by Marcus Sloss
“Wait, that simple. You move on to a new topic.”
“King Aves did you scold me for things Salvoni or his son Devon ordered against griffins. No. Things happen where people die. Our goal as leaders is to reduce that number. I do feel bad. The ones she killed were the ones who lived without ever knowing barriers. I was looking forward to their stories.
“I don’t care what you do with Skia, griffins need to increase their population probably. I would chain her up and breed her. Let another griffin raise the young. I work with the griffins, and while there has been a large infraction you are the right one to deal with it. So yes, I am moving on. I actually am not in a rush for once. We need to do some preparations for freeing a lot of dvaren tonight but those troops in the rain will handle most of it. Personally, I want to eat. I need a new bag and armored top though. Both are gone.” I muttered the last bit. That armor set was relatively new.
“I will think about what to do with this one. Your suggestion is a fitting punishment. I was contemplating a slave contract at first. I think Skia would break it and kill herself to free her of her shame. Your idea helps our kind and keeps her alive.”
“Can I get a quick fly over? I want to see them killing this giant scorpion. Maybe we can even magic kill one as a team.” I asked.
The large griffin ducked a shoulder and I raced onto his back. We entered the steady downpour and I wave to my team as we jetted off for the canyon. There was only one weapon left on my body, my god crafted short sword. I needed to figure out how it was crafted and with what at some point. I pulled my weapon out as we were drenched in rain.
On the ground at the mouth of the canyon, the dvaren had stirred five large beasts. They were tan instead of the black I was expecting. Two pincer arms and a large nasty spiked stinger that was lashing at the formation lines. The Dvaren were holding them back easily while I saw flanking elements getting ready to charge.
King Aves of course, did what a demigod griffin does. He dove into the middle of the five and snatched a tail in his long taloned paw. We lift off the ground and I cast a freeze spell. When he dropped the arachnidan to the ground and it broke into frozen chunks. This was probably the best way to preserve them. I also had a hunch their carapace could handle a flame or fireball.
The desert dvaren split the remaining two and struck as the flanking elements got nets down. The clang of stingers smashing shields reverberated through the canyon walls. More nets snared additional movement. The dvaren were methodical. They removed pincers, then stingers, and finally legs. It was over and King Aves drifted us back to where my guards awaited undercover.
As we arrived I saw Cora finish her rain spell and she smiled at us. We landed and I hopped off.
“I am off to get something to eat, those hopping two legging things by the river look good. That was fun Gryff, are you going home?”
“Yeah, actually, I am heading to Fernlan. Going to sit at a restaurant while some people get me a new combat bag and armor top. Virtue! Fernlan.”
I shrugged at my friend and waved goodbye. I let Eva and Cora step through first and I followed behind them to head home.
CHAPTER 14
It was late into the night when we were semi-ready to go. I waited with frosted breath on the western fields of Fernlan. Seven hells. The next day I had free I was certain to make a lavish suite for my family somewhere north. I enjoyed that view of the savanna animals as much as the reefs at Goblin Isle and Livina. I found it hard to escape to a different place in my mind when I was forced to step in place to keep the blood flowing. I was getting frustrated when the snow started to fall. Unbelievable. I sighed.
We were waiting on the formations to get in line. The seventh, ninth, and tenth had returned for the invasion. A full company of desert dvaren were coming, they were here to assist in the efforts and help convince the slaves it was indeed a breakout. It was stressed to me that friendly faces with short beards would be helpful.
The current delay was the custom wagons the earth mages had assembled. They were the size of the carriage we rode in the tunnels and there were dozens. Getting them aligned with the formations was a challenge and the dvaren elk teams were new to the vehicles. This had been included for the purpose to ferry the elderly, children, and key items we wanted to loot. Our exfill point was the northern landing field of Rocven Mountains which was a wide-open space that I hoped would not clog up.
I was in my frigid scale armor, a new top had been quickly assembled for me, and even a bag produced with all my essentials. This left me impatient to get the operation underway. I saw Virtue talking with Aroxa not far off as he watched us assemble. He would not be going in our initial waves as Virtue was a key factor to our success in many endeavors.
The thought of vital members reminded me that I needed to replace Trish. I spent the night with her and Bella during the downtime this evening afforded. They were very grateful she was alive. Seven hells, I was too. The thing was she was a core family member. I was regretting the duchess, harem guard, idea more and more. I was bonding with these women and then dashing them against enemies they could only survive so many times against. Trish pleaded to stay on the guard team after she recovered from eventually birthing our baby. I said no for now and was stewing in my decision as I waited. If I did bench her that meant I was short an air mage and a healer mage now. Well, technically two on both because there was a pregnant air and healer right now. Another long sigh.
I saw Nate join the chat with Virtue and Aroxa. I walked his way. Fifth company was on the front line. A trumpet blared and Roz generated a large portal. We were not messing around there were at least a dozen shamans dedicated to this mission. I had told Colonel Prixal to launch when ready. If the fifth company was off to war, then he was ready. I reached Nate and saw my wives who were tasked with guarding me realize I was gone and run to catch up.
“My Emperor, shouldn’t you be charging into the portal?” Nate asked. He was not being rude, that was how I generally operated.
“Where did our unit end up when we disbanded? I need to replace some guards.” I said ignoring his question. Nate frowned in thought. “I know where Donnie, Fwar, Janice, Victor, and Poe ended up. Ovas decided to teach at our academy. Where did the two Brads, Lazra and Markus go?”
“The Brads went home to Lakeland and Swiftstone last I heard. Lazra joined up with a scavenging team and Markus is married to four wives working with his cousin Garen making spears. You look a bit down. I will march by your side for the mission. Let us go see what trouble we can get into.” Nate said while carefully patting my back in a friendly manner. Those dragon scales were not fun to be cut by so I understood his hesitant touch.
For some odd reason that cheered me up. I think I was missing the guys. Stick me around too many girls that were wives, and there was only so much estrogen you wanted to be around. The dvaren were too surly and sour to make good post battle comrades. Well, during battle sure. After the battle, they bitched and mumbled about a lack of good ale. Before I started walking to the portal, I unslung my bag and wrote buy all the ale in the universe on my to do list. Perfect.
I saw the sixth and seventh company were already gone. Wagons were next in line so we cut right in front of them. I had five mages, Siliq, and Nate with me when we slithered across the gateway.
∞∞∞
Oune was chilly in the flickering light from numerous torches. I noticed there was a dead squad of roving guards strewn right outside the portal. My guess was fifth company rode right over them. A few horns blared in the distance. Our surprise element was gone which I was miffed about. We should have dispatched the foes with ease before a report was sent. Maybe they had a portal tracker or some scout got away. Something to ask about later.
The first wagon rolled by us and I saw desert dvaren at the helm with elks pulling in teams of six. They were rapid in their movement. Somewhere way down the line, I heard the clash of charging cavalry fighting. There were probably more dead orcs falling to the dirt. It was
really hard to kill dragon scaled dvaren on elks. I saw two portal shamans create exit portals outside of dvarette pens. There were a few desperate slaves that rushed to be free. They hastily jumped through while others prepared to haul everything with them. I went towards the building we started the ride at during our tour. Sixth company had progressed this way. In front of every pen, two dead orcs decorated the ground. A team was loading the bodies into a wagon behind us. I walked the wide corridor under the earth and watched as dvaren rushed to the front of the gates eager to escape. A shaman opened a portal further down the road and dvaren streamed from pens.
These were warriors who had quickly assessed the situation and were disappearing into portals rapidly. I did not blame them for their haste. The warning sounds from above were getting louder. I figured it was time to see what the fuss was about. We started to jog to find sixth company. I knew they would be this way. We saw them in the distance fighting some trolls at the top of the long ramp. I decided to keep this pace so we would arrive to reinforce as one.
I went to pull my god like powers from the planetary core and remembered. I was lacking a planet to lean on here. I was still a really powerful demigod but far less so than on Vin. I removed my shield from my back and unringed my sword. A challenging roar echoed from atop the ramp. Ogres had arrived. Bless the seven for giving me something to have fun with. Then I slowed my pace. An extremely large ogre laughed as arrows pierced his hide. Raxrune was here…
He stopped laughing when a mage coated his leg in vole fire. He started to cry out and his support ogres raced to cover him.
“Sixth! Freeze! Free Fire!” I bellowed with air magic. The mages responded and locked the ogres in place. “Keep the pressure up!”
It was not pretty. The companies I built had a lot of ranged mage and elvath damage. The line of protecting ogres withered under the fire, ice bolts, and precise arrow. Sounds of screaming ogres rang in my ears.
I poured aura into my legs and raced for the sixth. I tore at the hard packed dirt until I was a dozen feet behind the back lines. I leaped over my formation.
“CHARGE!” I shouted before my feet hit the ground. When they did I was forward faster than a bounding elk. There was only one target in my eyes. A wounded Raxrune. I felt a white contract be sent my way which I ignored. A staggering ogre tried to slow me but I pivoted around him and his weak club swing.
Raxrune was missing a leg, that did not make him an easy foe. I saw his axe swing for me while he punched where I should be. I skidded to a halt out of his reach. His eyes expanded to all white in the poorly illuminated night. He was stuck in a position I did not have to fight him in. I hurled my shield into his belly with such a force his body separated. The trolls at the top launched a volley my way. I used an air shield to deflect their weak throws. My troops swarmed past me as they cascaded up the ramp and into the open desert night.
Raxrune tried to crawl away. We both knew he was not dead. He kept sending me the white, trying to barter. I rejected over and over as I closed the distance.
“You die or you become my slave. Those are your options. You are a fool to fight my forces.” I yelled as I seethed with rage. Raxrune went to defensively put a hand up when I removed it at the wrist. The dismembered hand rolled down the slope. I had to give it to Raxrune, he was a triple amputee at this point and not crying or pleading.
“They are coming…” His eyes started to glaze over in temporary death. In time the demigod would recover. For now, he was slipping into the black.
“Colleen. Stop his blood loss,” I ordered my green mage. Raxrune tried to swat her away when I removed his last hand with a savage swipe. Poor Colleen got covered in spurting ogre blood. She healed Raxrune enough that he was a stable legless mess. I caught her when she collapsed and handed her off to Nate. My troops continued to flow around me. They knew better than to mess with the affairs of the divine. “Who is coming? Raxrune who?”
The ogre tried to talk and nothing came out. He had a secret contract that prevented him from disclosing details. I could not get around that one even with making him my slave. He rejected my first offer of enslavement.
“Aroxa is happy, even found love. At the very least lust. You have warred for a long time Raxrune. One day I will charge into a situation I do not understand and lose. You figured you could stop some simple raid only to be met by my forces. What were you doing here anyway?”
“Investigating you. You failed to deal with us to exchange Aroxa. We figured you were up to something. Father heard there was a human pretending to be the son of Glowvia. He went to her and she told him to investigate his own rumors. So he sent me. The most recent trial led here. He wants to talk.”
“He can pull me in at any time through a portal to a new plane. That means he wants to set an ambush. No thank you.”
“I said as much,” Raxrune muttered from his back. “Magic is cheating, to lose to it is embarrassing.”
“There are trillions of sentients who felt removing electrons was cheating. Forcing them to fight as primitives when they relied on technology. Your father pushed too hard and too far. I bet he finds some human with aura to birth his next champion. It was good to be the one to end you.”
Raxrune stared at me defiantly as I removed his head. I then gleefully cut out his heart as I laughed at his demise. All of him shriveled to dust when I was done. So ended Raxrune.
Nate set down Colleen who was able to walk again, I trudged up the ramp to see the battle had reached the greeting house. There was a barricade set up and my troops had encircled the premises. I strolled that way. Commander Hurnin of sixth company rode an elk my way.
“The cyclops manager who runs this slave encampment is requesting parlay. I can handle it if you have other things to attend to.” Hurnin said.
“No, go about cleansing any resistance. I want some cousin or trade partner to find nothing remaining when they arrive here. Spread the word. Cleanse the Horde!” I said through clenched teeth. The commander nodded and left a platoon surrounding the house for me.
“That makes what three of the seven you killed and one is your slave,” Nate said and I nodded. “Where are the other three?”
“One I think is dead from me on earth. Two I don’t know, probably in the fleet, or hidden away. They will not be facing me if they were my children. Raxrune’s death will crush their resolve. They are coming, that is not a segue into meaning the last two champions. It either means a fleet or gods from the warring universe. If enemy gods do show up they are going to be in for a big surprise. The way I understand it is a full mortal cannot harm a god. I think the griffins are all children of Sion. Raxrune was a twin. If the retreating four combined to make the griffins, then who is to say they could not have done so in one batch birthing them at once. Their offspring will have some demigod in them. I think that is why they cannot portal. They were created to thrive on Vin, an experiment that was tied to its core. Lily would know the truth though.” I said as I stepped over dead trolls and onto the wooden planks of the large home. I sat in a nice recliner and indicated Nate should join me. We rocked our chairs while I heard brief skirmishes in the distance. “I fear the seven are at an end. I have been in their meetings. There is no harmonious love affair. The men rape the women, the women hate the men, and their parents sent them here because they were deemed too weak to remain in the warring universe. That is the saddest part. They never asked for this and had to endure for billions of years. Get this… Warg mentioned that Rina or Unforina begged for death more than a few times. Could you imagine?”
“I cannot, I find myself content in life. Darla and I love Lady Linzy. She has been a perfect addition to our family. I know I will age, wither with wrinkles, and die. I am okay with that Gryff. My life has been one hell of a ride with ups and downs. I only wish the pain of the losses hurt less, then again that would make me less human.” Nate said in reflection.
“I sent out the white to whoever was inside. If you want to talk to you can, it should be an ea
sy negotiation. Really only doing it because the stiff resistance was defeated. Seven hells the sixth would have killed Raxrune without me. Hey, shit… sorry dvaren, I have to learn lots of names. I forgot my shield down there on the ramp. Get if for your Emperor please.” I said to a dvaren on an elk. He left as the door opened. The asshole cyclops and his young helper exited the building. To be fair he wasn’t an asshole directly to me, more like too important to deal with us. I pointed at an empty chair. “Have a seat.”
The two cyclops pulled rocking chairs over and joined Nate and I. The young female cyclops recognized me immediately even in the poor lighting. The three moons in the sky competed to cast sunlight down into the dark. I grinned at her and she slouched into the chair in defeat.
“I am going to offer an enslavement contract of disintegration if violated. I have a Horde city, be grateful I offer even this much. I killed Raxrune when he declined my first offer.” I said while rocking my chair. I found staring at the three moons soothing. Maybe it was the nice rocking chair. Was super taking these home with me. There was going to be a warehouse pumping these out with earth mages soon.
“We can offer you funds in exchange for our freedom. Thirty million soul stones.” The older male mentioned. That was worth a lot more than two cyclops.
“When can the soul stones be in my hands?” I asked.
“Seven days…” I rolled my eyes hard when he said this. “Three days. In exchange, you spare our lives and leave the house not burned. I can always rebuild here.”
I studied the contract. Three days, failure to pay and they both died. I could not enslave them ever and I had to leave the house intact. I looked to see if I could steal the chairs. I could not.
“Add a chair in and I will give you four days.” I countered.
The new contract was sent and I accepted. “You should have included I could not raid here again. If I find dvaren or slaves besides Horde here I will steal them.”
