Kraxka Zaku enjoyed the meal with his daughter and wife, although his mind seemed elsewhere.
"Dear, what is it?" asked his wife, Krixia Mazi. "I see that you're troubled… Is there something in your mind? I-I know many things are happening around us, the Scaled God and the savage tribes and then this strange invisible barrier but… You shouldn't think too deeply about problems we cannot really solve aside from moving out."
"I know…" sighed Kraxka, as he touched his wife's tail with his own and coiled it around hers in an act akin to holding hands for lizardmen. "I am just worried about our future as a tribe. My father always told me that I had to guide and protect everyone… But now, even as Rank 2 Peak Stage and the strongest of the tribe, I don't know if I am even capable of… The element I inherited from my family, life… can it really keep helping everyone?"
Kraxka looked into his own scaled claws, as a bright yellow and green light emerged from within, the power of Life Magic, a very rare element that one in a million had around the continent of Jotunheimr… while Ice Giants prominently had ice magic, mountain giants earth or metal magic, and elves nature magic, lizardmen had the prominent element of water, so someone with a Life magic was very rare, and often seen as guiders, as they were able to use this element to heal other people and keep everyone healthy and safe.
"You've kept many people healthy, and you've learned most of the spells that your father left behind on his book." Said her wife. "You're the doctor of the entire tribe and also their chief, without you most of the tribe would be gone now…"Kraxka smiled faintly back at his wife and his daughter who was snacking in a large fish with her big jaws, to him she looked adorable.
"I just wish things could be better. I want to attempt once more a reconciliation with that village… I… want to… but I fear that they might attack us again, and those kids going to steal fruit doesn't help… Although that fruit could resolve our problem with food reserves, and it seems very nutritious…" sighed Kraxka. "I don't want more conflict."
"Eh? But father, those people are evil, they killed grandpa!!!" roared his daughter.
"Miminga! Don't roar back at your father!" roared her mother.
Miminga lowered her head and seemed to be sorry.
"S-Sorry…"
"I know… But I cannot blame the action of a single one of them to their entire group, especially because that place has many races. I always thought that if we could finally become part of their village, we would be able to slowly adapt with the other races…" sighed Kraxka. "But we are considered monsters to them, and our more savage siblings seem to only make that perception of us worse.""How about this? For now, try to deal with the gang of kids stealing fruit and then maybe we can try something else." Said his wife. "I don't want you to risk your life pointlessly, so deal with the problem that you have in front of your nose first."
"Hmmm…" muttered Kraxka while munching the salted fish and taking a bit chunk, eating it with skin and bones without seemingly minding it. "You might be right." Kraxka said as he drank some soup. The warmth of the soup soothed his heart, as a cold-blooded being, warm liquids always made him feel calmer.
The family finished eating and then Kraxka quickly stood up, he seemed decided, clenching his fists, he walked outside the house.
"Miminga, come with me, you'll help me deal with them." Said Kraxka.
"But what do you plan to do, father?" sighed Miminga.
"Those kids have no parents so I cannot ask them to educate them better, if they don't obey I am going to get rougher." Said Kraxka. "This is what my father did with ruffian kids that only did whatever they wanted."
"I-I see…"
His daughter glanced at her father's big figure, a strong man such as him was certainly fearful, and could easily beat all the males in the tribe, so he was the strongest, those kids stood no chance.
Using Miminga's help, he reached the kids hideout in a few minutes, it was an abandoned house outside of the village, which was covered in plants, algae, and mushrooms. When he got inside, he immediately found around five kids eating oranges, which they already ha a big pile of.
"Here you are." He said.
"Eh?! T-The chief?!"
"He found us?!"
"What…? How!"
"That's Miminga! You traitor!"
"Sorry guys but I was actually a double agent! I am actually the chief's daughter." Laughed Miminga, she had even joined their gang and pretended to be part of their group just to know where they lived.
"Leave the rest to me, Miminga." Said her father, as he walked inside. "All of you kids will obey me, or I will be forced to use magic to make you understand the gravity of the situation you're doing." Said Kraxka.
"We prefer to die!"
"We won't go down easily!"
"Nobody is going to eat my oranges!"
…
After only ten minutes, all five kids were in the floor, struggling to move, they were beaten to a pulp by the strength of the chief.
"See? I am not the chief for nothing. I am strong." laughed Kraxka. He waved his hands and conjured threads of bright yellow light, touching the kids chests.
"I have conjured a special spell on you named Life Insurance, something my father used with the ruffians… If you ever attempt to do bad things again, you'll feel a lot of pain, enough to make you fall over the floor and pass out! Don't worry, it won't damage you, but it will make you understand the weight of your actions!"
"Ahh… No way…"
"Ugh… Damn it…"
"It is easy for you because… you're not an orphan…"
"We have to do what we do to survive!"
"Lies! You can join any other family, our tribe is welcoming, you kids are just rebellious, in fact, I am going to welcome you all to my home." Said Kraxka.
"Eh? Wait, father, you're going a bit too far there!" said Miminga.
