Haize poked her tongue out, tasting the air, then dug her spindly toes into the wet dirt. She slithered along the ground, making soft squishing sounds with each sway of her sinuous tail. The mud splattered up against her scaled breasts and seeped down over her stomach and thighs, carving a grimace on her triangular face. Her outfit, a simple, utilitarian hemp wrap, was soiled and stained with muck, to say nothing of her scales underneath.
This was the skink's daily routine. Her only routine, actually, since the rains had driven the bugs and other prey underground, forcing the lizard to endure the miserable sludge of the fetid swamp. Haize's existence was one of tedium and isolation, something she preferred to keep that way. After all, her fellow sapient inhabitants of this desolate world were only trouble, the dregs of a destroyed civilization.
The skink wasn't exactly sure what had destroyed the world her ancestors had lived in, and she didn't much care. To her, the planet's current state was more familiar and natural than anything that came before. What mattered to her was simply surviving. She had tried living in a caravan for a time, but that hadn't gone well at all. It wasn't long before she couldn't tolerate yet another brawl or robbery. So, here she was, living out in the swamps with only herself and a few unfortunate scavengers littered about the edges of the water.
A gentle breeze washed over the swamp, stirring up the stagnant waters with small ripples. The reptile smiled to herself, letting her eyes close for a moment as she enjoyed the breeze's caress. It wasn't particularly cold, but there was a hint of moisture in the air that made her scales tingle. Her nostrils flared and her tongue flicked out, tasting the salty spray of the nearby ocean.
For Haize, the sea had always been a curious thing. Apparently, it wasn't always there, just spreading across the surface of the world and washing it clean. The various ruins and monuments indicated that the world had once been situated in an entirely different manner, with numerous enormous structures and powerful machinery. Then, one day, everything had changed. Now, all that remained were the various relics of the past, hidden beneath the lapping waters.
Rising up out of the dirty brown water, Haize cast her gaze about the landscape, staring out at the horizon. The swamp extended out to the east, while the west was dotted with dilapidated structures. The lone lizard made her way along, approaching the shoreline and kicking her feet through the shallow waters. She walked across the ground, feeling the sand squish between her toes, while her stained scales sparkled in the low light. A bit of a smile grew on her reptilian face as she stared out at the waves of the sea.
Taking a deep breath, Haize glanced around again, making sure nobody was around before pulling her wrap off, stripping down completely naked. The skink was lean, with slender limbs and a flat, smooth belly. The reptile's snout twitched as she caught sight of her own reflection in the glassy surface of the sea, looking her own body over. Her scales were dirty and mottled with the grime of the swamp, and there were a few small scars here and there, including a fresh puncture wound on her shoulder. Haize ignored the wound for now, however. She would be fine, and it wasn't hurting much.
With a flick of her tail, the skink stepped forward and into the water, splashing through the gentle waves as she waded deeper and deeper into the ocean. She gave a little gasp as the water came up over her lower legs, then her thighs. Soon, she was up to her chest, and the current was beginning to pull at her with a pleasant force. The naked reptile felt the salt water rushing over her scales and tickling at her sensitive spots, cleansing her skin of the grime. A soft hiss escaped her lips as she bobbed about in the shallow waves, enjoying the sensation of the waves rushing over her nude body.
Eventually, Haize waded out further, diving under the water and letting herself sink to the sandy floor. Her eyes fluttered as she gazed about in the dim light, the murky water around her warping and distorting her vision. In the distance, she could see an old building. The ruins were submerged in water, but the lizard could just make out some of the general layout of the building, along with the shadowy forms of aquatic life darting about. There were a few other buildings as well, although they had fared less well than this one.
Bubbles escaped Haize's snout as she drifted forward, ignoring the sting of the salt water on her open shoulder wound. She looked up, admiring the way the sun refracted off the waves, sending brilliant prisms of light across the water. Then, the lizard was met with a sudden shock, causing her to expel a bit of air from her lungs in a burst of bubbles. It was an unexpected pull of water, yanking her deeper beneath the surface. Panicked, Haize flailed about, thrashing her arms and legs as she struggled to get to the surface again. Completely disoriented, she didn't know which direction was up, and her eyes were sore and stinging from the seawater.
The lizard swam about, flinging herself around in confusion and fear. It was terrifying to be so helpless, with the water pressing down against her scales as she struggled to fill her lungs. Unable to locate the surface, Haize simply swam about aimlessly, desperately gulping for air between flurries of motion. As she thrashed about, the orange skink felt herself begin to pass out, her body succumbing to the lack of oxygen.
With one final flap of her arms and kick of her legs, the lizard managed to swim up, bursting through the surface of the water and catching a lungful of much-needed air. Haize wheezed, letting out a gurgling hiss as she treaded water, blinking away the stinging saltwater from her eyes. Hacking up a mouthful of water, the half-drowned reptile dragged her tired limbs through the waves, orienting herself toward what looked like land. She had a newfound regard for the vast amount of ocean that was now surrounding her, and she resolved to stay as far from it as possible in the future.
Crawling onto the shore, Haize flopped onto her back, laying out on the sand as she caught her breath and let herself recover. She was beyond exhausted, her body wracked with burning aches. The skink let out a long sigh, feeling her chest rise and fall. It was hard to believe that she had nearly died in that water, and if she had been any farther away from the shore, the reptile wouldn't have survived. The realization frightened her, causing her tail to curl up and her heart to beat rapidly.
Coughing again, Haize rolled onto her side, looking down at her bare body. She frowned, looking back up at the sand, then dragged herself out of the shallow water. Her toes wiggled in the sand, while her tail swayed behind her as she stood. Then, the reptile paused, realizing that she had no idea where she was. The same ocean was behind her, but there was no sign of the swamp. The skink spun about, her mouth agape as she took in the unfamiliar terrain. Ahead of her was a gentle slope of sand, leading up into the hilly country. Farther away, she could see a few more ruined buildings, surrounded by makeshift camps and huts.
A chilly breeze cut across the sand, washing over Haize's naked body. She coiled her tail about her thighs and crossed her arms over her chest, letting out a soft hiss. What to do now? She certainly couldn't stay in the nude, not if she wanted to avoid drawing unwanted attention. If people did live here, being seen wandering around naked was a surefire way to invite trouble. On the other hand, she doubted she could find any clothes without at least venturing closer to the ruins.