As long as 175 years ago, the Untameable Wilds have stood before the Holy State of the Veratocracy. When the first Speakers came in contact with the Sunkindred, they were dismissed and insulted, called “warlocks” and “profaners”. They were told simply that “Speaking” in such a way was a heresy. Then, what had initially appeared to be a promising relationship between an infant nation and an established one soured. The Sunkindred refused all attempts at trade, proselytization, or relationship establishment.
The Moonchildren’s answer was more permanent. Any human from the Veratocracy who crossed into their lands was summarily slain. Attempts at communication were not continued with the Moonchildren, and eventually, the constant denial from the Sunkindred terminated any continued efforts at cooperation.
-From the notes of renowned historian Ahyalt di’Nielta
“This is you proving yourselves fahvalo, honorable foes. Foes come in many forms, but honor comes in adhering to the… There is no good word in this language for it. Honor comes through voninahitra, being an example of the idea you wish to feel and show.” Bloodpriestess Ana scoffed at the “uselessness” of the human tongue and resumed her beginning speech. “You will prove yourselves honorable by showing your desperation, nothing less and nothing more. Try not to kill each other, but foes must shed blood, and death often comes from bloodshed. It will be an honorable death if it comes.”
The swarm had gathered together and we stood, looking at the group of Moonchildren before us. There were maybe fifty of them, and considering that several of my swarm weren’t combat focused, I considered it a fair fight even though they had about several more combatants. Just enough to show our determination.
And then two more identical groups of about fifty Moonchildren came soundlessly out of the woods to surround our flanks.
“Are these spectators?”
“Of course not. They will help in your trial.”
I involuntarily felt my jaw begin to clench up, and I struggled to tamp down the rage boiling within me. Snarls bubbled without my conscious thought nor consent from my throat, and Ana laughed as she walked to the far side of the clearing.
“I thought I could help you voninahitrar desperation. Best of luck.” She called as she assumed a position behind the far pack of Moonchildren. I was fairly certain she was making fun of me, but even if I could prove it, Ana wouldn’t change anything. My nervous excitement for battle had wholly been replaced by a fury so all-consuming I subconsciously felt [Combatant’s Bloodlust] activate.
My teeth still clenched, I explained the change to the swarm and couldn’t help but notice the shifting of eyes and positions from at least partially confident to shifty, afraid, and… desperate. Her goddess forsake her, but Bloodpriestess Ana’s decision had definitely benefited the swarm.
Behind me, Sybil spoke, “This does complicate the plan, but only a bit. You and Took will be paired as the second row, and we will follow your lead to drive straight ahead.”
“There will almost certainly be casualties in the back.”
“If you move fast enough, that might be prevented.”
I cursed under my breath. She was right, of course, but the idea that it all came down to if I was able to do this fast enough… made me desperate. I kept forcefully looping myself back to it, feeding the seething mass of emotion within me, and I couldn’t stand still. I continued my pacing, my tail continuously lashing, passing my stone from one hand to the other. I could feel my nervous energy infecting my followers, and again I forced myself to hold still and look across the meadow at our chosen group. Ana spoke, calling our attention.
“On my count, begin. One… Begin.”
The sudden beginning of the fight took the swarm by surprise, but not the Moonchildren. They didn’t hesitate to swarm towards us, shrieking their avian calls. The sounds nearly shook the ground, and their stomping feet did to my [Tremorsense].
Quickly I pushed my magic to my throat and screamed wordlessly to rally my troops. The magic of [Conqueror’s Rebuke] and [Innervating Address] thrummed through me more powerfully than ever before, and, as one, the swarm surged forward, straight towards the first group of Moonchildren. Wordless shrieks tore from throats, claws were brandished, and Took and I fell in just behind the first row of charging keelish. The moment seemed to extend, but was over in an instant, as the crashing of scaly bodies against leathery ones rang out.
In front of me, blood began to spray from superficial but painful wounds on the Moonchildren. They seemed to be taken aback by how we had charged headlong towards them, seemingly abandoning our flanks to be shredded by their companions, but we were desperate. Strangely, we’d held onto our stones until now, and a volley of rocks slammed into Moonchildren faces with wet thunks.
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My hands free, I stabbed forward once, twice, thrice, attempting to hobble the nearest Moonchildren as I lunged wildly at any flashing red “weakness” presented by [Combatant’s Bloodlust]. So much shorter than me were they that only once could I successfully hamstring my target, but she immediately fell before being pummeled under our unstopping charge. I didn’t spare a single thought for them, instead focusing on the fact that compassion, pity, or hesitance would lead to our complete eradication. I pressed on.
In front of me was Brutus, his mane of scales pressed outward threateningly as he shredded into the Moonchildren with reckless abandon. He’d never really fought with something humanoid and smaller than him, so all he did was seize his jaws around whatever limb or body part he could before bodily throwing the much lighter Moonchild into its companions. They went down like stalks of grass to the flailing bodies of their compatriots. The blood, both keelish and Moonchild, coursed down Brutus’s neck as he continued to press the attack. Our adversaries were quick to regain their feet, but we rushed past them, leaving them to throw themselves against the more heavily supported sides of our charging spear formation.
On the other side was Joral, rushing into battle alongside the wolfstags. Arwa and her pack threw themselves at knees, ripping, tearing, and breaking with claw, jaw, and shoulder respectively. He cared even less about his safety than Brutus and Arwa, and I couldn’t help but notice a deep gash across the back of his neck, from one shoulder to the next. His own blood sprayed forward with every one of his strikes, and he began to use it to try to blind his next victim before continuing the charge. He began to cackle, maddened, screaming “BOW BEFORE THE SWARM!”
I repeated after him, infusing my words with magic as I began to channel [Debilitating Diatribe] on the Moonchildren: “BOW BEFORE THE SWARM! BOW! BOW!”
The Moonchildren didn’t bow, but some of the closest took involuntary steps backward, slowing the approach of their allies and giving us greater room to continue the attack ourselves. With more space to build momentum, we smashed into more bodies, leaving wounded, stunned, crippled, and confused Moonchildren in our wake. We were about to reach the end of the Moonchildren’s lines, where Took and I were to assume our part in our ‘desperate’ plan.
As Brutus and Joral reached the end of the defensive lines of our foes, they spread to the side, opening a passage of sorts for the rest of the swarm to surge out of. Took and I led the way, continuing to charge forward as the rest of the swarm spread, creating a defensive line of our own as Took and I began the most uncertain part of our plan.
Bloodpriestess Ana’s face quickly transitioned from surprise, to a smirk, to a wide, predatory grin as she realized our plan. She threw back her head and laughed, “Come, Saharliard! You have chosen your own rules!” as she settled into an easy stance, all ten of her fingers splayed and looking threatening. There wasn’t a single red spot to be seen as we completed our approach.
Took and I jumped Ana at the same time. Took lunged high, her frills as flared as possible as I went low. Ana’s thick fourth finger whipped at a blinding speed and crashed into the side of Took’s head, smashing her to the side as her left hand came towards me in an uppercut, the scythe-like fifth finger spearing to impale me under my chin. I pulled back, hard… as my left arm continued forward, stabbing my [Quaking Claw] strengthened claws towards Ana’s belly, just as I’d hoped.
With the same blistering speed, Ana twisted her arm unnaturally and partially parried my lunge, the tips of my claws carving a series of shallow, long lines across the side of her stomach instead of burying themselves in her guts. I had to let my attack fail to keep myself from entering unsteadily into Ana’s range as she lifted a foot in a kick and clipped my snout, sending me reeling.
I could hear the disbelieving and enraged voices of the rest of the Moonchildren as Took and I pressed the attack, trading one of our blows for three of Ana’s. We would lash out, both of us, attempting to grapple her, and she would only permit the most glancing of blows in exchange for bone-rattling thumps and painful scores deep in our flesh. I roared at her, attempting to stun her, as I flared the scales on my arms and began to desperately try to press the attack, even without any flickers of weak points appearing under the influence of my [Combatant’s Bloodlust]. We were bleeding, but I felt like with just another minute or so we could complete our task. Behind me, Sybil’s voice called out commands for a steady retreat.
There was the sound of flames coughing to life, and “Alpha, duck!” I did as I felt my scales crispen under the heat from the strong flames pressing against my back as a pillar of fire rushed over me towards Ana. That must have been Solia, and then Percral’s voice joined hers, “Stay down!” I had no idea what this variation on the plan was as the echoes of thunder joined the fire and a bolt of lightning combined with the flames and exploded at Ana’s feet. She stumbled away from the explosion, and a high-pitched voice joined in, “VICTORY!”
“What does that mean?” Suddenly, Sybil’s voice went thready. “Trai!”
Behind me I felt tiny steps approach through the smoldering underbrush, then, suddenly, Trai entered the fray. Wisterl would have been proud of her, she was the most enthusiastic fighter I’d ever seen. Almost instinctively, Trai ducked, wove, and struck in tandem with me and Took. Foire, unwilling to leave his daughter in the fray, ran to join us. With the additional combatants, I was sure the tide would quickly turn in our favor, but the Bloodpriestess’s grin simply widened before she sped up and summarily smashed all three of us adults to the ground with her preternaturally powerful club fingers before reaching out to Trai.
“NO!” Screamed Foire as he stumbled to his feet, trying to stop Ana’s attack. It was too late. With a quick scoop, she picked the child up and pinched her jaws closed with thumb and forefinger before planting what could only be an approximation of a kiss on Trai’s forehead.
“Well done, Ashlani and little one. With my authority as Bloodpriestess, I name you both fahvalo, and give you a name among the celestial peoples. That name shall be, with the skies as my witness, Indraymaf. Ashlani and Trai Indraymaf!” At her words, the Moonchildren all around trilled their strange call and immediately fell back from the previously intense combat.
It was done.