“Shut up last warning.” Bengu threatened.
“You blow hard I should be the one...Argh...” Zanch started but Bengu had stabbed him in the guts! Zanch looked down and Bengu's rusty short sword was in his guts! Zanch's black blood was spilling out! Bengu pulled the sword out and Zanch's blood flowed freely and some intestine was falling out too! Zanch fell to his knees and then fell forward into the same puddle he was just in. Zanch couldn't get up. Zanch drowned in a puddle in the middle of nowhere.
“I told ya to shut up.” Bengu told the corpse of Zanch.
***
Bala and her mages entered the palace. She passed by the undead standing guard at the door.
“That was smart thinking killing all the living in the palace. Who's going to guard you during the day?” Bala said as she pushed opened the door to the throne room. She signaled her mages to wait at the door and strode to the thrones. There on the King's throne was Queen Eleanor relaxing and drinking a page on her lap. Her teeth bit down hard and blood flowed on to her royal silks.
“Fool.” Bala called out to the queen and she stopped drinking and tossed the body down in front of Bala. The pages' vacant eyes looked at the ceiling.
“What did you call me?” The queen asked standing.
“Doan ro fash lan incopate.” Bala cast a wicked hold spell made just for the queen's kind of undead. Eleanor stiffened and looked at Bala with horror. Bala ascended the stairs dividing royalty from common. She was now face to face with the queen and she stopped two stairs down. Bala took the arrogant undead by the chin and got close.
“Do not misunderstand Eleanor. You were to be ruler here but you weren't supposed to give away your true nature. The survivors of Lightbringer needed a symbol, a living symbol of surrender. You were to be that symbol but now we will have to acquire your daughter and hope she wasn't changed. Because of your stupidity now you rule the dead in this palace instead of the remains of Lightbringer. Enjoy.” Bala told the creature before her. Eleanor looked properly informed. Bala sealed it by licking the monsters face. The queen was in fear and disgust as she turned to leave.
“Mages, we search for Astral princess of Lightbringer. I want her alive.” Bala ordered and the mages faded into the shadows. Bala followed releasing her queen as she left. Bala slowed to listen to the all powerful vampire rant and rave about her treatment. She was a fool and Tolin would kill her soon. Bala was sure of it.
***
Astral and her maids were taken to the top of the western tower of the palace by her loyal guards as soon as the trouble started. Her personal guard now stood outside the door waiting for death or word they had won. By the arrow slits in the windows it was most likely death. She had heard the guard mention that her father was dead and her mother turned. That meant they were coming for her. She was the only one left to lead the people to freedom and they couldn't allow that. The city was alive with the sounds of her people's suffering she could hear it everywhere. She held the dagger close in case they were attacked. She wouldn't let them take her alive. The sun was rising and the monsters still ran the streets. Astral got up and went to the entry door. She wanted her guard to set up some sort of shifts so they could get some sleep. She opened the door and found her guard dead! They were all dead! She didn't hear them die but there they were lying in pools for their blood! She turned to see a sub-human woman standing in the center of the room she wore a dark robe and was speaking in a magical language! The ogre woman stopped and a wave hit everyone in the room. They all seemed stopped and held in place! Astral tried to use the dagger but she couldn't move. The Ogre woman smiled through her tusk like bottom teeth.
“My dear you are more lovely than I even imagesned. You and I are going to have such fun. I promise to teach you how to be a woman.” The ogre woman promised as she cut off her dress and took everything she had on her. Astral stood naked before the ogre woman. The ogre took out some chains and secured her and then she said something in her vile language and her mages attacked her maids. The ogre woman made Astral watch and promised she would get a turn later as the other ogres took her maid's virtue.
“You will be the symbol of Lightbringer's surrender or the symbol of the city's death. It's your choice. Serve your people by taking it when I say where I say or watching everyone in the city die.” the ogre woman told her.
“Make your choice princess.” The ogre woman ordered hugging her from behind and kissing her neck.
“I will be your symbol of Lightbringer's surrender. I swear.” Astral promised. She didn't want others to die for her decision.
“Good Astral, very good. We will display you in the city center where your father died today. I will put you in stocks and make your people take you one after the other. Is that acceptable to you my princess?” the ogre woman suggested doing obscene things to her while she talked.
“I will do what I must.” the princess told her mistress. She was a slave and her people were the reason for her surrender. She didn't want them to die.
“Very good princess.” the ogre woman told her releasing her from her spell. The princess slave fell to her knees in surrender and the ogre woman pulled her to her feet by her newly attached chains.
“Come on. You have a long day ahead.” The ogre woman told her pulling her along behind her.
***
Chapter 9
No one destroyed its body so it regenerated from its wounds. It played dead until it was fully healed and now it was time to find the ones who hurt it and kill them slowly. It would taste their marrow. The streets sung the song of lamentations as it hovered through them savoring its icy tune. Detev loved the song and it felt his presence in the city that once boasted of it's own sense of order. These humans believed they could stop chaos and build a world of order. They flourished in their illusions of order unaware of the one truth in the universe chaos always counters order. Chaos is the one true state of the universe. Today they sing the songs of chaos out of tune and in agony. Even its master didn't know the truth and it would let him learn it on his own. Even his day would come where he would meet his chaos while striving for his order. Chaos was supreme after all. Until then it would serve the Witch-King. It made it to the palace. There were dark elves, traitors, undead and sub-humans gathered at the building. Only the witch-king could command such an army. It was chaos in order as it should be. A man was speaking. A man with great power. It could feel him from here.
“We are victorious. This is the first steps towards our rule. We have succeeded here. But we failed to capture the Avatars here at Lightbringer. If we had them imprisoned in our dungeons no one in the world could stop us. General, please set up a garrison in the city. No one is to leave from the city. Have the farms manned and harvested we will need the food and supplies. Have the militia collect up all the weapons in the city and have them forged into chains for our slaves. Once we have total control of the city we will rebuild our ranks from the capital and we will march to all the civilized cities and enslave the midlands. Then we will march on the world. Now get to work.” The human ordered and the rest moved to work. It moved to the front and the human smiled at it.
“I have a very special task for you my friend.” He told it. It smiled back and the human showed a second of surprise and fear at it's maw. Most did it was terror incarnate.
“Yes you will do nicely.” He told it motioning it to follow him.
***
Regina and the others lay at the top of a hill overlooking Rolla. The rain made it hard to see and the cold made Regina wish she was still in the great machine city of Quinnerdorn and she hated the heat there. The place was beautiful and there were wonders there to keep her busy her whole life but the heat from the steam engines was unbearable. But wet heat was better than wet cold and that was where they were now. The town was garrisoned and it seemed as if the sub-humans there were searching the town.
“Where do we have to go inside there and how are we going to sneak past all those orcs and goblins?” Regina asked not w
anting to truly know.
“We aren't going to sneak past them and we're going to the main manor house just north of town, there.” Lorena told Regina and the others as she pointed out the largest building in town.
“Then how are we going to deal with all those sub-humans?” Regina asked not taking her eyes off the town. There had to be two hundred of the monsters down there.
“We're going to lead them out of town and ambush them.” Lorena told the others.
***
Bengu heard it first a horn blowing outside of town he opened the peep hole on the gate and looked hard into the forest just passed the man made plain where his army had camped when they laid siege to this town. The woods were filled with torches. Bengu sound the bell and the others gathered up to see what the commotion was all about. Commander Thranis came too.
“What's all the noise about?” the Orc demanded.
“It's the woods there are 'undreds of torches out there.” Bengu told his commander.
“Open the gates and form up. I've been hoping for some action since we took this town.” Thranis ordered.
“Me too sir.” Bengu said blowing the rally horn.
“Shut up and form up!” Thranis called out but was talking to Bengu mostly. Orcs had no respect for goblins. The Orcs and Goblins formed up and marched right out of Rolla. Bengu wondered if leaving the town was such a good idea but he wasn't in charge. Bengu wondered if this was the entire army and they had emptied the town out. Since they killed and ate the humans in Rolla it was a good bet the town was empty now. The army halted before the woods and Bengu could see figures among the torchlight- shadows really.
“look sharp men.” Thranis ordered.
“Send in the scouts.” Thranis ordered and the scouts trudged into the woods. Shortly Bengu heard the screams of the scouts as they were killed. Thranis growled at the loss.
“Army forward.” He ordered and the whole army moved in. They could see shadowy figures just ahead! They looked like men!
“Charge!” Thranis ordered and everyone began rushing the enemy. Thranis and his men hit the figures first and it sounded like steel on wood! Thunk!
“We've been tricked! It's an ambush! Retreat to Rolla!” Thranis ordered and then the balls of fire hit! Boom! Boom! Then the men attacked there rear ranks! Thranis was killed in the first fireball with a third of the army! Bengu turned to run back to Rolla and two more fire balls hit killing more of Bengu's compatriots. The Orcs and goblins were screaming and dying all around. The clouds themselves opened up and fire fell from the sky in a column ahead of Bengu! He felt the heat from the column as it fed off his allies. The smell of burning flesh was in the air as he was hit with a crossbow bolt from an unknown enemy deep in the woods out of his reach. He fell in a pool of blood as shadowed men cut their way through the ranks! He could hear singing as he laid on his death bed of bloody mud and the woods burning around them all. Then a dwarf was looming over him with his battleaxe ready to strike.
“Please?” Bengu begged as the dwarf smiled at him.
“Please my hairy butt.” The dwarf said cleaving the goblin in the head.
***
Marshal killed the last of the sub-human army as another ball of fire ended the threat of a counter attack. None of them lived. The ambush had worked too well but Marshal had learned early on that you don't complain about an easy victory. Valas makes the rules in war and you just have to take what you get. Marshal, Trevor and Rein were working their way through the wounded putting them out of their misery. Some were so burned you could see bone. Marshal felt Valas' presence at the battle. The goddess of war was a fickle mistress and Marshal knew he had to finish them all before he left the field.
“Those mages are quite deadly. I'm glad their on our side.” Trevor mentioned as they passed ways.
“Did you see the column from the heavens? That was Lila. I envy her connection with her god.” Marshal told Trevor.
“Well then my friend, pray to Valas and ask her to remake you into her voice and her warrior. She might just answer your prayers. That's what gods do right?” Trevor suggested. He was right! Marshal fell to his knees and began praying for Valas' favor. He heard a voice in the forest call him! There in the middle of the carnage blood-soaked and among the vanquished Marshal was hearing Valas' voice for the first time! He heard her!
“Marshal my champion, long have I waited. You have a great destiny and I will guide your sword arm through armies of the enemy. These tasks will make you my champion. You will drink the blood of a hydra, kill the one who can not be killed, unite the plainsmen clans, tame a dragon and take two wives as your prize. Do these things and you will be my dog of war.” Valas' voice called out to him. He felt reborn and Valas gave him spells to heal and to kill. He was more than a plainsman now he was a cleric of Valas.
Marshal got to his feet a new man.
***
Tessa left her hiding place in the far side of the woods high up in the trees. The mages and others with bows surrounded the stick figures they made and the torches they lit. The swords men hid by where the army would enter and waited til the charge command was given and attacked the rear of the army. Then they let loose on the sub-humans! The ambush worked perfectly- better than it should've but Tessa wasn't complaining. The forest burned around her as she found the others. Marshal seemed to walk a little taller and Tessa though he looked even more confident than before if that was possible. Lorena joined her and after gathering up the rest they made their way to Rolla. The group was unusually silent maybe they were thinking the same thing that Tessa was- This town was full of people who were now all dead and most likely eaten. All of their things were scattered all over the streets and their valuables were stacked up in the center and were being sifted through for the artifact.
“Profane.” Tessa said and Pauline repeated her.
“We should collect up the valuables and put them to use against the enemy.” Roderick suggested.
“How?” Corin asked looking a bit offended.
“No he's right we can give the bulk of it to the poor we encounter on our travels and use the rest to feed us. We will need to eat.” Gabe told the others.
“I agree. Collect it up.” Lila said ending the right or wrong of it.
“We have to go to the main house. The artifact is there.” Lorena told the rest.
“We will go there while the rest are gathering.” Tessa told Lorena and she nodded.
“I'm going too.” Marshal and Rein said at the same time and Lorena nodded.
“We won't be long.” Tessa told the others and they started off with Regina close behind. They looked back at her and she smiled.
“OH you'll need me to get the artifact out of whatever it's in trust me.” Regina told them and they chuckled.
“You know it's a shame about all those people but we wiped out their killers so I think we evened out the scales on that. Don't you think?” Regina asked showing that there could be a lighter side of the massacre.
“Well now that you mentioned it. We did avenge their untimely deaths.” Tessa added feeling a bit better.
“All those people are with their gods now. There was nothing we could do for them except grant them their vengeance. We also stopped those monsters from doing it again. I say Valas is smiling on our deed.” Marshal said and Tessa nodded. He was right they had stopped the evil from spreading. Who could ask for more? Tessa wished they had stopped the army before they committed their crime but they couldn't be everywhere.
“I say we did what we could and stopped the spread of the enemy and they were here for the artifact and we will deny them that too.” Lorena said finally. She was right Tessa felt much better now. They stood at the main doors of the large house and Lorena cast a light spell on her staff.
“This way.” She said and everyone followed. Tessa wondered what else the staff could do. Both she and Lorena had been resupplied after losing all their items and Tessa still couldn't believe the few items she was given. A cloak of e
thereal, she hadn't used it yet but the cloak would take her slightly out of her dimension and she could walk through walls and couldn't be seen! Boots of Elvenkind made her steps make no noise. A ring of protection made her harder to hit when in battle. A wand of lightning balls made lightning instead of fire but the same lethality. Best of all a new spell Book that had all the spells she had before plus others she would need to learn. Tessa wondered what Lorena had gotten from that black mage. He had given her many things. Tessa would ask her later. They could trade notes sort to speak. The house was empty but Tessa felt like she was being watched. It was unnerving. They went from room to empty room until they took some stairs down from the kitchen and then they were in an old cellar. Lorena felt around the south wall and found a secret door. Tessa could see the space between the door and the wall but Lorena wasn't sure how it opened.
“Let me take a look.” Regina asked and Lorena backed up to let her. Tessa listened as the gnome whispered to herself. Her speech got faster and faster til Tessa couldn't understand her. Tessa had heard Gnomes minds, thoughts could somehow accelerate to super speeds but this was the first time she had seen it. Tessa was amazed and a bit envious of it. Imagine thinking so fast. The gnome reached up and moved a hidden switch and opened a hidden latch and pushed the door opened.
“Therewego!” Regina said without pause.
“Thank you sweetie.” Lorena said to Regina. These new faces were growing on her and Tessa too. Regina just smiled and looked like she was leveling off.
“You're welcome.” Regina replied with a twinkle in her eye. Tessa wondered if the gnome liked girls. She would ask her sometime. It could be fun. Marshal led the way as they entered the passage. The hallway was made of brick and it went twenty feet and stopped at a portcullis. Marshal keeled down and grabbed the bars at the bottom then he picked them up with a grunt. He pushed them over his head and the portcullis made a clicking sound.
“Go.” Marshal told them and they passed by him as he turned red.
Destiny's Call Page 13
