Just beyond the infamous mountain ranges that separated the two regions, was a group of scaled demi-humans who looked up at the steep cliffs ahead of them.
These demi-humans walked on two legs and had tough snake-like scales all over their bodies. Their heads looked more like lizards than it did humans, with them having no hair and a mostly bulbous skull.
Their species were called Komodos, having above-average intellect with opposable thumbs like humans, allowing them to do easy jobs such as cashiers, attendants, or even clerks.
However, that was all they could achieve. They weren’t like the dwarves who had their own kingdom and were extremely adept at making crafts. They weren’t like the elves whose magic capacity trumped even that of talented humans. They weren’t like orcs who boasted tremendous strength and physical prowess.
They were mediocre, at best. They were just good enough.
They were just like normal humans who couldn’t use magic, except for the fact that they needed a lot more maintenance to survive.
This meant that they had to buy a lot more food and water than most, which was hard since the jobs they were qualified for only gave them salaries that were just shy of what they needed to live.
There were higher salaries in the larger and wealthier parts of the Queens region, but the competition was much more fierce there. Not only that, but the cost of food was much higher too. So, it didn’t matter in the end.
Finally, this group of Komodos finally had enough. They decided to move out of the Queens region and return to their ancestor’s home, the Parched Lands.
Their fellow workers, their friends, their neighbors, and even other Komodos tried to dissuade them from their decision. After all, they could end up dying out of hunger and thirst in that desolate land, especially since their skin needed a lot of hydration.
Of course, the news about the Nation of Reborn wasn’t known yet in these parts.
But even without knowing about it, this family of Komodos wanted to take the risk.
Even if they thought that the Parched Lands had no abundance of food or water, they wanted to go back to their homeland to try and find their source of pride.
After all, their ancestors were once a proud species of demi-humans, famous for being closely related to the strongest and mightiest race in this whole world.
Back in the day, the Komodo species were part of the draconian race.
They were dragons.
But after millennia of being separated from the other dragon races, the Komodos had strayed far away from their original bloodline. They had lost their power.
They had turned into a species with little to no magical aptitude, and no domineering physical strength, and even their scales had become so vulnerable that they would succumb to heat.
It was hard to imagine they were part of the famous draconian race whose scales were the hardest material in the world. But, they were. At least, their ancestors were.
This young family of Komodos wanted to find a way to get back to their species’ old glory.
It may be a futile effort, but they couldn’t stand to live in mediocrity any longer.
So, they traveled by foot day and night until they finally arrived at the mountain ranges. The steep and slippery cliffside edges of the mountains were already a sign that this would be a hard trek, but they were willing to brave the risks.
But just as they were about to climb up the mountain, they were suddenly stopped by a few humans wearing full steel armor.
“Excuse me, fellowmen! Where are you guys going?” the guard asked.
One of the Komodos, an adolescent male, stepped up and talked to the guards.
“We want to climb the mountain and go back to our homeland,” he said.
The guards looked at the group of Komodos and saw that there were about eight of them in the whole group.
“Where’s your papers?” the guard asked them.
The Komodos all looked at each other, confused as to what the guard was talking about.
“If you want to cross to the next region, we need to see your identification papers,” the guard reiterated.
The Komodos were not rich. They had barely scraped by in the Queens region, and sometimes even scavenged for food to survive. They considered themselves lucky if they found chicken bones or moldy bread in the trash.
Identification papers were only available to those who were permanent residents of a territory, meaning those people who bought a house of their own.
The Komodos were basically homeless, which meant that they didn’t have any identification papers. Their parents, and their parents’ parents wouldn’t have one either.
“We don’t have any paper,” the male Komodo answered politely, hoping that the guard would let them through.
The guard pursed his lips. It was clear that he was pitying the Komodos, but there was nothing he could do. It was policy for them to refuse any entry into the Kings region without proper identification.
“I’m sorry. But if you don’t have any identification, I can’t let you pass. And if you try to enter despite my warnings, then I am obligated to use violent force to stop you.”
The Komodos’ faces turned into one of disappointment and dismay. They spent their entire wealth trying to get here to this point. If they ended up going back to where they came from, they would be essentially worse than when they left! They wouldn’t have food or water to survive!
“Please, sir! Can’t you just make an exception for us?!”
“Is there anything we can do?”
“We are desperate! This is our last chance!”
In their desperation, they kneeled to the ground and begged.
But despite their pleas, the guard was steadfast. As much as they would like to help them out, he needed to watch out for himself. He would be committing a crime if he let them pass through without proper identification.
“What’s going on here?”
Just then, a woman’s voice entered the scene.