Alexander passed into the dream realm of Loktai’s. His form, an astral form, was merely a projection of his thoughts in a mental probe. He entered the head of Loktai and started trying to get past the present feelings that Loktai was having.

“Oh boy, feelings of aloneness, everywhere,” Alexander said as he observed the feelings around him. “I didn’t think the reptile men had any feelings. Especially compassion, but this is aloneness. It’s almost like a wall. I’ve got to dig deeper.”

Alexander jumped into the feelings of loneliness like a diver dived into the ocean. He didn’t need to go any deeper to find what he was looking for. For years, Alexander’s race -- the humans and the humanlike elves, dwarves, and halflings and others of their ilk, was marked by their emotions -- especially compassion. But Alexander found that the reptile men, the races of the scale, do have feelings.

Diving through the haze of loneliness, Alexander landed into the dreamworld of Loktai. Dressing himself in a Chiton and Himation, he hoped that Loktai wouldn’t recognize him. Alexander saw, however, scenes of war. The reptile men fought with the armies of Cassander, and they hoped they would have won, but they didn’t.

The reptile men depended on small bands rather than a straight military formation. While Cassander’s troops used the Macedonian Phalanx formation and arranged their warriors into squares. The battles were awful, and the Cassandrans won the day. The battle, however, was brutal. Armed only with shields and axes, and only soft leathers for armor, the battle was brutal and there was much shedding of blood. Loktai had swung his axe in several places and used his tail to cut down two or three men before he was captured. The sounds of steel against iron and bronze had rung through the countryside as many lizardmen and humans fought each other. The sounds of yelling humans and hissing lizardmen could be heard through the battle lines.

The fields were drenched in blood, Alexander looked like he was going to cry. But he had to dig deeper. Ditching his clothes again, he punched through the scene as it faded into a surreal spiral. The scene came again and this time, Alexander was in a village.

This time, the mood was peaceful, and there was many trees and birds singing. This time, to fit the mood, Alex covered himself in just a small chiton and sauntered through the scene. Eventually, he entered a village. The village was all built of round houses. Alexander did a double take, once his father took him to the Blessed Isles in search of tin, and the people of the blessed isles built their houses in a circle shape. And the Lizardmen did the same thing as well.

There were several fires, and he saw many children playing. Lizards had children? Alexander wondered as he continued through the small village. It wasn’t much time when he found Loktai and his children playing with a lizard woman in the lake. He walked up to the seen and was a silent observer. Female lizard men seemed to have a fin on their heads compared to the spikes that Loktai sported.

“Here, take this, daddy!” a lizard girl said, throwing a ball.

He caught it. “Hey, don’t throw balls to your baby brother Lizzik!”

“Sorry, daddy!” said the lizard girl.

“Hey, mother!” said a lizard boy with two lizard boys following him. “is it okay if I go hunting with Ecgar and Boqmazda?”

“Alright, but be back before dark, Eurus,” said the female.

“ah, mom,” the boy whined.

Loktai then said, “Mind your mother, Eurus. You can go hunting as long as you are back before dark.”

“Yippie!” said Eurus, and he ran off with the other lizardmen boys. How amazing, how awesome, Alexander thought. He stood up but the scene shifted yet again. Alexander found himself in a house. It was Loktai’s house and he could tell it was well after dark. The children were all sleeping, including both Lizzik and Eurus, and two other boys.

“Look, Loktai, they are like dear little angels,” said the female.

“Mazda, it’s official, I have to leave for war,” said Loktai.

Mazda looked away, “So soon? But why on Earth, another battle?”

“It’s Cassander again, he’s intruding on our territory and we’ve got to beat him back.”

They both kissed. “I can’t stand to loose you, don’t go. Something tells me you won’t be coming back from this battle,” said Mazda after the kiss.

“Everything will be alright,” said Loktai. “Lets go to bed.”

As Mazda walked to the bed, Loktai’s eyes strayed to see Alexander. “Why are you here, Master?”

“I just wanted to know the reason why you are so attracted to me,” he said. “You miss your family, don’t you.”

Loktai looked away. “Yes, yes I do.”

“Do you really think I could replace them?”

“There’s no one else like you, and yes, I feel so alone.”

“Do you dream of this battle every night? I could go back further to your childhood, you know. Learn more about you, but this is all I need to know at this point.”

“I dream of the battles every night, and this is the first time I stayed asleep through them,” he said. “I don’t know why, but it’s puzzling. I’m reminded every night of the carnage I inflicted on your kind, warmblood Master. I feel guilt, remorse.”

“you think being enslaved would absolve you of your guilt? You’re a strong man, but you need to know that fighting others to protect your loved ones is no sin. Its not a sin to do battle against those who would aggress and take your freedom and your homes.

“I’m sorry, Loktai, I can’t replace your wife,” Alexander explained. “I will free you and take you home.”

“What about Cassander?” asked Loktai. “What about my village?”

“Well, lets find out, shall we?” Alex winked, opened the door into a surreal landscape and stepped into the pandemonious void.

Alex awoke with Loktai cuddling up to him. He was sleeping without any snores that night. Alex stared into the sky and found the stars still out. He figured it was the fourth hour before dawn. He slipped out of his slave’s grasp and walked out and did his business on the smoldering fire. He then covered the coals with dirt to make sure no one knew he was there. He then slipped back into his tent and returned to sleep.

Next: Journey to the kingdom of the Anthrosavroi.