Short intermission

A large Orcus was relaxing on a stool cleaning a large ringed Dao. It was an unusual weapon for an Orcus. A heavy stench of blood was in the arena in which he sat.

He wore nothing other than linen to cover his nethers and a string to tie his hair in a ponytail to keep it from his eyes. This was all he was allowed. For he was performing a Hak'a'Char. A rite to allow a family a boon by sacrificing their family head to the arena to allow them to break a single law.

He would only be freed if one of his family's boon is denied, and two his family no longer needs the boon. three a warrior does not challenge his boon in a day's time. His family will forever have that boon. It is in this way that Taruuk has managed to corrupt and take control of this vile horde.

Sadaash heard a thumping and splashing at the exact five-minute timer of yet another challenger. Sighing Sadaash swung his blade to the side the rings vibrated and blood and viscera splashed behind him as yet another challenger died in a single swing.

Taruuk obviously did not plan on letting him live with his family in peace. Earlier this month a runner came to inform him of his wife's decision to take his children to the temple.

Sighing in a tired voice 'so many rites and rituals we will eventually be calling them tiki tiki riki whatchamacallit like some tribal savages. Oh wait!' a soft lonely chuckle to his own joke.

“Make it religious and it becomes law, make it a custom and it binds us... Was this what you envisioned for us when you bound us to each other Ignas?”

Blurred visions of city streets with many races mingling with each other. Large towering structures made of various hues and shades of reds. Fires of all colors burned in incense holders and laughter was heard for miles. Blood wine was a luxury. Better yet, not even a tenth of these customs existed, danced in front and around Sadaash.

He downed yet another jar of bloodwine mixed with a bit of Barrel cactus for keeping awake as he had been for a few months now. Sleep would be good when this is done.

His stupor was interrupted when a voice in his ear was heard. A raspy soft voice. He knew who it was and was not startled by this.

“Hello, Sadaash Bloodstorm, Bringer of the blood rains. quencher of hope, Decimator of the urkan hordes, Royal Alchemist of the Igna---” the voice was cut off by a murderous aura so thick and rich it could suffocate you.

With a sigh, “You know the Order is persistent on reading titles off when addressing its higher members. You shouldn't have lived so long if you don't like it.”

“Why are you here Rasak, I have a few days left from how my children have been doing. The temples boost and trade with the Conductors to establish guild relations to reveal how to best raise their growth helps considerably.” Sadaash let out with a weary yet proud reassurance that this exhausting endeavor will be over soon.

“Sha'ree it would seem was not included in the document your wife signed to transfer assets over to you to protect your wealth before going to the temple. She was counted as a bond....” Rasak answered back

“They wouldn't Dare!” A bellowing roar came from Sadaash a Black flame with hints of crimson blazed from his eyes.

“We were late in finding this and it was unforgivable..... They also took her racial rank while she was bound by her pact she could not deny them this. her chronological clock will find her again.” Rasak replied with a neutral tone.

“For ones so old, You both are bound so deeply by honor that you are blinded by it forgetting that the secondary races are not bound so deeply as you.” With this,the wind blew and Sadaash knew Rasak had left.

He began to walk towards the arena gate. when a few guards attempted to speak blocking his way they found their torsos separated from their lower half weapons included.

A Hoblin scribe in charge of documenting the arena fights fell to the ground stammering. “Y....Yo... Your breaking the oath, the Hak'a'Char!?”

Sadaash not even stopping to put the Hoblin in his eyes. “The Rot Blood Horde is no longer my horde. I shall report to the boras oasis for my family's disbandment as per the laws. I bear all the punishment that follows. Excuse me I feel like turning a Disgusting Hoblin into blood wine for Rasteeks. the balls on that woman!”

An Explosion of dust and earth and a spiderweb in the earth was left from where Sadaash was once standing. The scribe scudded to his feet and ran toward the center of the encampment where the chieftains yurt stood.

******************************************************************************

A Party has been forcefully created

Within your party Health, Energy and Fate is shared.

I was able to feel the vitality and energy levels of all my brothers as well as their general location. This was exhilarating.

We were not given much time to enjoy this newfound power. A wisp of fire blasted by us. I could hear the wailed fright of my brother Inash as the wisp nearly hit him. The source merely snarled and sent another wisp our way. This time hitting Inash arms raised.

The smell of burning flesh and his stifled screaming. I looked back to see his skin charred. He was breathing which was something.

It was clear though that Sha'ree was going to be true to her word in killing us.

“AAAAAAUUUURRRGH!” I heard Tamar scream charging at Sha'ree. His spear was held in both his hands.

Seeing this my other brothers threw away our plans and charged her. More fire wisps were launched at us along with the smell of burning flesh intensifying.

Tamar's face was partially melted as he took a wisp directly to his face. His face was twisted in betrayal eyes blazing with rage thrust his spear towards Sha'ree's chest.

She reared back swiping his flimsy spear to the side snapping it in half with her paw mangling it further in the barbed wire. Landing a second paw across his face with a large crunch. His body twisted and spun across the arena landing on Maka's spear impaling him through the gut.

“Ahhh” an almost girlish scream was heard from Maka as he dropped both his spear and Tamar's body hit the ground with a squelch. His body was mangled. His jaw was gone each limp barely still attached at the joints due to the shear force of the spin and his eyes seemed to have exploded from the cranial pressure.

It was safe to say that even without the notification blaring in my peripheral vision that he was dead... very dead.

The pause was temporary, though long enough that another wisp caught Tasar screaming as he caught fire. Ripping his deel off he managed to save his life but it was too late. his flesh exposed and bled he fell over. The lack of notification meant there was still hope.

This snapped us back out of our inaction and I yelled out to my brothers our simple and what I thought embarrassing formation name “Formation Sha'ree!” at the time now grateful as it was all I could think of at the moment. A tinge of pain gripped my heart but suppressed it with a boiling rage!

Dahkan and Malkadian will take the front. Drazahar and I took the flanks. Makadian took up the back and started to gingerly drag/carry Tasar and Inash toward the door. He didn't bother with Tamar.

More wisps came and we moved out of the way. The wisps were not hard to dodge if we paid attention. Sha--The warg had suffered a lot. She--It was bleeding and was heaving heavily. It had collapsed the lower half of its body, and a puddle of blood and viscera was forming around its base.

The wisps had stopped. Its staggering breath was visible as puffs of smoke. Its eyes were barely open. If we let it bleed out it won't count he would have died for nothing. Everything mother had sacrificed would be for nothing.

Its ears perked and turned its head, what looked like... hope as its eyes opened wide a happy pant appeared on its face. it tilted its head to look away from us and its head tilted slightly upward and was about to howl its excitement.

I could feel fury burn inside me at the realization of this hope and happiness it felt. I rush forward from the side and my brothers rushed as well.

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” I screamed mustering all my strength and power I could to do something to tear the life from this creature. Tears flowed from my eyes yet I held my resolve to end its life as did my brothers.

Distracted it seemed in its exhaustion it either didn't hear us or didn't bother. Our spears pierced her body with a 'thump' A wet shearing sound was heard as our blade's pushed even further from our weight into her body.

Her muzzle released one last howl and her head fell. Sha'ree was dead. We collapsed with her head and cried as no one else was here to see it. So it was our rite to do so.

A few moments later the yurt shaking and banging heard the gate burst open and an Orcus clad in nothing but his linens burst in carrying a handful of horned rabbits squirming in hands dripping blood. His fists were dripping blood.

The rabbits became paste against the wall as he punched the wall.

We stopped crying at that point and looked in his direction. His eyes were darkened and he wordlessly walked to each of our brothers and poured a blackish-red on each of them. Their breathing became steadier and their charred skin became normal once again.

Tamar's body did heal but no steady breath could be seen. The room became still as the dust started to rise and words from the Orcus could be heard. A group of wings appeared from his back. black rings appeared above Tasar's body.

Then nothing..... In the stillness of the room “My own son does not wish to return to us....His soul had been scarred or changed by something........”

The Orcus roared making us all faint from the shock.