Since Kroq-Gar was resurrected by the Emperor, the Lizardmen have finally seen an opportunity for their own revival.
After the Great Cataclysm, when Chaos invaded and Lustria was ravaged by war, the once numerous temple cities of the Lizardmen were reduced to only four: the First City Itza, the City of the Sun Hexoatl, the City of the Moon Tlaxtlan, and the City of Mists Xlanhuapec. The other temple cities had either fallen into ruins or been occupied by Skaven or other creatures.
The Lizardmen continued their efforts to protect their remaining territories. Though many temple cities had been abandoned, Lizardmen armies still secretly guarded them, as the vital nodes of the geomantic web were located within these cities, the source of the Great Ward's power. However, during the Chaos invasion, the Lizardmen permanently lost many of their important cities. Some ruins were forgotten by the Lizardmen, along with the cities' past power and glory.
Without the guidance of the Old Ones or the First Generation Slann, the Lizardmen had no idea how to rebuild these temple cities. They could only struggle to pile huge stones into pyramids, but they were unable to reconstruct the geomantic web or the spawning pools. Some temple cities, such as the Echo City Huixatal, the Golden City Chakwa, the birthplace of the Pestilens Clan Quetza, or the Ashen City Pahuax, were occupied by Lizardmen armies but could not be rebuilt. These temple ruins were repeatedly contested, sometimes abandoned, sometimes recaptured, but the passage of time and the towering sealed pyramids remained constant.
Everything changed when the Emperor descended. Using his immense power, enough to illuminate an entire galaxy, he resurrected the First Generation Slann Lord Kroak, the last surviving member of the First Generation Slann. Kroak knew how to rebuild the geomantic web and maintain the Great Ward. As part of the bargain, the Emperor also purified the corrupted or abandoned spawning pools in Itza and Hexoatl, pools that had been unusable for thousands of years due to attacks by Chaos demons and Skaven. Finally, these spawning pools could be used again.
The Master of Mankind then copied and took away most of the Old One's technology left behind by the Lizardmen, along with their recorded history. He left Vulkan to collaborate with the Lizardmen in preparation for the End Times.
Kroak's power was beyond description. With a mere flick of his finger, the heavens would collapse, and stars would fall. The Lizardmen finally reached a moment of revival. With their forces and buildings restored, they launched campaigns to reclaim their abandoned cities. The Golden City of Chakwa, the city of Ashotol in Kukla, and the City of the Stars Xhotl, north and east of Itza, were recaptured. This time, Kroak's wisdom and power restored these cities to the embrace of the Old Ones. The geomantic spires and cores were rebuilt, and the power of the geomantic web began to stabilize.
This meant that more Slann Mage-Priests, who had maintained the Great Ward through sleep and meditation, could awaken and turn their attention to other matters.
Walking through the tropical rainforest, the Golden Mage from Araby, Karim, marveled at the dense jungle, the armor-piercing mosquitoes, the man-sized carnivorous plants, and the ancient beasts roaming the forest. "I really wonder, Lord Vulkan, how did you manage to communicate with such ancient creatures?"
"When you are as powerful as they are and don't stand in their way, you might have a chance," Vulkan replied, looking up at the dark canopy of the Great Forest. Ordinary people couldn't see anything beyond a few dozen meters in the dense forest, let alone see anything farther.
What intrigued Vulkan even more was that a Chameleon Skink was lying just five meters away, curiously observing the human army. Apart from Vulkan, none of the five hundred soldiers noticed the Chameleon Skink perched on the tropical hardwood.
Even with it practically on his face, an Ash Legion greatsword warrior remained oblivious.
In this environment, humans were practically blind. One ambush would be enough to wipe them out, Vulkan thought to himself. Not to mention, he had witnessed Lord Kroak's power—a supernova shockwave of that magnitude… perhaps only Vulkan himself could survive it.
"Incredible," Julius remarked, his eyes opened to a new world. The knight-errant's experiences during this expedition had made him realize how insignificant he was. "Amazing, I had only heard of the Lizardmen before."
"What, Julius? Have you found your calling as a stable boy?" Vulkan teased, amused by Julius's comment.
Julius's face darkened at this.
After the Battle of the Vampire Coast, Julius fought bravely, confident that this would make Vulkan see him in a new light.
But it didn't. When Vulkan returned to the Marauders' Port, Julius was reassigned to the stables to continue his duties as a stable boy.
The Ash Legion's commander even had a justification: "Those two elven horses recognize you, dear Julius. Now that they've finally given birth to foals, how could you let them go uncared for? I believe that out of everyone in the camp, you're the most suitable for the job. You're irreplaceable. I think this is your Lady's true purpose for sending you to assist me, Julius—a sacred mission! It's the will of the Lady of the Lake!"
Julius was so taken aback by Vulkan's reasoning that he couldn't argue. On reflection, it made sense. He had taken good care of those two pureblood elven warhorses, so they recognized and preferred his care. Besides, the Ash Legion was still figuring out how to breed and train elven warhorses and their foals, so he really was the best choice.
Though he felt something was off, Julius earnestly accepted and continued as a stable boy for another two weeks until Vulkan decided to head south to exchange the tablets.
The newly joined Hetwig van Hel was still not trusted, and the doctor and witch hunter, who was not fond of talking, carefully observed the surroundings with a rapier in his left hand and a short pistol in his right.
The Temple Guard remained silent throughout, while the Skink Priest occasionally spoke to Vulkan. It first mentioned that Lord Kroak had important matters to attend to and then casually mentioned that an unwelcome warm-blood had recently slipped into the Great Jungle. This intruder had used his impressive archery skills to blind a Carnosaur in one eye and seemed to be searching for something.
Vulkan was interested, but the Skink Priest didn't know much. It could only deduce from the arrows that the intruder was a follower of Kurnous, the God of the Hunt, with extraordinary archery skills.
"It seems that silver-haired human is their leader and highly regarded by the Lizardmen." About four hundred meters away, perched in the canopy of a towering tree, a Waywatcher of the Wood Elves was stealthily observing everything.
For years, she had devoted almost all her efforts to entering Itza, seeking redemption, hoping for Kurnous' forgiveness, and to bring comfort to Isha. She had to follow the oracle and enter the Pool of Emerald Waters to uncover the Lizardmen's secrets.
However, the barrier Kroak had raised around Itza was too strong, so strong that even she, confident in her abilities, dared not approach. Even the most arrogant and aloof of the elves knew that the Old Ones were the creators, possessing the power of creation itself. Even their servants were not to be trifled with under normal circumstances.
But she had to find a way into the Pool of Emerald Waters because, according to Isha's oracle in her dream, it was the only way Kurnous would forgive her. Thinking of her past mistakes, the Waywatcher closed her eyes in pain—she had no other choice.
In her brief observation, she concluded that the silver-haired human was indeed the leader and likely a guest of honor among the Lizardmen.
So, if she could capture this human and use his life to threaten these humans and Lizardmen, she might be able to gain access to Itza.
Or she could capture him and force him to reveal how to enter Itza.
Yes, that's what she would do! The Waywatcher knew this was one of her few chances. Since arriving near Itza, she had noticed that more and more Lizardmen armies were patrolling the forest, making it increasingly difficult to remain hidden. Time was running out.
When night fell, she would act.
Night fell over Lustria, the Great Jungle, and the Ash Legion's camp.
Vulkan and his men had found a ravine to set up camp. They only dared to eat the food they had brought with them and drank water stored in gourds, as many delicacies that were safe for Lizardmen were poisonous to humans.
The greatsword warriors, foot knights, and Phoenix Guards gathered around campfires, heating their food and cooking soup, chatting in small groups. The Golden Mage and his Araby guards set up a large golden tent, a magical construct that housed an entire magnificent domed palace inside.
Vulkan strummed an instrument favored by the Old Ones called a "ukulele," which he had found in the ruins of a Lizardmen city, along with an ancient song, *Greeting the Stars*. Though the song had long been forgotten, Vulkan had tenaciously reconstructed it using various methods and even wrote his own lyrics.
The Legion Commander's artistic talent was well-recognized in both the Ash Legion and the human world. He mastered various forms of poetry and was skilled
in playing and singing on multiple instruments. Some enthusiasts had counted that Vulkan could play at least seven instruments.
Additionally, Vulkan spoke at least eight languages. Besides High and Low Gothic, he was proficient in Elvish, Dwarvish, Kislevite, the ancient tongue of the Tomb Kings, and the hieroglyphs used by the Lizardmen. Even the notoriously difficult Araby language was no obstacle for him; after the Golden Mage gave him a few books and some guidance, Vulkan could converse with the Golden Mage in Araby with reasonable fluency.
After a brief period of entertainment, the soldiers left a few on watch while the rest began to rest.
As night deepened, the Waywatcher finally found her opportunity. In the forest, no one could rival an Asrai in stealth.
A green shadow moved through the tropical jungle, past waterlogged banana leaves, and swiftly across the muddy, moss-covered ground. The Waywatcher silently approached the Ash Legion's camp. The soldiers on watch remained vigilant, scanning the area for any signs of movement.
But this didn't trouble the Waywatcher. In the eyes of an elf, humans were inferior beings, neither adept at magic nor skilled in the art of war, and culturally far behind elves. Their only advantages were their numbers and resilience.
With their poor night vision and terrible hearing, these humans were far from being able to detect a Waywatcher like her!
After spending a few minutes getting closer to Vulkan's tent, the tropical plants and her natural camouflage ensured that the guards didn't notice her. Vulkan's tent was now right in front of her. The Waywatcher drew a dagger from her belt, ready to cut open the tent and capture the person inside, to interrogate or threaten them. But then she noticed the tent was still lit!
"Damn! That human is still awake!" the Waywatcher cursed silently, sheathing her dagger and hiding in a nearby bush. She wasn't foolish—she knew that anyone capable of commanding the entire Ash Legion wasn't weak. If she fought him head-on, she wouldn't have much of a chance. Her only opportunity was to strike while he was asleep.
She patiently waited in the darkness for another hour. Finally, the light inside the tent went out, suggesting that the silver-haired human had decided to rest.
The Waywatcher waited another ten minutes until the nearby patrols moved away. She then drew her dagger again, ready to quietly cut open the tent.
Just a little closer, sweat beaded on the Waywatcher's forehead as she gritted her teeth. The sharp tip of the dagger touched the purple tent.
"Thud!" Suddenly, a soft, muffled sound came from behind her!
What?! The Waywatcher barely had time to react before she felt a sharp pain in her back!
Damn! I've been shot! She grunted, opening her mouth to speak, but a terrifying numbness spread through her body. She tried with all her might to turn around, but her body wouldn't obey, and she collapsed to her knees. "Mmm…"
Quickly, she felt herself losing consciousness.
It's… over…
**********
The next morning, Vulkan woke from his dreams. After a quick wash and getting ready for the day, he heard movement inside the tent. Several Ash Legion soldiers eagerly called out at the tent door, "Commander? Are you awake?"
Vulkan wasn't surprised at all. His voice was calm and amused, "I'm awake. What's the matter?"
"Commander, we caught a Wood Elf, and it's a woman!" The Ash Legion soldiers were clearly excited about this. They shouted happily, "Can we bring her in?"
"Alright." Vulkan elegantly extended his hand and placed a towel in the golden basin of water.
The tent door opened, and several greatsword warriors dragged in a Wood Elf captive from outside.
The Wood Elf captive was clearly female. She wore a simple Wood Elf silk dress and leather sandals. Her figure was stunning, and her features bore the wild and fiery characteristics unique to Wood Elves. Her face was filled with defiance and anger, but her mouth was gagged, so she could only make muffled, displeased noises. Her hands and feet were tightly bound with hemp rope, and though she struggled constantly, she couldn't muster any strength. All she could do was glare at Vulkan with eyes burning with fury.
"Commander, this is a real treasure. In the Old World, a Wood Elf woman like this could fetch an astonishing price in Marienburg's slave… I mean, talent market!" One of the greatsword warriors said flatteringly, "Your brother, Lord Ryan, once acquired the finest Elven maid there. After some discussion, we all agreed that you need one too. We decided to present this Wood Elf to you!"
"Oh~" Vulkan listened, his elegant demeanor unshaken, not even remotely surprised. "You really want to give her to me?"
"Of course." The greatsword warriors grinned mischievously. "Commander, you really should have a woman by your side."
"Very well, you may leave now." Vulkan appeared satisfied and waved his hand, signaling the greatsword warriors to leave. They exchanged knowing looks, showing expressions all men would understand, and quickly left the tent.
Now, only Vulkan and the captured Wood Elf remained in the tent. Vulkan smiled enigmatically as he slowly approached her. "Now, let's get to know each other better, shall we?"
"Mmm~ Mmm! Mmmph!" Seeing Vulkan approach, the Wood Elf finally showed a trace of fear. She struggled desperately, writhing her body, and made muffled screams through her gag. "Mmm!"
The Primarch's hand moved like lightning. He grabbed the Wood Elf's chin, lifting her terrified and despairing face, and removed the gag.
"Now, tell me, who are you, and why are you here?" Vulkan gently asked in Elvish.
"You'll never make me say a word, human! I will kill you, dedicate this hunt to Kurnous, and offer your soul to our Mother Isha! I…" the Wood Elf angrily retorted.
"There are five hundred men outside, five hundred soldiers," Vulkan calmly replied, his tone still gentle. "They've been on campaign for quite some time, Wood Elf."
The Wood Elf's face turned pale. She looked up incredulously and saw a pair of emotionless eyes.
Without a doubt, this human would do exactly as he said.
"Answer me, Elf," Vulkan repeated.
The Wood Elf gritted her teeth, but finally, she spoke.
"…Carona, Carona Wendelich, daughter of Alaralos the Brave, Lord of Talsyn, and Evelyn, Lady of Wendelich Grove."
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