With the wide, expansive field lying before them, a wind from an unknown source wove through the blades of grass and washed over Bob and Ted's scales.
The cooling breeze comforted them, the temperature being right above the threshold for slowing their movements.
Two broken logs lay flat, serving as a resting spot for the brothers while they conversed.
The usual resting spot for the 7ft lizardmen had slowly moulded to their form over time, with worn-out marks along the logs and bare patches of dirt where their clawed feet stretched out.
Letting out a long sigh, the red lizardman directed a question to his blue-scaled brother.
“Do you know what, Ted, when it's so peaceful like this, It's easy to forget our fate.”
Ted did not answer immediately; his large, clawed hands were in the process of completing a daisy chain. Being as careful as possible, he slowly inserted the daisy's stem into another, finally completing his masterpiece.
Looking at Bob with what passed for a smile, he spoke.
“I like peace, Bob. I guess we will be restarting again soon, the never-ending repetition.....Sigh.....Do you think that demon will take you again when the time comes?”
Bob flinched at hearing his words, before he quickly tried to hide his show of cowardice with fake bravado.
“Ha Ha! Ted, you know that demon is no match for me!”
Ted reached out and placed the daisy chain that formed a crown and placed it on his brother's head.
Planting a hand on his shoulder, Ted spoke in a calming voice.
“It's okay, Bob; only you know what happens after we are mercilessly dispatched. If you need to cry, you can do. No one from the village is around. Let it all out now; that's what brothers are for after all.”
A solitary tear fell from Bob's eye and soaked into the dirt by his feet.
Reaching down, he took charge of his club that lay on the ground. With the weapon in hand, a sense of comfort filled him.
“I'm okay, Ted. That demon confuses me; it toys with my emotions. I don't know if I should be angry or happy!.......Anyway, it's usually around this time for a reset.”
Ted released his hand from his brother's shoulder and also claimed his weapon.
Looking out into the distance, his eyes focused on a large stone ring with a shimmering portal within it. The lone structure stood in stark contrast to the empty plane it resided in.
Stretching out his arm, he pointed his weapon at the portal and spoke.
“Bob, what do you think? I'm aiming for two!”
Bob stood up, his large tail swung behind him and slapped Ted in the back of his head with a soft thud.
“Ha Ha! Ted, my little brother, I'm aiming for three!”
Joining his brother in standing up, the lizardmen faced each other, eye to eye. Ted flexed his tail behind him and replied.
“Bob, don't get ahead of yourself just because your tail is longer by a scale.”
Letting out a guttural laugh, Bob spoke triumphantly.
“Ted, a scale is still a scale! I think even Suzy notices it!”
Ted's eyes opened wide, slamming his free hand into his face, and his head dropped low.
“Bob, I forgot to tell you that Suzy was looking for you earlier!”
Shaking his head side to side, Bob replied.
“It's okay, Ted, you were born a moron and are still a moron. At least you haven't got any worse! Small mercies, ey.”
Ted scowled angrily at his brother, lifting up his leg; he stepped onto Bob's foot and spoke.
“Listen here, Bob, at least I'm blue and not stupid red.”
Bob let out a grunt and then stepped on his brother's other foot.
“Red's better than blue, you blue fool!”
Ted pressed his head against Bob's, their battle of determination slowly heating up.
“No, Bob, blue is cool, I heard a human say it!”
“Shut up, Ted, we don't even speak human! That's like me claiming I heard a human say Bob is the best lizardman!”
“Do!”
“Don't!”
At the same time, both of them immediately stopped their bickering and took a step apart.
The portal in the distance started to emit sparks of energy, as a group of humans began to appear from it.
Five humans in total: a man wielding a large shield that matched his bulk and carrying a double-sided axe in his other hand.
Behind him, a slender man wielding two swords looked about, as a small black-clad man holding a dagger behaved cautiously.
At the rear of their party, two girls held Magic staves, their nervous grip on their weapons evident by the blood loss in their fingers.
Bob and Ted's demeanour instantly changed; their bright eyes that were full of longing for life suddenly changed, their colour being replaced with a vibrant red.
Staring at the group of humans, they raised their weapons and charged them while shouting.
“DIE, DIE, DIE!”
“I'M GONNA KILL YOU!”
Although the humans had no idea what the lizardmen were shouting, they knew they were charging to attack.
The lizardmen's weapons were being brandished as they ran across the open field.
The humans took up their positions: the shield-bearer at the front, the swordsman and assassin to his sides and the two mages to the rear. The girls wasted no time and cast buffs on their fellow party members.
Ted was slightly in front of his brother, his sense and reason completely vanished, only being able to watch as his body reacted, almost as if he was watching a movie that he had no say in its production.
Aiming for the dual-wielding swordsman, Ted's club flashed down and was easily halted in place by his opponent's sword. Raising it back to attack again, his weapon lost all momentum; the signal from his brain to his arm had been severed.
The swordsman's other sword had sliced clean through Ted's neck, decapitating the blue lizardman easily.
Bob saw his brother's demise; the same feeling of regret washed over his heart, yet it did not impede or bolster his actions in any way.
Bob's club slammed down into the human's shield, bouncing back off the massive chunk of metal; he tried again and was once again rebuffed.
From his side, the assassin approached with the intent of striking with his daggers.
Bob's tail caught him by surprise and sent him flying. The shield bearer let out a roar and slammed his large axe down.
Bob's body split in two, from crown to crotch; he separated, the glow in his eyes disappearing. The daisy chain that his brother had gifted him was severed in two, the two halves falling to the ground and lying atop the pooling blood.
With the two lizardmen easily defeated, the party of Adventurers looked around for any more enemies.
After seeing none in the vicinity, they congratulated each other on their successful first battle. With the three men taking the lead, they started to walk towards where they knew the village was.
Just as the two Mage girls were about to follow them, one of them halted as she stared down at the deceased lizardman. Her eyes noticed the severed flowers, making her crouch down beside the split-in-two dead body.
“What's wrong, Cassandra?”
The three men realised the girls had stopped, and so halted while they looked at them with concern in their eyes.
Cassandra had picked up a small stick from the ground and had retrieved the daisy chain. Looking up at the girl who spoke to her, she replied.
“Look at this. That lizardman was wearing a daisy chain. That doesn't make sense, does it, Sarah?”
Bending down, she examined it, her lips pursed while lost in thought. Before she could voice her thoughts, the swordsman of their party spoke up.
“It's just a dumb monster; they can't think or do anything but attack. Even the village they live in wasn't made by them.”
Sarah and Cassandra ignored Eric's words, rising back to their feet; she discarded the bloody flowers. Sarah hugged her tightly from behind and whispered in her ear.
“We will let the Guild know when we get finished, Cassandra. I used to make those all the time when I was a kid, so I agree it's weird.”
“Thank you, Sarah.”
The three men rolled their eyes at the girls' sign of affection for one another and turned back to carry on with their mission.
At that moment, multiple lizardmen charged out of the trees. All of them were waving their weapons about and shouting; a barrage of noise emanated from their mouths.
““ARGHHHHH.””
All were cut down in the midst of their incomprehensible shouts.