Kaleb expected to wake up in Deathville or at least receive a huge notification stating such. Instead, he woke to the sight of a rocky cave ceiling with his body sore. He groaned as a surge of pain flared throughout his whole body when he tried to move. It happened every time he tried, so he remained still and tried to look around. He was on a springy, but flat, surface that barely fit his whole body.

"A cot," his pain-filled brain supplied.

His robotic arm was attached again, though, and he was sure he was still in the game world. His vision wasn't the black and white saturated colors of Deathville. Instead, he could tell that the full spectrum of color was everywhere. Finally, Kaleb could hear others close nearby. Their footsteps thudded around, and people conversed in muffled voices. He strained to hear them, but even that seemed to hurt. At best, he could tell that the surrounding mood was a somber one.

A sandy-blonde head stuck itself over his own, and Kaleb blinked a few times until he recognized Roy. The teen was grime-covered and looked exhausted. Kaleb thought there was even some blood on the boy's face. But his sidekick practically beamed down at him as his mouth formed words. A muffled approximation of a voice sounded in Kaleb's ear, and he scrunched up his face in confusion. Roy didn't notice though as his face disappeared and movement echoed all around Kaleb.

Still trying to figure out what was wrong with himself, Kaleb almost missed his body being lifted into the air. The jostling rocked his body with more pain, but he was confused. Who was helping Roy move his body? The teen was probably pretty strong, but clearly someone had lifted the other end of Kaleb's cot. He tried to glance down his body at his feet, but all he could see was a grayish-green blob. He blinked rapidly. Trying to get his eyes to focus better, but it was no use. Even that seemed to cause pain.

Kaleb felt his cot being placed gently down, and his vision swam as pain racked his body. For a moment everything went black again, then a new face was thrust above him. It was an old lizard's face. Someone Kaleb hadn't seen before. The corners of his vision were still murky, but he thought it was a female Basilinoid. Her nostrils flared as a blast of warm air hit Kaleb's face. A shiver of remembered pain flashed over his scales. But the older Lizard didn't seem to care. She looked over at something Kaleb couldn't see and, again, his ears picked up muffled voices.

There was a terse conversation that seemed to upset the older lizard alien before a slim hand gripped Kaleb's jaw. Pain shot through his head, and he groaned, but the female lizard merely scowled at him. She said something else before the rim of a bottle was shoved into his lips. A sticky liquid was forced into Kaleb's mouth, and almost spat it out until he felt strength returning to his limbs. The pain lessened to a dull roar, and sound came back to him as he greedily swallowed. The bottle was then ripped away, and Kaleb began to choke.

"Jeez, Old Lady! I thought you were supposed to help! That's your new chief, y'know!"

"I helped! If the chief is too weak to survive healing, then he doesn't deserve to lead."

"Mago…" Aqwen's voice said reproachfully.

"No! This skinny little child barely survived as it is! How is he suspected to lead the Clan to greatness?! Huh?! Poor Gor'kinak should've won."

Roy snorted. "But he didn't! Now he's dead, and your new Clan Elder is dying. So do something, you stubborn old reptile!"

The sound of hissing echoed around Kaleb, and he attempted to move his head again. The pain still flared, but it was manageable as he twisted his neck to look around. He was in the mansion now. Its beige walls were easily recognizable. He was in someone's bedroom near the foot of a meager bed. Two massive Brute Clan lizards were standing near his cot as Roy, Aqwen, and the old female lizard talked nearby. None of the trio spotted his movement. But the two guards did as they both knelt and bowed their heads.

"Elder!" they said in unison.

Kaleb blinked at them, unsure what to say as Roy and the others turned to look at him. Kaleb spotted Daivor on the young man's shoulder. The gnome looked relieved but quickly covered the look with a scowl as he noticed Kaleb looking. Aqwen's expression was the opposite. She went from scowling at the old lizard to smiling at Kaleb. He tried to nod at them all, but his head was still throbbing. He wanted to check his status and see what the damage was. But the old, hunched-over lizard healer charged at his cot.

"See! New Elder is fine. Now you will release me from the contract so that I may serve another Elder!"

"Mago! Seriously?" Aqwen barked.

"What?! It would be a dishonor to serve under one of the Lab Lizards! You know this, Aqwen. That is why Gor'kinak's Clan is falling apart. Now, New Elder, release me."

Kaleb looked on in confusion as the old crone glared at him. He tried to look around her at Aqwen and the others. But the old lady moved in his way. He scowled and cleared his throat, trying to ask something. But his raspy voice came out in a cough. Mago scowled at him and waved her wrinkly hand in a gesture for him to hurry. But Kaleb ignored her as he cleared his throat.

"Explain!" he finally managed to cough out.

"Explain? Explain what? The contract? Why your new clan is already dead in the swamp? No time. Just release me from my contract, hatchling."

Kaleb turned his best glare at the old lizard, but it simply bounced off. She glared at him for a few long seconds until Aqwen pushed her aside.

"Good morning, Honored Elder. How are you feeling?"

"Like I was just fucking flattened by a truck, Aqwen. What's with the formality, and how long was I out?"

Aqwen gratefully dropped her formal tone. "Half a day at most, and I'm surprised you survived at all. Not only the fight, but being crushed by Gor'kinak's dead body as well."

"So the bastard's dead?"

"Yup, your tail pierced his brain. Which means you have won the duel and are now an Elder of his Clan."

"What's left of it." Roy muttered.

Kaleb arched an eyebrow, and Aqwen explained.

"Most of the Clan chose to… leave when your victory was announced."

"Where did they go?"

"The larger portion joined V'alla's Clan while smaller amounts went to Jerald and Rhot's. None chose to leave entirely, though. So the mansion's strength is unaffected."

Kaleb nodded as Mago intruded on their conversation again. "I, myself have been offered a lucrative contract with V'alla. So, I will thank you to release me immediately, Clan Elder."

"Again, with that. What is that? What contract?"

Mago scoffed, looking at Aqwen. "Ha! He doesn't even know our ways! I told you this can only end badly."

"Mago! Shut the hell up before I toss you out the damn window!" Aqwen scowled down at the older Lizard.

Mago threw up her hands in disgust and wandered closer to the room door. The two Brute Clan lizards were still at the door listening intently. But Kaleb didn't focus on them. Instead, he looked to Aqwen for answers. The slim lizard sighed and rubbed her face before explaining.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Contracts are drawn up between families for services to a Clan. Sometimes the contracts are made with equitable terms for both parties. Other times, the contract is a way to punish foolish families for attempting criminal acts. Most of Gor'kinak's contracts were written up after he defeated a family's champion. Mago's family gave her up after her husband challenged Gor'kinak for leadership and lost. I believe her contract was for her to act as the Clan's chief healer."

Kaleb scowled at the nature of the contracts. They left a nasty taste in his mouth. Aqwen saw his scowl and simply shrugged. As if that was the way it had always been. Turning to the old lizard by the door, Kaleb cleared his throat.

"I release all contracts made with or by Gor'kinak. May they all die with him."

Mago gave a sharp bark of laughter before she rushed out the room's door. To Kaleb's surprise, one of the big guards did as well. The other Brute Clan guard looked at his compatriot leave but said nothing before going back to his job. Kaleb raised an eyebrow at that before a notification window popped into his view again.

Clan Update 30 members have left your Clan. Current Clan size: 20 members.

"You really shouldn't have done that. Your Clan is weak enough as it is. Once word gets around, you'll be left with a handful of lizards."

"Yeah, but at least those will be the ones that want to stay." Kaleb grunted. "By the way, how big was Gor'kinak's Clan to start with?"

"Before the fight, there were close to three hundred lizards."

Kaleb grimaced. Three hundred lizards had dropped to fifty with the death of Gor'kinak. Now, with him releasing the contract lizards, he had twenty. Part of him wanted to punch himself for being stupid. But then he figured it was better this way. He could build his new clan from the ground up. Without Gor'kinak's influence hanging over him. Sitting up slowly, Kaleb groaned.

"Ugh! Then I should probably meet those who are left, right? Be a good leader?"

Aqwen and Roy hurried to help him stand. Once he was on his two feet again, Kaleb got a good look at the room. It was full of books and plants. It smelled like an apothecary, and Kaleb even spotted a black cauldron off in the corner. He briefly wondered if all the things in the room belonged to Mago or to him now. Thankfully, Aqwen was there to fill him in.

"Everything Gor'kinak owned is now yours. I'm sure some of the lizards leaving have left proper compensation if they took anything. If not, well, they haven't gone far. So you can launch a complaint with their new elder."

"Noted." Kaleb grunted as he took a few steps toward the door.

The pain was going away now that he was awake. The potion, or whatever it was, was helping too, and Kaleb made a mental note to look into alchemy again.

"However, first you must present yourself to the other Clan Elders. As a new Elder, you must not break protocol on this. At all."

Aqwen's tone made Kaleb look over at the alien woman. She was giving him her super-serious face, so he nodded.

"Okay, then. Let's go do that first. Have the gangs stopped attacking?"

"Yeah, it's been eerily quiet, Doc. The Legion's scouts say that most of the attackers have pulled back into UGB territory."

"That can't possibly be good."

"Maybe not. But we will deal with it when the time comes." Aqwen said, walking Kaleb to the door and out into the hall. "For now, there are certain protocols we must go through before the next attack."

"Look at you, being a stickler for the rules all of a sudden."

Aqwen's hold on his shoulder tightened, and she scowled at him. Getting the message, Kaleb half-walked along with Roy and Aqwen. As they moved, Kaleb opened his notifications and took a look at everything. He scrolled through multiple notifications about his broken body that had happened during or after the fight and focused on the Clan ones.

Notification You have become the leader of a Clan of Brute lizards. The Brute Clans are highly tribal and partially nomadic. However, they do not shun technology nor choose to wallow in the tragic past. Tough and proud, the Brute Clan's militaristic nature is more conducive to waging war or being bodyguards. But they reach past those narrow uses as well and on rare occasions push past the confines of their creation. WARNING: Whenever the Brute Clans gather, their old creators, the Basilinoid High Council, send an envoy. Worried that the Brute Clan will come for them, the High Council will often insist that the Clans remain nomadic.

Clan Menu Available You have been granted access to the Clan Menu tab. From there, all aspects of your clan can be viewed and changed. Everything from rituals, contracts, to how your Clan behaves itself can be viewed from the Clan Menu. But be warned, some members may not agree with your choices, which can result in loss of Members or Challenges for the clan. Also, your member's Loyalty Scores can be viewed from the Clan Menu. If any member's Loyalty falls below 50, betrayal or desertion are possible.

Kaleb scowled as he immediately opened the Clan Menu and looked things over. There he could see all twenty of his new Clan members. He could click on them to view their skills and abilities and even get an idea of their personalities. However, the major problem came when he spotted all of their loyalty ratings. The highest score was shared among a few of the lizards and sat at 53. But the rest were below 50 and lower. It looked like even those who stayed weren't very interested in being part of his clan. In fact, he was willing to bet that those who remained simply wanted to challenge him for leadership of the Clan.

"Just out of curiosity," Kaleb started as they went down the stairs. "How soon can some of my new clan mates challenge me for leadership?"

Aqwen nodded knowingly. "A good question, and after your performance, an understandable one."

"Hey, I did pretty well for myself, right?"

Aqwen nearly dropped him. "Pretty well?! That was a shitshow, Professor! If you didn't have your new tail, you'd be paste beneath Gor'kinak's claws. Without your weapons or gadgets, you are little more than a normal Lab Lizard."

Kaleb grunted as his feet hit the next step a little too hard. "That's why I don't normally fight without weapons or gadgets!"

"Well, you'd best learn. All Clan Leader Challenges are done without weapons or armor. So, you'll need to train. Luckily, you'll have ample time to prepare. Challenges can not be accepted until an Elder has been in power for over a month."

"In case the Elder is actually a good leader and they all decide to respect them?" Kaleb asked hopefully.

Aqwen gave a half-nod. "In some cases. But most often it's so the new Elder can heal from the last challenge."

Kaleb scowled as they hit the bottom of the stairs into the mansion's foyer. Aqwen dragged them off to the left, and Kaleb blinked in confusion. She was taking them to the kitchen. Aqwen noticed his confusion, but said nothing as they pushed through the swinging door. V'alla, Jerald, Rhot, and Wulkun were seated around a small wooden table, eating what looked like gruel. Mago was just standing up from a bow next to V'alla, and the female elder gave Kaleb a saccharine smile.

"My Clan welcomes you, Mother Mago. May our destinies flourish together in the future."

"Yes, Clan Elder. I swear it shall be so. May I return to my family once again?"

V'alla's response was to wave the older lizard away. All while staring at Kaleb. He rolled his eyes at the theater and let himself be dragged toward a seat at the table. Rhot stood and pushed the empty chair next to him closer for Kaleb. Aqwen and Roy dropped him into the tough wooden chair and took up positions at his sides. Although Aqwen was also standing next to Wulkun now, so she was probably standing next to her Elder. Jerald scowled at the lone human in their midst before opening his mouth. Probably to say something he'd regret.

"Roy is my second. I trust him with my life, and anything you can say to him, can be said to him." Kaleb interrupted, glaring at the skinny Elder.

Jerald scowled and clamped his mouth shut as V'alla tittered behind her hand.

"A human in a Clan? Really, Professor. What will the others say?"

Kaleb blinked as he got another notification saying that his Clan had increased by 1. He hadn't meant to do that. Nor had he thought it possible. Something to test later. Rhot was laughing now as he looked around the table.

"I like it! The first Lab Lizard among our number should have an eclectic Clan."

"There's no precedent for it!" Jerald stated simply.

"Nor is it expressly stated that a Clan should only contain Brute Clan lizards." Wulkun countered.

"It shouldn't have to be said! It's implied!"

V'alla waved a slim hand over the table. "We are getting sidetracked. Professor, I wish to thank you. Your sudden and dramatic win has shifted things dramatically for everyone here."

"So it seems." Kaleb said evenly.

"My own Clan has grown to rival even Elder Rhot's."

"I'm happy for you?"

"Hmmm." V'alla hummed happily. But Wulkun coughed, bringing everyone's attention to the old lizard.

"We have much to discuss and plan now that we have a new Elder. I submit we do away with much of the posturing and get down to what needs to be done first."

"Seconded," Kaleb said automatically.

The whole thing reminded him of the Super Group's meetings that he'd spoken without thinking. Thankfully, it appeared the Council worked the same way.

"I concur." Rhot said happily while grinning at Kaleb.

Wulkun, V'alla, and Jerald all nodded along as they settled into their chairs. Kaleb felt a sinking feeling in his gut as something occurred to him. Somehow, he was back in another group meeting, listening to reports, and deciding budgets. He somehow found himself away from his workshop and back in the bureaucracy.

"Well then, first I wish to present Aqwen's contract to our newest Elder." Wulkun stared, grinding Kaleb's brain to a halt.

Even the lithe female lizard beside Wulkun stared at the old lizard like he was crazy.

"WHAT!?" Aqwen and Kaleb said together.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.