Monsters

by Viktor Zólyomi

  The crowd laughs loudly as a reply, and the singer laughs with them.

  `Indeed, my friends! The joke is on the doubters now!'

  So, they begin the second song.

  This is a much harsher song. It's sound is raw, so to speak, perhaps even aggressive. Once more it has that strange beauty to it, that dark appeal which has brought so many people from all over the Multiverse into this pathetic little village. Again, the crowd sings along, as best they can. They shout, they scream, they clap their hands, full of energy. The ending of the song is very unusual, with the sound of stringed instruments slowly fading into silence long after the drumbeats have stopped.

  As the final tunes fade away, the band begins the next song. Another fast one, which makes the crowd scream in ecstasy. The singer somehow manages to sing in a much more high pitched voice this time around, and I get the feeling he is trying to mimic someone else. According to the sign outside, this music is of extraplanar origin. Someone else created it and it has been performed by others in another world before. Perhaps this band learned from them, and they are trying to recreate the magic somehow.

  As the song carries on, one would think that the crowd will eventually collapse in exhaustion, but they continue to cheer along with the band. They don't stop for a second, they clap their hands and scream along, and slowly I understand that there was no chance in Hell for us to get Zack Sands to take us to Re'Cas tonight. This musical performance is flawless, one of a kind, and he would be a fool to miss out on it. As would we...

  As the song ends, a thunderous applause rewards the band, and once again the singer speaks briefly.

  `Coldrock! How are you doing?'

  A loud approving roar is their answer.

  `Oh yeah! Keep it up! Are you still moving?'

  The crowd gives them another loud approving roar.

  `Good! Because now, comes something that many of you have been waiting for. Hey Boss, where are you? Ah, there you are!'

  He points towards Zack Sands.

  `You all know, that we would not be playing here tonight, if weren't for this asshole! So this song is for you Zack! We know you just fucking love this one!'

  The next song begins with a quick drumbeat, followed by the stringed instruments and leading into a powerful song nothing like the ones before. Clearly, the crowd loves it.

  The strength and overwhelming power of the song somehow reminds me of Jason. More precisely, of the demon inside him. The song makes me relive the overwhelming power of that beast as it destroyed Gatestown. Even then, the songs makes me think strongly of Jase, and that pleases me. I turn to him.

  `Come, Jase! Let's go closer.'

  `Are you sure?' he asks. I can see it in his eyes that he is still worried, but also that he looks much less troubled than normally. It seems the music had a good effect on him.

  `You love this too, admit it!'

  `It is good music, yes.'

  `Then let's go closer!'

  I stand up, grab his hand, and pull him up. He doesn't resist much, and soon we are moving close to the stage. We enjoy the final parts of the song just a few feet from the front row. I realize that Zack Sands was right, this music is best from up close.

  Their next song blows right into our face with the stringed instruments. This song, although full of power, is the most melodic one so far. It shows how many sides there are to this extraplanar music. The singer's voice now takes on an almost silky smoothness, which I thought was impossible for an orc. In the song I feel a strange sadness, to which this voice fits perfectly.

  Suddenly I feel a moment of despair, as the song reminds me of what we came here to do, where we are going, what we are to do. The thought that Jase could easily die as we attempt this, that I could lose him.

  I will not let it come to pass... I came with him, to aid him, to guard him, to take care of him. To be his hunter, his guardian, the wielder of the claws that will strike down all his enemies. I will aid him through this difficult time, and he and I will stand victorious over our fallen enemies.

  Yes, Jase. We will prevail, and I will stand by your side. From now to the end.

  Forever...

  Preparations

  In the warrens beneath the Palace of the Supreme Council, City of Re'Cas, present day (1 year, 1 month, and 8 days before Twilightfall)

  I look at the motionless skeleton before me as Eric slowly casts a spell on it. The bones briefly light up in a purplish hue, and the creature slightly moves. Then it becomes entirely motionless again.

  `Is it progressing well?' I ask.

  `Yes, Lord Worriil.' Eric replies. `Our newest servant is almost ready. Soon I shall transport him to the other skeleton warriors.'

  `Good. So, the mighty Ildardque's army grows ever greater. How many do we have now?'

  `Not counting Ildardque and this new one... one hundred and twelve.'

  `Excellent. We could use more though.'

  `They are extremely powerful. For the initial purpose they will do just fine. Later we will have more after each battle. By the end of phase three I expect we will have over three hundred of them. Possibly seven hundred after phase five.'

  `If the dragons attack before phase five, or in the very worst case before phase one... then they will not be enough.'

  `They will not attack before phase one. Meliorath won't strike until she thinks Ess'yer is vulnerable.'

  `Perhaps, but she may well attack during phase two.'

  `True. If she does, we will have to rethink our strategy.'

  `No. We simply need a larger army before we begin phase one, and all of the skeletons must be imbued with proper protection against the dragons' attacks.'

  `They are all highly resistant of fire, Lord Worriil. I've seen to that already.'

  `Good. Now see to it that we get more skeleton warriors.'

  `It takes time to animate the skeletons, Lord Worriil. It is a slow process.'

  `You said that during the battles it would go faster. That you would drain the life force of what prisoners we take and use it to swiftly animate more skeletons...'

  `Yes, Lord Worriil. That will speed things up greatly. But that will be then. This is now. Right now, I do not have that option.' he says, shaking his head. But he's wrong. There is a way...

  `You could have this option. Think about it. So many outlaws roam the lands of Ess'yer. So many bandits plague the roads of Delamar that Jenathar does nothing about. No-one would miss them. Send the Supreme Guard to hunt them down, capture as many alive as possible, and bring them here. Use them to speed the process.'

  `This is risky, Lord Worriil. Even if we can smuggle the prisoners in here unseen, if I cast black magic spells of such magnitude here, someone above may notice. Jenathar may notice.'

  `Don't worry about that. I'll make sure the warrens are properly covered by screening fields. I'll set our most faithful mages on that task.'

  `I still think it is a risk.'

  `Nonsense! The risk of not having a large enough army within the next few weeks is a greater risk. Do as I say, Eric. Send the Supreme Guard after the bandits.'

  `The next few weeks, Lord Worriil?'

  `I fear Councilor Jenathar will soon depart this world forever, and we will not have a lot of time to initiate phase one after his... unfortunate demise.'

  Eric nods.

  `I shall see to it that the Supreme Guard focuses on the bandits then.'

  `Good. Good. Don't worry. Everything will go according to plan. All this has been in the works for so long. The elven nation will take its rightful place as the dominant species of Arghard. You just focus on the army for now. I'll make sure you can work uninterrupted.'

  `What of Jason Vogan? Do you not still want his head?' he asks.

  `I do. He would be most useful. However, the army is more important. Let the Supreme Guard worry about tracking Vogan down. Once they find him, you can apprehend him yourself. Until then, just make sure Ildardque's army keeps growing.'

  He nods, and turns back
to the skeleton. I watch in satisfaction as he continues to cast spell after spell on the undead creature. Soon, very soon, this skeleton and the rest of Ildardque's army will lead our people to glory!

  Eric worries too much. Everything will go smoothly. I've planned everything in full detail and nothing in the world can stop us if this army is large enough. After we eliminate Jenathar, the Barons of Delamar will start bickering over who should take his place. Amidst all that chaos, all the Barons will be blind to my schemes. A few riots here and there will be easy to instigate. Yes, very easy, as Jason Vogan has handily demonstrated it for us... As the Barons lose control of the situation, I will offer to help them out. I will send the Supreme Guard to their aid and quell the uprisings while they continue to focus on struggling with each other.

  That will be phase one. It will provide an excuse to recruit more people into the Supreme Guard. Then, after I have enough warriors, it will be time for phase two. Ildardque and the undead army. We will unleash them in the eastern edge of Delamar, without those fools ever knowing who was behind them. They will think that the dead rose from their graves to avenge crimes of the distant past. With Ildardque leading them, it will be even easier to make them believe this. The undead will overwhelm the foolish humans and once again they will have no choice but to turn to me for help. I will give it to them.

  I will however tell them that not even the Supreme Guard can handle such a threat on their own, and will ask for an army from each of the Barons to assist us. I will even ask the Barons themselves to join us in the battle. Not all of them will come, but enough will be there to serve my purposes.

  Then the Supreme Guard lead by Eric and the armies of the Barons will meet Ildardque's army on the battlefield. Before any fighting could commence, phase three will begin. When they least expect it, the Supreme Guard will attack the Barons, and slay them on the spot. Then, Eric will reveal that he controls Ildardque and the undead, and offer the human soldiers a choice. They can choose to serve my army, in which case, they must undergo a dark ritual which will guarantee their loyalty. A black magic spell that will kill them should they foolishly betray our cause. Their other alternative, if they not wish to serve me, is a swift death at the hands of the skeleton army.

  I have no doubt that some will choose to die, but the majority will bow down. So the majority of Delamar's army will be at my disposal. Then, comes phase four. Eric will turn his army north. All of it. The Supreme Guard, Ildardque's skeleton warriors, and the newly acquired shock troops. They will march through Orla Pass and attack Ordhiar.

  While they do that, I will lead a purging of Re'Cas. I will declare Re'Cas elven territory and declare all humans and orcs intruders. We will take them by surprise and slaughter them all. Delamar and Ordhiar will lose many powerful mages and our position will be strengthened. As for the trolls and dwarves, we will spare them. Offer them a chance to either leave Re'Cas or remain behind as ambassadors, provided they accept their new roles. They won't like it, but so long as we show them that we mean them no harm, that our quarrel is with the humans and orcs only, they will probably avoid the conflict. Although with trolls it's not guaranteed. Especially with Lyour... But I'll talk sense into him.

  So Re'Cas, Gatestown, and eastern Delamar will be ours while Eric sends his troops against Ordhiar. Surely, the remaining Barons of Delamar will oppose us wherever they can, but without a solid army they will have no chance to make a change. They may retake a few cities, but they will never take Gatestown. Perhaps they will ask help from the dwarves at some point, but they will not help the Barons since they'll have their hands full with the trolls by then. After all, by then my agents in Uldath and Arudden will have begun their sabotage activities, leaving forged evidence behind that will lead the dwarves and trolls to pointing fingers at each other. Their ancient rivalries will begin anew, and Delamar will be isolated. Indeed, who would they turn to?

  The orcs won't help them, not after their history of wars. The wood elves won't help them either. After all, while our less pale brothers and sisters will likely disapprove of what we are doing, they'll not raise arms against us. So, Delamar's remaining Barons can do naught but watch as Eric and Ildardque lead their unstoppable army to final victory over Ordhiar, after which they will turn back to Delamar and conquer what areas we could not take before. Then... Ordhiar and Delamar will be no more. Instead, there will be only the great Elven Empire!

  Of course, then we will move to phase five. Dealing with the dwarves and the trolls. This should be the easiest part. By the time we conquer all of Ordhiar and Delamar, there will no doubt be war between Uldath and Arudden. Both sides will have suffered many casualties. I will offer the weaker side my assistance. They will be reluctant to take my help, but eventually, they will realize that they have no choice. Then my army will join the weaker side and defeat the stronger side. Once they're out of the way, we will finish what we started by turning on our allies and destroying their remaining armies. That will be our final triumph. All Ess'yer will be united as the great Elven Empire!

  How glorious it will be... Centuries of planning will come to fruition soon. I am so eager to begin... But first thing's first. Everything begins with the death of Jenathar. His death must come at the right time, and under the right circumstances.

  That includes getting rid of him before his declining health urges him to do something stupid. Which reminds me, I haven't seen him in a while.

  Perhaps I should pay him a visit, see how he's doing...

  Liberators

  Beheaded Buddy Tavern, Coldrock, present day (1 year, 1 month, and 7 days before Twilightfall)

  The performance of the orcish musicians lasted over three hours, and I loved every minute of it. A pity it wasn't longer...

  After the show, we waited for Zack Sands, but he seemed to have disappeared. So we came up to the tavern, hoping he'd show up sooner or later. Now it's late morning, and he is still nowhere in sight.

  Only that albino orc, Errak showed up not long ago. He asked for a drink from the bartender, and drank it in a matter of seconds, burped, and then asked for another one. He didn't drink this one so fast. He just tasted it, and now he's looking around casually, almost curiously, like he is checking out how many of yesterday's guests are in here now.

  As he spots us, he decides to come over.

  `Hey you guys! How are you doing? Mind if I have a seat?'

  Before we could reply, he sits down.

  `Man, those guys sure know how to tear down the house! Did you like the show?'

  `Quite so!' I tell him.

  `I knew you would!'

  `Have you seen Zack Sands?' asks Jason.

  `Zack? Not since last night. But he'll show up here eventually. He will want dinner.'

  `How in the Hells did a guy like him end up in charge here?' I ask.

  `Ha! That's a good story! Wanna hear it?'

  Before I could even reply, he begins to recount that old tale...

  `Well, it was about eleven years ago...'

  Beheaded Buddy Tavern, Coldrock, eleven years ago (12 years, 4 months, and 6 days before Twilightfall)

  Eleven years ago, Coldrock was not as much of a glorious place as it is today. No, in fact, we were in a king sized pile of shit, to be honest. We had been in deep shit for half a year by then. We never saw it coming. You see, our town is isolated enough so that we are mostly left alone. What idiot would want to come here and cause trouble anyway?

  Well, a mage, that's who. A human mage moved into that old tower you've seen. He decided to make our town his own, in a way. He came here one day, and proclaimed Coldrock his town, and demanded that we pay tribute to him. Of course we laughed in his face and told him to fuck off before we cave in his skull. But he wouldn't listen. He demonstrated his magic and attacked us. We fought him off, of course, but he swore he would be back and that he would not leave us alone until we paid him tribute.

  He kept coming back time and again, and his powerful magic was just too much for us to han
dle. He wasn't powerful enough to beat us all, but we were not able to whoop his ass either. Each time he came, we fought him back, but not before he destroyed a part of the town. We had to rebuild over and over again...

  One time we went to the tower to deal with him, but that didn't work too well. We couldn't break down the door no matter how hard we tried. He did come out of the tower after some time and we did beat him as always, but he just teleported back inside before we could have killed him. So, we didn't achieve anything in the end, and a week later he came back to Coldrock, and once again he got away after we kicked his ass, and once again we had to rebuild some of the houses because of him.

  Six months passed like that, and let me tell you, we were sick and tired of it by then.

  One day, Zack walked into our town.

  I was right here in the tavern that day, slowly sipping my ale, tasting and enjoying every drop, when the doors swung open. He kicked the door open and just walked in casually. A human, walking into an orc tavern. He did it so casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Imagine that! He came in, dressed in black from head to toe, wearing that long black coat of his, looked around, casually, and then he sat down by a table in the corner.

  Everyone in the tavern turned towards him and stared at him, but he didn't quite care. He put his feet up on the table, and he started picking his nose. He didn't care about being stared at by the whole tavern.

  Then, the bartender went there and asked him why he was here.

  `What do you want, kiddo?'

  He replied in the most casual manner imaginable.

  `Dinner. What else?'

  `Are you sure you can stomach what we have?'

  `As long as it's made of meat, it'll be fine.'

  `Even if it's horse?'

  `Well cooked? Perhaps a bit bloody? I'll give it a try!'

  `Heh! You got guts, kiddo! Coming right up!'

  The bartender went into the kitchen to give the order to the cook, then came back and asked Zack: `Want a drink?'