of situation led to that?"

"He considers me a threat."

"How so?"

"No comment."

The man sighed in frustration and began to pace around again. “Nothing you have said so far has made any sense! Why would you work for a man who’s trying to kill you?"

"I've got a promise to keep, and a purse that needs to be filled. If I make a move before that happens I’ll make things worse for myself."

"Well then Vanemar. While your claims may hold true I have trouble trusting your kind. I have a feeling you are good with a sword, are you?"

"I don't think I have the authority to say anything on that matter besides the fact that I am still far from being dead."

Ulstairos chuckled, genuine instead of mockingly. "Good enough to scare Spidon I'm guessing. Here, hand me your sword. I shall keep it safe for you." Vanemar put his hand on its hilt, but did not remove it. "It will only be for a moment, to prevent any accidents." Vanemar's brow went up but he decided to hand his sword to the man. It was not as if he could take everyone in the room by himself. "If you were unaware, we Reptiloyans have a tradition when it comes to handing over our authority." The man said as he led him to an empty fireplace opposite of the windows. "We duel each other for that position." He grabbed a key from his belt and stuck it into the roof of the fireplace, with a single twist a rack with two arming swords came down. "It may not always be with weapons." He replaced both his and Vanemar's blades with those on the rack. "But because I'm am entrusting the life of my comrades to you I believe that it is necessary." Before handing the sword to Vanemar he slid both blades across his arms. They did not bleed. "They are both dulled to the point that someone with the intent to kill would be unfulfilled while using them."

Vanemar flourished the sword in his hand to get a feel for it. "Almost like the real thing."

"To show if you have real skill." Ulstairos said as he spaced himself away from Vanemar. "Are you prepared to fight me? You should know well enough that if you want me to hand my authority to you, I will not care for your answer.”

Vanemar took his place opposite of him. "This is usually how I have to do things anyway." He readied his weapon. “The fact that this is a fair fight makes it all the better.”

They both stood motionless for a moment, swords ready and minds focused. Both waited for an opening. Finally, Vanemar began to move. A few small steps forward and a halt before repeating. Ulstairos moved as well, beginning to circle around Vanemar to try to flank him as he drew nearer and nearer.

Suddenly, Vanemar lunged forward with a single precise thrust towards Ulstairos neck. Expecting the attack, Ulstairos parried and swung. This began a clash of unrelenting attacks as both sides swung and parried. They began to circle each other, a strategy that proved to be worthless as neither allowed the chance to flank. Vanemar tried to back off in order to attack from a different direction but Ulstairos prevented him with a series of swings. Vanemar grunted in irritation and continued to devise a path around the man.

They soon entered a phase of the fight where a series of skirmishes took place. Vanemar would move away in order to get around the lizard and Ulstairos would meet him halfway, parrying his thrust and slashing at him with quick and calculated swings. It was a great challenge for Vanemar and put him on the edge of his wits. His end goal was what kept him in line. If he wanted to kill Spidon he would need to live through everything that the man threw at him, his trip to Spikel territory included. This duel would eventually be the deciding factor of whether he lived or died so he fought as if it really were the case.

Deciding that there would be no getting around him, Vanemar charged Ulstairos and they entered another fierce exchange. Vanemar had prepared this attack beforehand and in the middle of fighting he jumped back as soon as their blades touched. Ulstairos next swing met empty air, preventing him from dodging his opponent’s next thrust. Vanemar’s sword impacted Ulstairos’ left shoulder, and he felt a wave of relief and mental exhaustion as it did.

The two lowered their weapons to signal that the battle was over, they both were breathing heavily and Vanemar was drenched in sweat from moving so much in the heat.

"That's the best fighting I've seen since my time in service." Ulstairos said between breaths. He turned to the spectators at the table who began to applaud the scene. "Get this table ready, I'm already hungry and our guest must be too."

"Thank you." Vanemar said plainly.

"No need to thank." Ulstairos said as he returned him his weapon. "You have proved yourself in both word and action. Now take good care of my men and my ship.”

“Ship?"

"I suppose I can show you it while our meals are being prepared.”

The two men went towards the very end of the hallway and entered into a wide, open-roofed room. Surrounded by tall stone walls was a merchant ship, small but at a size that could house at least ten bodies. "Wait here a moment." Ulstairos said as he went to a room with two large open doors. He heard him speak with the people inside before bringing them out with him. Ulstairos gestured for Vanemar to follow. "They will make sure the ship is ready to travel. You should be able to depart before the sun sets."

Ulstairos led Vanemar down into the hull of the ship. There were two floors, the first was the living area and below that was the cargo bay. The first floor was introduced by a hallway that reached both ends of the ship and was lined with doors leading to personal rooms. They reached the mess hall in the center of the ship, a kitchen was included on one side and extra beds lined the other. "I'm surprised, I didn't expect your sect to have enough for an airship." Vanemar commented.

"We may not exploit political corruption like Spidon does but our numbers are many. Ever since the Reptiloyan sects merged I've been receiving even more donations. Gets us useful tools like this." They entered the captain's quarters at the very front of the ship. “This is where you'll be staying, only room in the ship with two windows. Feel free to leave your things here, I’ll let the others know to keep their hands off.” Vanemar looked around and found the place to be quite pleasant. A dark green rug was laid across the front of the room, showing off a simplistic pattern in black. The furniture was made from dark wood, contrasting with the light tan of the hull. On the captain's desk was a silver statue of some Reptiloyan deity holding a sabre and on the window nearest the bed was a potted plant which made the place more homely.

"Sure stands out from the rest of the ship." Vanemar said, taking off his gambeson. He was immediately hit by cooler air and basked in it for a few seconds.

"I made sure it did. Have to make it match my position after all. You can leave your sword here as well if you like, not likely anyone could get through the wall of this place.”

"The sword stays on." Vanemar said, making sure not to leave room for a rebuttal. Ulstairos only nodded with a smile. "Understandable, shall I introduce you to your new comrades?"

"It'd be good to know who I'll stay on a ship with, yes," The two men departed the ship as the other shiphands began to bring cargo from a distant storeroom. Vanemar turned around to see the ship one more time before he left, the feeling of loss came upon him. The loss quickly faded but not quickly enough for him to think of the things he could have done with his own ship.

Ulstairos made room for Vanemar to sit beside him when they returned to the grand hall. Dishes were now being laid on the table. "Before we eat, allow me to introduce them to you Vanemar." Ulstairos said as he looked across the table at each face. “The one who sits beside you is my second in command, Silves. He is well acquainted with everyone else so do keep in mind that he will be a very useful asset to you."

"A pleasure." Silves said nodding. The male reptile had silver eyes.

"There is also Walfus, he is one of the only spikels here and is a proficient translator." Vanemar looked towards the strange insect-like being near the center of the table. "There is also, Fouya, Idis, Buisang, and Rusaves who will be there in the case that there is need to fight, which from what Walfus may tell you there should be. There is no need to remember their names for now, as you will have plenty of time to be acquainted with them during your travels. The one thing you must remember is that you must treat them as brothers, even if your goal is to kill the leader of your sect I entrust you to see it as this."

"If you promise to support me then I have no reason not to."

The man chuckled. "We both wish to see Spidon buried under the earth, why would I ever have a reason not to give you my full respect. But enough talk, I cannot bear having this uneaten food in front of me." So they ate, and all the while Vanemar anxiety grew over the trials that he would have to face to free himself of his perpetual chase.