Hello folks! Here we go with day two of the siege! Are you ready for this? Because I sure am. The POV changes this chapter won't be to numerous, but the main focus is going to likely end up being Cruelty, and Curse with there pivotal roles in this stage of the siege. See Cruelty unleash her essence for the first time after hours of gathering it, and not moving! It will be interesting to see it. See Curse, and his new pets that he will unleash upon the massed beast men.
This siege is going to last almost till the end of volume one, by the way. It has a lot of strength gains in it for Rage, and the others. It also has a very important focal point for later volumes. I won't say what yet, but you may love it, or you may hate it haha.
Without further suspense however, welcome to the show!
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Cruelty
I had been sitting with my damn eyes closed for almost three hours! Why? Because I had to gather and store as much of my essence I could, I used the fear of the cats on the second wall, drawing there fear into my and picturing a little ball that it all formed into inside my mind.
This had the added benefit of taking all the fear from the cats that were near me. I heard Rage start telling the cats to rotate there forces along the wall, sending the ones with fear to replace the others that had been drained of it. They no longer trembled while looking at the mass of bodies along the first wall, and had a fiercer light in there eyes.
I almost broke my concentration with I realized that during one of my brief times opening my eyes. Weaklings thinking themselves strong for facing there fear and overcoming it with a purpose of protecting the even weaker ones that had begun there trek to the keep. I sighed, weakness beget weakness. I simply took a small portion of what made them weak under Rages orders.
I did not enjoy them feeling they had achieved something though. I toyed with the idea of taking the long route and not taking there combined fear to increase my essence power upon release.
Naturally, Rage knew this. I felt him drift up behind me, and whisper into my ear that if I tried something that would end in the fall of the second wall on the second day, he would personally rip me in two before everyone died.
I grumbled at that, he never allowed me to have my fun, unless it was with my toys. I'd begun taking females of the cat civilians who, by direct order, agreed to the terms of what I called sex. A great deal, surprisingly. But only my two favorite toys from my underlings could take the combined fear and pain while keeping it pleasure. So I kept them.
Anyway, I began to count the essence wisps that entered my body as the hours flew by. I lost count eventually, sweat falling down my brow as the ball in my mind continued to grow at a rapid rate. Shit...Keeping this controlled would be a pain in the ass. But I would do it, I hated being made a fool of just like the others, if not more so.
I smiled grimly, this would show them. It would show them to respect the fear our people induce in all. They would simply join the number.
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Curse
Setting up a circle roughly fifty feet from the other soldiers, I began drawing on my power, dropping blood from my slit wrist onto the summoning circle.
A mouth opened from within the circle as I forced a gate into the abyss open. From the maw of this hellish flesh boil came something similar to a Hellhound but it had two heads. A Cerberii, the offspring of the three headed hounds know as Cerberus. They were adolescent, and all I could control for the time being, but they had a higher destructive power than Hellhounds. One head had poison gas it breathed when fighting, and the second spat fire out in cones toward enemies. When they matured and grew a third head, I had read they breathed a black miasma that instilled insanity in others.
One by one, they trumped out from the gate as I bent each to my will. It was taxing, and at times painful to fight these higher grade beasts minds until they submitted, but Rage had ordered it, so it shall be done.
Slowly there numbers increased as I forced a pack behind me. They numbered twenty right now, and I would push them to fifty. I would, I swore, even as blood began dripping from my nostrils. I would not fail Rage in this.
When I reached thirty, I began to feel feint, I had to take a break. Cutting the connection I fell to my knees a moment, one of my underlings brought me water and meat. The meat must of been one of the beast men that we killed during the night. It tasted like one of the wolfs, I liked there texture the most.
I needed to rest and regain my strength for an hour or so. Time was of the essence, but the thirty Cerberii would still prove a force to reckon with. They would be used to plug any massive breaches that were forced open even with the knots of Pridelings all along the wall. They would also be sacrificial pawns just like the Hellhounds had been when we are inevitably forced to withdraw to the third wall.
Everyone knew it would happen, it was a smaller place to defend, and would allow us more options with that limited space. I might even be able to summon the pack of Hellhounds I'd forced under my will days ago, they numbered in the hundreds and I wouldn't need to exert much mental strength to ensure they obeyed. They knew I would feed them plenty of flesh.
Break ending, I began summoning more. Each Cerberii was about five feet tall, and six feet long with there spiked tails. They looked like a monster hybrid of a doberman, and rottweiler. Two dogs that the cats had domesticated and bred down from wolfs while retaining there ferocity. More guard dogs than war dogs however, and therefore useless.
Another ten to go, five, done. Fifty Cerberii had been summoned and bent to my will. The pack was small compared to there natural pack sizes in the abyss, but this was all I could manage for now. It would be enough.
Let the beast men come, let the bear known as Uram I had been told harmed Rage come. They will meet our fangs and claws, they will fall by the hundred for there insult of turning there back to our leader, for taking us by surprise. We will not leave survivors to be spared this time.
Rage had sworn it, regardless of what our current Master may want, if we did not allow them a chance to surrender, then we did not break his moral code.
I smiled, baring my fangs at the Cerberii who began to growl at me, and started to summon my pack of Hellhounds. Fuck waiting, they would come readily to my call, knowing they would be allowed to devour flesh. Come they did as well, two hundred in all. A small pack, but they would add dexterity to the Cerberii' sheer strength and power.
I could hardly wait to unleash them, I would enjoy doing so when the gaps appeared in the wall defense.
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Rage
I walked up beside Forge who was standing atop the second wall, regarding the enemy masses along the first wall. I'd done another check on Cruelty, and Curse to ensure they had continued there work. Cruelty exuded an aura of literal fear, it had the beginnings of reminded me of what Void had done to us.
Turning my thoughts from that, Curse had summoned an army of demon hounds, cannon fodder to help us survive. I wanted to use them as a last resort and gap fillers for now however, as for Hydra's progress, he has managed to coat the main assault point around the gate in ice at least.
"Forge, how long do you think we can hold?" I asked my second as we both stared outward. He was the best at defensive crap to begin with, might have to do with his shield weapon.
I heard him 'hmmm' with his head tilted to the side as he considered the enemy and our odds.
"Assuming Cruelty can take the fear from the rest of the remaining cats, perhaps another day? They just dwarf us, they dwarf the army from before as well. twenty thousand is a lot of people to kill."
He didn't say this as if it were impossible, when I looked up at him I saw a fang barred smile similar to my own. It would be glorious, we would bath in there blood, and organs. Devour there flesh, and consume the minds of any that managed to escape our wonton slaughter.
I grunted at him, then Anvil joined us, stepping on the other side of Forge. A shame he was a mute. Our people could regrow limbs, or missing organs if we were strong enough, but when I ripped his vocal cords out as a cub, he had been to weak to regrow them. The same for those missing an eye. Putting a limb back on was easier than such vital parts.
He growled, a rumbling sound that came from his chest, and grunted a bit while using a hand language we had picked up here with the cats. ^We need to crush them^ he signed at us.
Ever since we learned that he used it often, and seemed to enjoy the ability to communicate outside of gestures and our natural beastial actions. I didn't blame him for it either.
"We will, Anvil. You're with me at the gates again. Forge, send Envy along with River as close to the third wall as we can with the medical personal. I want them the first through those gates and ready to take new injured."
I saw him nod, then he turned and went to inform the two of there duties. "Anvil, get Hate, she's with us at the gate. Both of you take the Berserkers under your command, and send the Red Pridelings to the wall with the rest. They will work better under Inferno for now."
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Then he was gone, and I was alone on the wall. How could I crush this many? It wouldn't be easy. It would be hard, difficult, insane. It would be glorious.
I clenched my gauntlet-ed hands, feeling the blood metal move and grind along my skin. It was as if it whispered into my mind, calling for food, for the blood and visceral remains of thousands, upon thousands of enemies.
I would be happy to oblige them. Now, we wait for them. We had more than the last siege, we had the time to prepare more traps and defenses to kill as many as we could. We would hold, and we would devour them all.
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Cruelty
God, when would they fucking attack! It was beginning to crush my mind to hold all this fear inside of me. It was midday. I could feel it from the position the sun was striking me. The heat was starting to annoy me as well. I growled at the presence I could feel next to me. I did not need a distraction now.
Time passed, at least an hour, then I heard it. The glorious sound of Rage roaring archer to let loose there arrows. Finally!!
But I had to wait, I had to wait. I heard the roars, and screams of the other Pridelings and the cats. The stench of blood, and death filled the air. I was jealous of them all. They were able to feel the flesh of there foes give under the blade, rend the very life from there eyes as they killed them.
How much longer. Come on, come on, come on. I chanted it for god knows how long. Then, finally I heard Rage come to me, he smelled like death. It was arousing, if only he were a female.
"Keep holding it Cruelty, I'm carrying you to the wall. When I say to, unleash the fear you built up, force it outward in a wave. Don't waste the chance."
Gah! enough already you talkative bastard, take me to the glory! I all but screamed into my mind. I felt him carrying me, jostling me when dodging a strike, or possibly a thrown Javelin. Finally though, finally he said the sweat words I wanted to hear. I could almost stomach fucking him for that.
I let go, I opened my eyes at the mass below the gate, and released all the fear I had harnessed, let it flow forward and be released into the masses below. It felt orgasmic to have it gone, I think I even climaxed from it as I felt each and every individual it affected as it hit. Oh god, it made my knees shake from the sensation. So wonderful, so amazing.
I knew I was laughing, and then I drove my dagger to the hilt into the skull of one of the fear stricken beside me, roaring my wonder and glory at them. I heard them scream in terror, the waves of the army below turning around and moving against the press of soldiers behind them that I could not reach.
They even began to attack the ones not letting them flee, turning on each other in utter panic. 'Is this what Void felt when near us that day? Such glory...I would have it for myself' I thought silently as the wall was cleared, and a small respite was given to the wall as the enemy army was forced to cut down the ones gone mad from fear just to advance and not sustain injuries themselves. It looked mostly like wolfs, or foxes had been affected.
Good. God it still felt so good, I even felt the ones affected by my fear essence as they were cut down. I was climaxing now, it felt so good to be able to feel there lives snuffed out as they were consumed by my fear. It even felt like I gained something from each one as the initial essence slowly returned to me. Glorious.
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Curse
I stared, mouth agape slightly, at what I saw Cruelty do. Goodness, such power. It was amazing, and fun to watch as the enemy fled in fear to attack there allies trying to escape only to be cut down.
It took almost half an hour before the assault resumed, the enemy seemed enraged by how they were moving at a frenzied pace.
Good, they would make mistakes this way and Rage could take advantage of it. I waited, looking for the weak points as they appeared.
When one appeared, several cats being killed as the wall was breached, or multiple Red Pridelings falling to the knees in pain or exhaustion, somehow staying alive. I sent groups of my hounds into the fray at these points. They plugged the holes, the Cerberii were most impressive, they destroyed dozens of the enemy in front of them.
Beautiful, I thought, as one of the Cerberii bit into a wolf beast man and ripped him in two with both heads. I felt several connections lost within my mind, several of the Hellhounds, seven so far, had been slain as they plugged the holes, dragging some enemies away still half alive to eat them.
Perfect, they would accept the losses and just eat what they could. The hounds, both species, were simple creatures like that.
I kept sending wave after wave of my hounds to fill gaps and let the cats, and my fellow Pridelings reform the line and take the ladders down.
I had to make sure no portion of the defense fell to the enemy giving them free purchase. Hold, I would ensure the lines held.
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Rage
The fear had worked, it sent the ones forced to cut down there allies into a frenzy for revenge. They were more determined, but they dove in without thought to safety, and were taken out in droves.
I couldn't estimate there losses, but it was at least a few thousand. The army just swallowed the losses though. I had to think of a way to win this, it was there. But I couldn't grasp it.
A red tailed fox beast man dropped behind the gate trying to open it, I pushed my hand through his skull as he saw the gate had a small force behind it. No one would open this gate from within, and I will personally smash the enemies that broke it open. Though it was reinforced, I could hear the enemy trying to lift the portcullis.
They wouldn't manage anytime soon, but it would fall in time, I was certain of that. It was mostly canine beast men assaulting now. From what Fredrick had said, the wolfs were the main force, and the bears the shock troopers. Soaking damage up. He said some even entered a frenzy similar to the Berserkers. Only the grizzly strain did this, but he had said if Uram was there, then the entire bear tribe would be present as well.
A few body parts went flying into the ramp that led down to the gate, it made me hate that I had chosen this. Hate, and Anvil did not like it either. Nor did there underlings. We wanted to kill, to crush and maim.
It would not be today however. The sun had begun to set after hours of fighting, killing a few that tried to open the gates from inside.
When they enemy had pulled back, I jumped up and regarded the mess. More cats were down than I cared to admit, at least two hundred. a third of that were dead. The rest dying, I had the medical troop rush to grab them and start the needed healing. We would lose more, but save several. We lost another ten of the Red Pridelings to exhaustion or damage. It left us with dangerously few of them. Though with luck the injured from the night before would be healed enough to fight.
Forge was surrounded by a mass of bodies, it seemed he had held an entire portion of the wall on his own. Just how strong was his defense? I went to him, and told him to rest.
I would hold the watch tonight. I also secretly hoped they tried to reach the gate top once more. I desperately wanted to kill.
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Uram
I'd been forced to pull back once again. What were those bastards doing? An entire squadron of wolfs had been sent to there deaths by there own allies. Something had driven them mad with fear, and sent them against the advance.
Then, then the hounds writhed in flame, along with the two headed beasts I saw plug the gaps created by my soldiers. The cunning bastard had repelled every advance. I growled at the wall before me. The weakling, I will kill him for this. By rights this fort should have fallen the first night.
I looked at the map on the desk, and threw the table into the wall in frustration.
"I want that wall down tomorrow!" I screamed at my captains, who left quickly to see to there men. I snapped my fingers and a Panther appeared from the shadows. The tribe were adept as concealment and infiltration. "Find me a weakness to use, anything, but find it and bring it to me. Everyone has something they care for after all..." I finished mostly to myself, then the panther was gone.
He would find it, or die doing so. It was in there nature. I punched the wall beneath my feet, and felt the stone crack under the weight of my fist. I smiled, lightly. I would destroy the cat tribe, the traitors, and the people that fought like demons to defend the walls with them. I would sweep them all away. I swore this to Ursa, the bear Goddess.
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Here you are folks! I know, I know. It's late, I am sorry for that. It was a busy day. Oh! If we reach 200 followers before chapter 25 I will be doing a poll with three unique options for a plot, or event within the time frame of the siege that you will get to vote on during the day, and dictate your choice haha! I know, I'm a sweetheart like that.
Any who, I hope you enjoy this chapter. A sneak peak into the growth of two of the other Berserker main characters. Cruelty is a psychotic little bitch isn't she? I love her haha.
As always, much love, and please; Follow, rate, Comment, and Favorite.