Xan: Reverse-Invasion stuff
It had seemed like a good aidea at the time to leave the ship in a group. The party, which had consisted of the Captain, Lexaeus, Zexion and the new Ensign had not been off the ship two minutes before they were attacked. Although Lexaeus was easily the biggest and strongest of the group, Ensign Marluxia was clearly no pushover either. Nonetheless, both were forced to fight a losing battle and it was some minutes in a blur of desperate struggle before Lexaeus was able to determine what exactly had gone wrong. At least he wasn't dead yet. That was a start: the first chance he got he was getting rid of this red shirt - it was now covered in his own blood and sticking to him.
The group of natives were bipedal and somewhat human in composition but that was where the similarities ended. Their eyes were a solid colour and lacked eyelids, while skin was rough, covered in scales. Their hands and feet sported wicked claws and their spines extended into a long, prehensile tail. Most worrisome was their mouths which were lined with several rows of long, pointed teeth. Each one of the group was deeply carved with intricate by crudely fashioned tattoos. If the circumstances had been different, Lexaeus might have noticed that what seemed to be only males comprised the ranks of their captors.
Determining it wise not to struggle, Lexaeus allowed the natives to chain him to Marluxia, who was visibly shaking despite all attempts to remain outwardly stoic. Zexion was shackled to his other wrist and was in his usual way taking the abuse in stride, listening intently to the bizzare hissing noises that he was eventually coming to realize were speech.
"Can you..." Lexaeus whispered, but changed the question. "Can they understand us?"
"I don't believe so." Zexion replied, but the exchange earned them a jab in the back and thus they fell silent.
Eventually the natives tied up the Captain as well, though they seemed unusually leery of her. Lexaeus couldn't exactly blame them, he supposed. He just hoped that Axel and Vexen (if he was still alive) had the sense to stay inside the simp. The creatures didn't seem to like it.
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Axel was shocked to find he was alive. Something on his back stung something awful and when he moved he was sore in places he didn't know it was possible to feel pain. With effort, he dragged himself to his feet. If he had a chance to escape some horrible fate, he might as well take that chance or at least find out what had happened to him.
He was further surprised to find he wasn't bound, and was in some kind of open, tropical hut. It was crudely constructed but racks of cured meat and pelts hung from the ceiling. Most of the dead things looked really nasty too.
That was when he noticed the thing watching him. Its tail twitched back and forth and its lidless golden eyes followed his every move with interest.
Axel's brain caught up with him and he started backing away. The thing hissed and any hope of escape was quickly dashed as it moved almost faster than the eye could see to block the exit. It continued to make those hissing noises and eventually Axel realized it was trying to communicate with him.
"I don't understand." Axel felt foolish but spread his hands to try and show him, then shrugged.
The alien came towards him, grabbing his arm in a viae grip and all but dragging him outside.