Dawn of the Lizard Warrior

By Poogue Jim

Chapter One

- Alex Winston stepped out of his house’s doorstep and into the warm, crisp, California air. His blonde hair flopped below his eyebrows as he walked down the sidewalk and onto the big yellow bus that took him to Walter Pom Elementary School. Alex was always the second one on the bus and would always sit in the front row. The first on the bus was Amber Marlin. She had a pinched up face of light brown skin and dark, fiery eyes that glowed like a light bulb. He was looking out the window as people loaded on the bus when he heard a familiar voice.
- “Hi Alex,” said Andy, Alex’s best friend.
- “Hey Andy.”

Chapter Two

- As Alex boarded back on the bus with Andy to go home, there were only two things on his mind, detention and detention. As his usual self, Alex was the class clown. Today, he unscrewed the screws on his teachers chair and when she went to sit down, the chair collapsed! Yep, Alex was a full born prankster. He had done so many pranks, that his name was engraved on a plaque for the school’s greatest comedian.
- As he was walking home, he heard a rustle in the bushes.
- “Hello,” a voice said faintly. Suddenly, the boy was swept cleanly off the ground as he was tossed into a dimly lit hole that appeared out of nowhere.

Chapter Three

- “Oomph,” said Alex as he hit a cold floor inside the hole. His mind was ticking through such a surprise that he got sick. As he got up, he heard the faint voice.
- “Who’s there!” Alex said.
- “Good afterdawn.”
- “Who is that, and don’t you mean good afternoon?”
- “Noon? What the scaldian is that,” asked a shiny green figure as it stepped into view.
- “Who are you?” asked Alex.
- “Who am I? Oh, oops, my dear apologies, I am Zeelon. And you are?
- “Alex.”
- “Ah, Alex, never heard such a strange name. You must be from the upper world.”
- “I have a weird name? Who named you Zeelon? And where am I and what is the upper world?
- “Never mind your silly questions boy. Just follow me.”

Chapter Four

- When Alex and his new friend finally got to the door after climbing 7 flights of stairs, Alex was almost too tired to even move any part of his body.
- “That was a heck of a stair climb.” said Alex.
- “Oh, we’re not done. We still have 20 more flights of stairs.”
- Alex took a second to digest those words and tried to say that Zeelon had better be joking, but all that came out was a groan so monstrous that it made some of the bricks that were tightly cemented with glue, pop right off of the hut.
- “I was just kidding,” said Zeelon.
- “Oh,” replied Alex as he took a breath of relief and stepped inside the hut.
- “Sorry the place is so messy. I tend to be much unorganized.”
- “That’s okay. My room is usually this messy to so I’m used to it.”
- As Alex and Zeelon destined through piles of papers and other items, Alex spotted a book that looked a lot like a bible.
- “What’s this?” asked Alex.
- “It’s the bible.”
- “No way. I have a bible just like this.”
- “Yes, I have heard rumors that some humans are also Christians.”
- “Can I look into it?”
- “Sure. In fact read these verses.”
- Zeelon turned a few pages and stopped on a page with a red note on it.
- “Read this out loud Alex.”
- So Alex took the book and read the following:

“Deuteronomy 20: 1-4

When you go to war against your enemies and you see brutal swords and powerful shields and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them because the lord your God will be with you. When you approach the battlefield, a priest with a brown tail will come forward and shall say: “Hear, O reptile peers. Today you are going to battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic at the feet of evil. For the lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight, to give you the seat at the throne of victory.”

- “Zeelon, why did you have me read this?”
- “For in seven days, the reign of the battle for peace will begin. Alex, you are the golden lizard warrior that we have searched for ages.”
- “You mean that I have to fight in that battle? said Alex with worry flowing through his words.
- “Yes. The terror that Playther…
- “Wait, who’s Playther?” asked Alex cutting off Zeelon.
- “He’s the ruler over all lizards. Well, he thinks he is. So, as I was saying, the terror that Playther has brought to us is overwhelming. When outside, we are all watched by Playther’s minions, the Pyraths. But the most fearful, dreaded creatures in all of the land lurk in the forest that leads to Playther’s layer, these creatures are called lyzacks. Rumors say that the first lyzack climbed out of the deepest and darkest sea. They are filthy looking things with four horns thrust in the back, left, front, and right of their head. They have long streaks of black hair on the front of their head and a double- bladed ring dagger.”
- “What’s a ring dagger?”
- “Ah, so many questions my boy! A ring dagger is a circle of metal with two blades of steel on the front and back of the metal.”
- “Oh.”

Chapter Five

- As Alex and Zeelon went on about what awaited them at the war, they heard a siren.
- “What’s that noise? It sounds like a siren.” Asked Alex.
- “A siren!” yelled Zeelon caught off guard from the war conversation.
- “Yah…oomph! Why are you pulling…?
- “No time for questions, we must block all access that would enable you to come inside and out!”
- “What?”
- “It means block all windows, doors, sun roofs, and…and…anything, if it shows the outside, block it.
- “With what?”
- “Anything! Chairs, couches, tables, just do it and make it quick!”
- “What was all that about?” asked Alex once the siren had cleared.
- “It was the lyzack warning. They must have been near.”
- “Why was it so important to lock down everything? I mean, there are only like ten lyzacks and hundreds of lizards.”
“That’s where you are as wrong as ever possible. The lyzacks come in packs of a minimum 600 and max 2,000.”
- “T-t-t-two th-thousand?” asked Alex with a stutter.
- “Yes. 2,000 ugly creatures that will do anything to kill anyone.”

Chapter Six

- Once Alex and Zeelon had finished supper, Alex decided to take a walk by himself. As he was walking, he heard a short shake in the bushes but was to busy playing with his PSP, that he didn’t bother seeing what it was. Beep, Boop, Beep, Beep went his game. He heard the rustle of the bushes again and this time he paid attention.
- “Who’s there?”
- No answer. So Alex continued to walk ahead when a dark red lyzack jumped out in front of him.
- “Hsssss. Sssso, a human hassss finally arrived in the layer of the lyzakcssss. I’ve been needing a couple of human bonesss for my collection but haven’t gotten the chancccce to kill one in a great amount of time.” Said the lyzack pronouncing every “s” just like a snake and saying all of its words very slowly.
- “ZEELON!!!” yelled Alex.
- Suddenly a dark green figure flung over Alex and tackled the confused lyzack.
- “Harrrrrrg!!!!! Screamed the lyzack.
- The green figure pulled out something like a long dagger and stabbed the lyzack exactly in the center of the chest. Alex watched from behind as the lyzack screamed in terror then was silent.
- “We must get out of these woods and into a safer place. When a lyzack screams it is the signal for hundreds of more lyzacks and that can lead you right down the road of death.”
- “Who are you?” asked Alex as he and the green figure ran out of the woods.
- “I’m Rayler. Second-hand chief of the lizard senate. I know your friend Zeelon, and you are?”
- “Alex Winston. How did you know to come save me?”
- “All lizards have a sense for what is going on around them.”
- “Oh.” Said Alex jealously for he was embarrassed by not having a special power.

Chapter 7

As Alex and Rayler walked together, Alex spotted a huge building with big letters on the top that read The Lizard Senate. As they walked down the road and passed through the activity of busy lizards moving through the streets of the city below the senate building, Alex bumped into a lizard with a huge body and massive muscles rippling down its arms.

“Ggggrrrraaaahhhh!!!” said the lizard as he slammed down the glass cup exposing all of the liquid on the floor. “Who dares to touch me with such force?!” The lizard yelled in fury as he turned and looked at Alex.

“He’s got some anger issues.” Said Alex as quietly as possible but ending up being just loud enough so the lizard could hear him say it.

“That tears it!” The lizard said as he lifted Alex by his shirt and rolled his hand into a fist.

“Hold it, he’s with me.” Rayler said.

The lizard looked at Rayler and looked back at Alex.

“If you weren’t with him I’d beat you so hard that your ancestors would feel it.” Said the lizard as he dropped Alex and went back to drinking.

“Why did he let me go so easily, Rayler? Asked Alex.

“All lizards know that it is against the law to do anything that would make a member of the senate angry. But still be alarmed Alex, that was a smuggler, they aren’t what you would call a good encounter if you know what I mean.”

“I understand.” Alex replied.
As Alex and Rayler walked into the senate building, Alex saw Zeelon.

“Alex! I was horrifically worried about you. Are you alright?”

“He’ll be fine.” Rayler said answering for Alex. “But he’s lucky to still be alive. He had an encounter with a fire lyzack.”

“A fire lyzack?! Alex, hurry we must give you the pure treatment! Said Zeelon.

“What’s a pure treatment?” asked Alex nervously.

“It’s when the chief of the lizard senate puts a necklace with a cross and two diamond jewels on your shirt. It’s a religious issue to dispose the evil inside you. A fire lyzack has the power to turn you to its evil ways and can really affect someone your age if not treated quickly. Now come, we must hurry.”

Chapter 8

“Greetings Zeelon,” said the Chief. “Much love and prosper I wish to you. And who do we have here?” “This is Alex,” replied Zeelon in a gloating fashion. It was considered an honor to receive a human from the upper world. “Alex needs the pure treatment exposed on him immediately. He had an ugly first encounter with a fire lyzack.” Quickly, the chief ran to his table and mixed a few things followed by a few pops and bangs. He then grabbed his cross and dipped it into the liquid. After that he came to Alex, prayed over him, and placed the cross around his neck followed by a string tightly clamped to Alex’s neck. “There,” the chief said, “You are cured. But you still must keep that cross around you at all times for 3 days. I can’t even signify how imperative it is that you sustain wearing that cross. The consequences can be deadly.” “Thank you chief” said Zeelon relinquished from fear of Alex undergoing evil. “Be careful young warrior. God is with you” said the chief as Alex and Zeelon left the building.