Karnavia

The sun rose from the north, as it always did in Karnavia. As the sun rose, the benevolent morning mist rolled in from the hills gradually, covering the jade grass in thin blue fog. The sky was a pleasant cerulean, and the mighty oak trees stood tall as always, their many leaves fluttering in the gentle morning breeze.
A single figure stood on top of one of the hills. The figure looked to be seven feet tall, with a fairly muscular build. The figure was not a man, but a Tah’jzik, a lizard man. His kind stood, walked, talked, and fought as men did, but their bodies were of scales, with the color varying. They had tails, normally at the length of around five feet. Their faces were also lizard like, extending outwards.
This Tah’jzik had green skin, and was clad in a light looking dark blue breastplate. His legs were covered by similarly colored greaves, but his feet were bare, showing fierce looking claws on his toes.
The Tah’jzik knelt down to the ground, and placed his right thumb and index finger around a small, golden flower. He lowered his head to it, and smelled it. The sweet scent of honey filled his nostrils. This scent was his favorite. He lifted his head, and looked in the direction of the rising sun, and began to speak, with his eyes shut.
“Blessed Mother,” he whispered, “hear my faithful prayers. Watch over my beloved Ilzia and my children. Watch over my father, and guide him with your infinite wisdom. Watch over my people, and protect them in dark times. And lastly, but least importantly, guide me, and provide me the cunning to make wise decisions.”
He looked down again, and opened his eyes. While looking at the lovely golden flower, he felt a sudden change. The ground beneath him began to subtly rumble. He turned around to see four of his kind, all riding tall stallions, with swords sheathed to their hips. Three of the four riders had blue scales, and the fourth rider had red scales. They were all clad in identical light blue armor, signifying their ranks as bodyguards for the royal family. Two of the stallions were white, and the other two were brown and black.
“My prince,” the red scaled rider said, “your father calls on you. There is a meeting of the nobles. “
The prince sighed.
“My father always calls on me. Tell him I will be present shortly.”
“As you wish, my prince.”

The city of Ver’jal, the home of the Tah’jzik, was a heavily fortified one, but beautiful at the same time. It was built into a cliff wall, with part of it going inside the mountain. The walls were as high as twenty men, and as white as clouds. Inside the walls was a labyrinth of beautiful fountains, marble roads, and finely fashioned buildings crystalline columns and decorative green vines going up them.
Thousands of Tah’jzik draped in various colored togas and robes walked among the city, minding their own business. Such was the way of these people. They had a history of keeping to themselves in times of relative stability, but at the same time, they were always ready for war.
The prince had entered the city moments ago, and passed by lines of patrolling guards armed with extremely long pikes. His intention was to fulfill his father’s wishes and attend the meeting of nobles, but first, he had to visit somebody else.
Many of the Tah’jzik homes were similar to groves, being without walls, and each with their own small hot springs created by irrigation methods. Beds were not like those used by others, but instead hammocks of rope tied to trees. Belongings were stored in secure chests. Many of the homes also had small campfires used to cook food. The reason their homes were like this was that the civilization had never had a crime problem. The people were naturally peaceful and trustworthy of each other, with thievery being exceptionally rare. They also favored the outdoors, preferring not to spoil themselves with luxuries like stone houses or conventional beds, and families were expected to support themselves, rather than rely on slave labor or servants of any kind. Husbands would regularly go out to hunt or gather wood.
The prince’s home was a slightly larger one, based right in front of the snow white royal palace, where the meeting was being held. A woman, his wife, was sitting at a small wooden table, knitting a purple tunic. Two small children, both as green as their father, were playing in the spring, splashing at each other. His wife was blue skinned and far more thin and slender than he was, but he knew from experience that she was just as fierce as a Tah’jzik warrior. She wore a dark blue dress that covered her entire body from the bottom of her neck to her knees.
He approached her, and she saw him. A pleased smile formed on her face, and she immediately rose up and embraced him in a loving hug. The children ran out from the spring and joined in as well, though they were only as tall as his knees.
“My husband,” his wife said in her always deep and soothing voice, “you smell of honey. Have you been around those flowers, again?”
“Indeed I have, my love. I would have picked many for you, but I’ve been called to a meeting of the nobles.”
His wife groaned in a disgusted tone.
“Must your father insist on having you present at every meeting? For all you know they could be talking about some bloody fish route on the other side of the continent.”
“I understand your frustration, my love, but I know my father calls on me during these meetings because he wants me to have all the political experience I can get.”
“I know you, Darius, and I know you hate politics as much as I do.”
“As do we all, Ilzia, but I’m afraid there is no room in this world for a prince that does not care for politics.”
“Father!”
Darius looked down at his son, a small but hardy boy with scales darker than his father’s, and clad in a neatly made brown tunic. The boy even had small purple spots on his nose, which was believed to be a sign of good fortune.
“What is it, Omrak?”
“I saw an a bunch of men go into the palace earlier and they had big armor and they looked really mad!”
Darius looked up at his wife, then down at his son again, curious.
“What did these men look like?”
His daughter, Kira, who had slightly lighter scales and small spikes vertically lining the top of her head, and who was wearing a cute blue tunic, answered him.
“They all had helmets on, but the one in front didn’t! He had long blonde hair and really pale skin, and was wearing a big red cape!”
“Kira, tell me, did this man have pointy ears and a scar on his right cheek?”
She paused, and thought for a moment, then answered.
“Yes, father, he did!”
Darius looked at Ilzia, with a more serious look on his face.
“Kamran,” his wife said, in a surprised tone.
“What would the king of the Elves be doing here?” Darius asked rhetorically.
“Better yet,” his wife responded with a hint of antipathy, “what are Elves doing here at all?”