Pixli's Logbook - Lizardfolk Kidnappers II

*5 Eleint*

Ugh, what a horrific day! On our return trip to the Lizardfolk convene, to stop those poor people being sacrificed to the black dragon Throstulgrael, we ended up encountering one of the most objectively disgusting creatures I've ever laid eyes on. Just like the Gryph, who lay their eggs in your body and let the young eat you from the inside, but *uglier*, we encountered giant leeches, who spat up to a dozen smaller leeches with each spray of their horrific young. I got nine of the horrible little wretches on me and felt the life being sucked from my veins, I can only hope I didn't get infected with something. One of them even tried to **eat** me alive, I was in its **mouth**. But we managed to rip them to pieces, and none of us went down, not even Plank! My new thunder gauntlets worked a treat, at least when I wasn't using my hands to pull the nasty buggers off me.

Burglekutt and Aragorn couldn't come with us this time, instead we had two new faces; Eunice and Hector, an old lady and shirtless sword-wielder respectively. Apparently Eunice had been a nanny for a barbarian tribe, and judging by the way she swings that frying pan of hers, I'll believe it. Hector confided in me during the night that the reason he doesn't wear a shirt is because when he changes shape, his top always shreds to pieces and needs replacing, and actually asked me to help replace it. I should look into that... On another note, I felt rather bad after our conversation. I'd mistaken him for a pet in his wolfen state, and attempted to play games with him, which he told me later he'd been mocked at home over.

*6 Elient*

I adjusted my armour during the night in preparation for the mission ahead, as we'd need a stealthier approach to make this work. No thunder gauntlets, no shield, but a neat long-range lightning blast and special hydraulics in the legs to make me faster and sneakier. As luck would have it for the people we found, we ended up running into another prisoner transport of the lizards'; a big raft of them with a small escort to get them downriver to the Ringcurrent Islands. We dealt with them pretty easily, even when one of them had the cheek to call in crocodiles to help them. The hostages were grateful to be rescued, and gave us some more background on what was going on. Apparently the old Lizardfolk King had been killed, hence the power vacuum. I thought for sure the dragon had orchestrated all this, but Drago had had the brilliant idea (no sarcasm!) to keep one alive for questioning, and I was just a little disappointed to find out they'd just had a betrayal in the ranks. My idea was much more interesting, if you ask me. While we decided what to do with this guy while we went and freed the captives, Eunice went and whacked him across the head! Just *bang* and he toppled over with his head smashed between his shoulders. Barbarian, indeed...

The rest of the journey saw us getting there by nightfall, not that it mattered for all the torches set up around camp. Maybe the Lizardfolk can't see in the dark? I guess they're more different to Troglodytes than I thought. Our plan worked, more or less. Hector kept watch, I snuck in and lead the captives out after Elaria charmed the guards, and Knock put up a light show to distract them. Dumb reptiles. Drago and Eunice took out a few patrolling guards, and Plank helped direct the escapees where to run and meet us for the return journey. Everything went well until this **massive** Lizardfolk turned up, Bigclaw I think his name was, as unimaginative as that was. The fight was pretty tough, and their spellcasters kept trying to bring in crocodiles to help, but a little distracting pain saw to doing away with that idea. They were starting to run when they realised they were losing, but not before one tossed a javelin right at my damned head! Well, at least we won, and the captives got out unscathed.

We're in Hope now, resting while the crowd we saved give us a proper hero's welcome back. I can feel my face healing up and scarring where the javelin hit, the streak of exposed meat feels cold to the open air, and the tough scar material makes eating a little awkward, but I'll be stronger for today's victory. It *is* getting a little crowded, though...