Previously on Protector’s of Worlds:

Now with a new jungle to venture through, our heroes must deal with more undergrowth, massive insects, and carnivorous plants!

Having survived all that, the two started looking for food but were then ambushed. Marcel was the only one who got a good look at them. They looked like lizards but were standing upright like humans!

What do these lizard humanoids plan to do to our heroes?! Let’s proceed……

X

Upon hearing the sound of voices, Calem was able to open his eyes, but his vision was still blurry. He was able to catch glimpses of multiple lizardmen surrounding him and the unconscious Marcel. He heard them talking amongst themselves, probably deciding on what to do with them.

Just before he blacked out, he was able to hear a single sentence that said………

“No way………..I wasn’t the only one……”

X

After being out cold for so long, Calem and Marcel awoke, lying on wooden beds while with aching headaches. Calem noticed they are in some kind of house with a curtain door.

“You doing okay?” Calem asked his friend.

“Head hurts but other than that, I’m still breathing,” Marcel replied while rubbing his head.

Getting up from his bed, Calem examined the house a bit more, finding out it was made of straw and wood.

“Where are we, anyway?” Calem asked, curious about the new location they are in.

“Probably the home of those things that ambushed us,” Marcel replied

“You mean those walking biped lizard things?” Calem said which got a nod from his friend. While he was chatting with Marcel, he felt something off about his left arm. He moved his eyes and realized……..

“My gauntlet……..It’s gone.”

Once he said that, Marcel noticed the same thing: his gauntlets were missing!

“So are mine!’ Marcel said, jumping out of his bed. ‘Where are they?”

“The lizards……..They must’ve taken them.” Calem said

‘Those bastards! For what reason?” Marcel furiously asked.

“Probably kept them as trophies or something, I don’t know,” Calem said, just trying to think of reasons.

Suddenly, the curtain door opens and two lizardmen armed with spears storm in. They appear 7ft tall with jade skin, a yellow-green underbelly, both wearing a brown loincloth, and green spots covering nearly covering their bodies. Both had different colored crests: one had light green while the other had a brown color.

Calem and Marcel quickly take up defensive positions at the lizardmen who then step to the side. Another lizardman walked in, this one looking more older than the others. It was about 6’8ft tall, using a long stick as a walking cane, had brown eyes, a grey crest with few yellow parts, sharp scaly spikes under its chin that resembled a beard, and missing its right arm.

Behind the old lizardmen was another one who was about who looked a bit more slender than the others. It was about 5’5ft tall, with lilac eyes, a light blue crest, and missing a tail. Both it and the old lizardman were wearing brown loincloths, like the guards.

The two didn’t let their guard down, even when the old lizardmen started approaching them, not showing even a sign of fear before talking.

“I see you two are awake.” The old lizardman said. “For a minute, I thought you wouldn’t make it.”

“W-Who are you?” Calem asked, tensely.

“I am Velu Lacera, Chieftain of the Iguacko tribe,” Velu said before turning his head back to the slender lizardman. “This is my granddaughter, Floso.” He said as Floso smiles and bows her head at the two.

After introducing themselves, Velu noticed that Calem and Marcel looked very tense. He couldn’t blame them after they were attacked by his hunters.

“Please be at ease, my friends. No harm will fall upon you.” Velu said, trying to reassure them but only fell upon deaf ears.

“Guess it’s gonna take a lot more than that, huh?” Velu said before speaking to the Iguacko guard on the right. “Go fetch them.”

The guard bows to him before leaving the house, leaving Calem and Marcel confused. A few minutes have passed and the guard returns, carrying something that looked familiar to our heroes. Upon getting a better look, they now know what the guard had…

“Our gauntlets,” Calem said with relief as the guard walked to them and hands them back.

“I apologize for that, but we couldn’t risk you two doing anything rash when you awoke,” Velu said.

“Thanks……..I guess.” Marcel said, putting his gauntlets back on.

“You…….don’t plan on eating us?” Calem asked with a confused voice.

“Oh, no. Not a chance of that happening.” Floso said

“We would never do such things to guests,” Velu said, which had Calem and Marcel look at each other with confusion.

“Guests?” Marcel asked.

“Of course! You are our guests and are free to stay as long as you want.” Velu said with kindness.

“Wha…huh…what the…..wha?’ Marcel stuttered, trying to make sense of any of this.

“Stumped, are you?’ Velu said as Calem and Marcel nodded in unison. He then starts to make his way out, before peaking his head out the curtain door. “You may come in now.”

As Velu moves to the side, another figure entered but to Calem and Marcel’s surprise, It wasn’t an Iguacko or did it even look lizard-like…..It was a female human!

She was about 5’5ft tall with long lilac hair, cream skin, yellow eyes, wearing a white dress with a skirt that has a pinkish line encircling it, a red belt with a yellow diamond belt buckle, and pink shoes.

“Hello.” The female human said with a smile.

“Hi.” Both Calem and Marcel said in sync with shocked expressions.

“A-Are you…….” Marcel hesitantly tried to ask

“Yes, I’m human, like you.” The female human said with some glee and excitement.

The two were so excited that they couldn’t find the words to describe it, but they didn’t need to when the female lunged right at them and hugged both of them, knowing that she wasn’t the only one to survive the destruction of her home. Feeling the same joy as her, Calem and Marcel hug her back as Velu and Floso look on, smiling at this event. After embracing them for a while, she lets them go.

“Sorry. Got a little emotional there.” She said, wiping the tears from her face..”

‘Hey, no problem.” Calem said.

“We reacted the same way when we were reunited,” Marcel said.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.” She said. “My name’s Julie Edens.”

“I’m Calem Drewick.” Calem introduced himself before pointing his hand to Marcel. “This is my best friend, Marcel Lamunci.”

“Pleased to meet a fellow human.” Marcel jokingly said, causing everyone to chuckle.

“Good to see you all getting along well,” Velu said. “We’ll leave you alone.”

Having said that, Velu along with the guards exits the house while Floso stays behind for a while.

“If you need anything, give me a holler,” Floso said to Julie before giving her a quick hug and exiting, leaving the three the only ones in the house.

“So…..You live with them?” Marcel asked.

“Yes, as shocking as it is, I live with them, eat with them, and sleep with them,” Julie said.

“And not once did they think about eating you?” Calem asked

“Oh, they did, but thanks to Velu, I am where I am now,” Julie said.

“Speaking of which, how did you get here?” Marcel asked.

“Through a portal, the same way you guys did,” Julie responded, confusing the two.

“Wait, how did……?” Calem was about to finish but stopped when he saw something strange on Julie’s left arm. It looked like some kind of bracelet with a purple color skim, and pink lines with a violet orb in the middle.

This caused Calem to remember a saying he said from back then…..

“Maybe, it put us here for a reason.”

He nudges Marcel with his shoulder who was able to quickly notice the bracelet. Looks like they found the reason they were put on the planet.

“Say, about that bracelet…..” Calem said as he points to it. “Is that what got you here?”

“It was,” Julie replied before telling them everything. The bracelet was a gift for her 15th birthday. Thinking it was weird-looking, she discarded it into her closet. 3 years later while she was going through her old stuff she discovered the bracelet again and decided to put it on. A few moments later, she experienced everything Calem and Marcel witnessed: a bright flash of light and a series of flashbacks, involving a huge battle and three warriors trying to defeat a dark one. She then stopped when she noticed the expressions on the two, seeing they had a bit of dismay.

“I assume you guys saw what I saw?” Julie asked

“Yes,” Marcel said

“Did you understand what any of it meant?” Calem asked

“Only the 2nd flashback, where it seemed like…..” Julie said before Marcel stopped her.

“Some great dark force was sealed away?” Marcel said, shocking Julie who stood silent, giving a slow nod as Calem stepped in.

“Listen, these items that we now carry were part of a seal holding that dark being back, but as soon as we put these on…..” Calem said

“It was released, spreading destruction throughout our home.” Marcel joined in.

“Then….that means……” Julie’s voice started to crack as tears ran down her face. “Oh, no…..What have I done?!......Sis…….Mom……..”

Knowing all this disturbing information brought Julie to her knees. Feeling remorse for her, Calem and Marcel embrace her.

“You’re not the only one to blame here,” Marcel said with sympathy.

“It is our fault as well,” Calem said.

And they then spent the rest of the day weeping…..of the grave mistake they committed.