Should Have Let Me Die

Chapter 15: A Change In Plans

We laid in the grass for a while longer after my face cooled down. Then we got up and headed back, with Kyra and Kalita meeting us halfway.

"We got the princess with Alex in a room, and the rest of the lizards are waiting for you laying face down on the ground." Kyra excitedly told us.

"Laying on the ground? They put themselves like that?"

"Mmhmm. Once Harmonie obliterated the knights, all the Lizardfolk had dropped to the ground and hadn't moved since. Even The Princess tried to do it as well, and when Alex asked her why, she was too scared to answer. I think they are scared of Harmonie mostly, but they see us as the monsters."

"Makes sense. Well, I'll deal with the Lizardfolk first. I think a little bravado is in order here. What do you girls think?"

We had almost made it back to the prone group of Lizardfolk when I saw Harmonie and Ganth wave to us as we approached. They stood guard casually, but all the lizards had their faces pressed into the ground, and some on them were even shaking.

I broke away from the girls and took off my right glove walking over to the lizards. I walked between them, bent over, touching each one as I passed them. I put my left gloved hand up to shield my eyes from each flash of light, but I soon finished, and I went back to stand in front of the now changed Lizardfolk.

"Stand up. No need to be scared anymore."

None of them moved.

"STAND!" I barked.

Instantly all of them were on their feet, standing straight. The group was no longer the emaciated group of skin and bones from our first encounter. Instead, their previous dull orange was bright, and they all sported tails. These Lizardmen were all well built and more human than lizards.

"Now, things are going to change. The first question, are there more of you?"

All the Lizardfolk stayed quiet until I finally pointed to one of them. The brawny Lizardman stepped forward and relayed their sad story.

"One year ago, there were three tribes all in the forest of Nukotu to the north in the kingdom Haertia, but since then, King Hardenson issued an order to start collecting our skins for armor. Not long after, they raided the Kisusus tribe with many knights sent from the capital. Everyone was killed and skinned, some even done while alive."

There was a pause before he continued, clearly becoming emotional.

"They abused the queen and single Princess savagely before also taking their hides while they screamed out, it was said. This event happened again with the Nakashishi tribe, but some escaped. This time they did the same to the Queen and two Princess but kept them alive to use as bait."

The other lizardmen were getting restless at this point in the story, but the teller continued, even though it was agitating him as well.

"They kept some of the males alive as well to be sent out with the message that the knights would trade the queen and Princess in exchange for their lives. One stayed behind to protect the women, while the others left to give their lives, but it was all a trap. It was said by the one left behind that heard the screams and cries, that once they had all the surviving males at sword point, they defiled the women and skinned them before killing the rest."

'Are you fucking kidding me?'

'Sadly, no. I saw it happen and could do nothing for them.' -Gripton.

"They finally came for us, but we had got news of the massacres and split apart. The last we heard was that our queen had been captured and taken to the capital. Princess Mishka is the last surviving relative."

"Woah, Woah, Woah, slow the fuck down. How do you figure Mishka is the last one? Didn't you just tell me that the queen was in the capital?"

"Yes, but there is no way to get her, and going would be suicide!"

"Ya, Ya, Ya, but last time I checked, I'm the boss around here, and I decide what can and can't be done! Can you really say that after seeing what Harmonie can do? She, like you, is another one of my many vassals. You are no longer different from any of us. I gave you the gift of humanity with my magic. Things are about to change, along with our direction. Tescelle!"

"Yes, Great Master Hyde!"

"Shit, I didn't know you were so close!"

Tescelle's voice had come from not far behind me, and I turned to see she had been standing with my wife's who all had tears in their eye. I made eye contact with each girl before talking to Tescelle.

"You know where we're going, right? Since you were close."

"Yes to the capital of Haertia, Landokingson!"

"Good, next we need to get these ones settled," I said while pointing at the Lizard-Kin. That would be my name for all humanized monsters, Something-Kin. This name would signify the kinship with humans, allowing for stronger bonds and less bullshit. "We have a new course. Now wives, let go see our Little Princess."

The women led me to the room Princess Mishka was staying in, and when Alex knocked on the door, Nuwari poked her head out. Seeing that it was the women and me, Nuwari slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, Great Master Hyde, I see you have come to see the Princess, but I ask that you wait. She only just fell asleep, and she was quite distressed before. Apparently, Mishka is quite young, only eighteen, but by lizardfolk standard, the females cannot start to have young until twenty one. This hindrance is also why they are prized and protected so fiercely by the males."

"Well, that is one of those dumb fucking things that will be getting changed. Now, as Lizard-Kin, the males will be able to reproduce with humans or other Kin if they want to, but the days of using one girl as a baby machine are over. Her sleeping is ok. When we eat in the evening, the girls and I will come with food and talk then."

Nuwari thanked me and slipped back into the room, and we all went up to the patio. Once up there, I went to the back railing and watched the Lizard-Kin get loaded up. I turned from the railing and walked to the table the girls were sitting at and asked Alex to call all the spiders that She had brought along. This plan wasn't perfect, but it was the best thing I could do at this moment.

Soon, Alex had thirty spiders beside the house wagon, and I started going through them, touching each hairy body with my right hand. At first, I was grossed the fuck out, but I got over my reservations after I felt a pelt of soft fur. Flashes of light and cheers from freshly formed mouths filled the air. After touching the last one, I turned to find thirty naked Spider-Kin males, naked.

I whipped back around and called out for someone to find thirty pairs of underwear. After twenty minutes and some awkward explanations and displays to my wives on exactly what underwear was, the men all had their peckers covered, and I could turn to address them.

"Alright, I'm sure you all know what is going on with our course change, Right?"

"Yes, Great Master Hyde!" thirty-two voices chimed. The twins had joined the group now.

"Good, We will get another wagon house built, and we will leave in the morning. According to Tescelle says, four days travel to the capital from here. That means we have four days to come up with a plan to get into the castle. By any means."

Later that evening, when everyone sat down to eat, my wives and I had food delivered with us to visit the Princess. When we got there, Nuwari greeted us at the door with a warm smile. She had changed into another green dress, but this one displayed her cleavage on a whole different level, but I was receiving violent finger jabs to my sides whenever my eyes strayed.

Nuwari laughed at the girls and me and then led us into the large bedroom, this was supposed to be my room, but I had her moved here so we could all join her to eat. When we entered the room, The Princess was hiding under the blanket in my massive bed, but as the food was wheeled in, I could hear distinct sniffing sounds coming from that direction.

Alex and Nuwari went over to the bed and were able to coax out the shy Little Princess Mishka. I helped get the table and chairs set up with Kadence, Kyra, and Kalita but turned when I heard Alex clear her throat.

Alex and Nuwari were standing on either side of Mishka. For her part, she seemed to be examining a spot on the ground, so I moved forward slowly. Once I was about an arm's length away, I stopped and squatted down slowly. I looked up at her, but she turned away when our eyes connected, but I could feel the fear coming from her.

I was like all the other ones. The ones that killed and tortured Mishka's friends and family. To Mishka, I was just another face of a different species that was trying to eradicate them. Fuck.

"I can't change the deaths or the things people that look like me did. I can stop them from doing it too much. Please touch my right hand, and I will give you freedom. All your protectors have received my hand as well."

I backed up before extending my right hand, and I kept at a distance that would have her take a step while reaching out. Kadence translated my speech to The Princess, and then Mishka started to shake. Kadence spoke to Mishka again but for a longer stretch than when she translated my words.

When Kadence finished, Mishka looked at Alex, Kalita, and Kyra, and each girl smiled at her like they had some kind of telepathic connection. Now I knew what she was saying. I kept my face as pleasant as possible, but I took a mental note about Kadence for late!

The Princess turned back to me and seemed to have more resolve now, but she still had a bit of a wild look in her eye. Slowly, she raised her small clawed hand and took the step.

As our hands connected, I threw my hand up too late and got blinded. Again. Fuck. I better find someone that can use sunglasses magic soon cause this shit was getting old.