"Yes Bro, this is... I'm just realizing I don't know your name" Kasen paused as waited for me to introduce myself.

  "I'm Kien, Kien Noble, your brother tells me that you're a scholar of sorts?" I asked the Monternoel who was quick to respond.

  "Yes, yes I suppose I am a scholar of sorts, the names Saer come in come in!" Saer stated from the window from his house. Hanging from the door way was a thick cloth that acted like a door. Passing through the cloth door I entered a narrow corridor and I could tell that the stone walls were reinforced. Seemed like it was a defensive structure forcing any invaders into a narrow passage. At the end was a stone that seemed to act as a door. Kasen walked forward and reached his hand into an area I hadn't noticed and I saw him struggle for a moment before he pulled on a long rope as the stone door pulled away.

  "Welcome to our ancestral home seven generations of our family has lived here" Kasen stated as I guided me into a greeting room, a series of pillows were situated around a stone desk that had small fire crackling softly, its smoke ventilating in a small hole in the roof and then disappeared. Without [Geomancy] it took real Craftsmanship inorder to craft this mansion in stone. While the front looked unassuming I could tell that this was a complex of hidden doors and hallways.

  "Come sit, my brother is coming, our house is easy to defend at the cost of being cumbersome to move around in." Kasen explained, and so I plopped down on one of the pillows and thankfully I didn't have to wait long as the towering Monternoel called Saer appeared from a doorway that had just moments before appeared completely invisible to the naked eye, I had noticed it but that was kinda of cheating on my part.

  "Thank you for seeing him in Kasen! I no your a busy guy, so you can leave" Saer stated to his brother as he crouched near the stone table. His massive frame no doubt made it a pain to move around but he seemed comfortable.

  "Alright, Bro just let me know if you need anything, enjoy your company!" Kasen said smiling at his brother before departing. Saer turned to me his eyes warm but calculating, he was kind but certainly not naive.

  "As I said outside I am Saer, and I am the local scholar, or at least the closest thing to one, of the city of Monternoel, what are you interested in? By the looks of your armor and weapons, I would say your a warrior and do the timing with the fall of the Whitescale, I assume you are who I have to thank for my cities freedom?" Saer stated cautiously.

  "Yes I suppose so, but your Elder regaled me about you and your brother more specifically I'm intrigued by your intelligence" I said taking off my helmet showing off my no doubt sweaty face but I hoped it would be disarming.

  "Hmm, you are close in appearance to a Turtenani, but lack the shell, and have a smaller size, your brow is more flush to the rest of your upper forehead and doesn't protrude, however their seems to be a fine mesh of biological origin just above your skin, if it isn't rude what are you?" Saer asked me curiosity brimming in his voice, and I suppose it would be interesting, while the four Sapient species of the Cavern had some humanoid traits, none were truly human, rather it was more accurate to say that they were reptiles with humanoid traits rather then humanoids with reptilian traits.

  "I am something called a human, and the mesh you observed is a [Class] Skill, but I do have some questions for you" I stated to Saer and he nodded along seemingly mystified for a moment.

  "How about this an exchange of information, I answer your questions to the best of my ability and you answer mine to the best of yours" Saer asked his tail squirmed in what I assumed was excitement.

  "Very well, the here's my question, what do you know about the [Horned Mole]?" I asked and I saw Saer flinch before he responded hesitantly.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "They're a species of rodent that was native to the bedrock shelf the city now sits on, they have a horn that is strong enough to break up ore deposits which it cosumes, its fur is acid resistant, however when the first families that would later found Monternoel settled here they drove the species to near extinction, when the Scalefolk conquered our city they took an nerving interest in the creatures, now the few that are still alive are at the Temple of Quetzal, though I don't know why, alright now for my question!, what is a human?" The Monternoel explained somewhat hesitantly, either he felt guilty about their fate or he knew more.

  "Hmm a simple and yet complex question, a Human is a species much like Turtenani, Scalefolk, Geckonese, and the Newtfolk, we however are not reptiles or at least our ancestors haven't been for at least 300 million years, rather we are one of the Great Apes, a type of Primate, we are omnivores with us leaning closest to carnivores but just slightly, and we where endurance hunters before the invention of agriculture and animal husbandry, and we boast the ability to live almost anywhere on our home world" I explained trying to stay out of the realm of philosophers. Saer took in my explanation with rapt attention. However I had to take few seconds to formulate my question for him.

  "I am curious how does the ecosystems work, I know that the Newtkin fish but how does the circle of life work in the cavern?" I asked, the circle of life was one of the many things that got me into wildlife biology. Saer went on to explain that the four species were all some level of omnivore but had their own specialization. Turtenani leaned towards vegetarians with them using meat and fish when doing hard labor or combat. Geckonese leaned more toward being insectivores but still ate root vegetables and certain mosses. Newtkin were primarily piscivores though they were rather fond of Algae eating it when the fish were in low supply. The Scalefolk were almost completely carnivores, though by choice or by biology Saer didn't know.

  "Alright for my question, if it isn't rude to ask, where do you come from? Is their a hidden part of the caves that you humans come from, or?" Saer asked me, and I explained that I was sent here on a 'divine' mission to free people from the tyranny of the Scalefolk.

  "Now then my question, why is their a clutch of eggs here?" I asked and Saer looked dumb founded for a moment before he pulled himself together then I saw barely concealed rage.

  "IS THAT WHAT YOU HAVE COME HERE FOR! HMM, YOU KILL HER AND NOW YOU WISH TO FINISH THE JOB!" Saer yelled and I was dumbstruck for a moment at the question, I had expected anger from asking the question but this seemed to have more to it.

  "Wait a second, what do mean? I just asked because I have an ability that lets me sense underground passage ways and items of a certain magical density, I figured you had no idea about the eggs" I explained trying to cool the Monternoel. He seemed to pause before processing it, and he sat down although he was on edge.

  "Do you do not know? I can tell I have an ability for it sensing the truth, then I will explain the truth to ward away ill-notions, although let be known if you try to come after them I will do all in my power to protect them" Saer stated as he calmed but their still was edge as he waited my response.

  "Yes I promise to do no harm to them" I said and Saer fully calmed down.

  "Now it is time for a story, but first some context, just as my appearance makes me unattractive to my people, white scales is seen in the same light to the Scalefolk, Nue first came to here to meet my Brother to make sure he stayed in line, it was their that she met me, Nue discovered my strategic importance and decided to utilize my talents, at first I thought we where in love but scalefolk don't love the same as the rest of us, I realized that all she was capable of was fondness, and I was content with that, eventually after Nue laid her clutch just a day before you came she knew that should the Quetzal stay in power our children should they have any of her features would either be killed or be outcasts for all her days, that is when she decided that she must do her all to insure you defeated her, however she couldn't simply surrender or her own troops would cut her down, and so the only weapon she had was weaponized incompetence, while a part of me is still angry she is dead I know deep down that her sacrifice will give our children the future neither of us had" he said his eyes downcast.

  "Well I have the philosophy of 'sins of father shouldn't fall upon the son, you're children are completely safe, infact I might be able to help them be strong" I said and Saer looked both hopeful and on edge but his aforementioned truth sayer abilities must have eased him.

  "How so?" he asked me.

  "I can bless them making them stronger and give them a strong foundation" I explained.