CHAPTER 5

DRAXZ

His black fur, wet and matted, stuck to him as he endured the heavy fall of rain. Lightning flashed, revealing Lasteel’s walls and its guards huddled around fires in the towers. Draxz’s yellow eye pierced through the dark, seeing limited resistance. He sat, mounted along with his wolf legionnaires, their matte black armor a shadow in the forest line.

“They have recovered and reinforced since our last visit.” Narok said.

Draxz glanced to his second in command, his lips parting to reveal his pointed teeth.

“We shall see.” Draxz growled out.

“Come now, we will a’ las’ have some fun.” Duudra said.

Draxz nodded to his two generals and waited while the half breed and low blood minotaur formed ranks. His ears twitched at the sound of chopping wood followed by a falling tree. Within moments, the low bloods had a makeshift battering ram.

“Bet ya can’t hit tha human with an arrow from here.” Duudra mused to a legionnaire at his side.

“A gold coin says I will.” He responded. Leaping off his machikero, the legionnaire removed a long bow the length of a man and an arrow the size of a child. Narok looked to Draxz with unease. Draxz smiled and shrugged in return.

“We are outcast for a reason.” Draxz said looking back to the human guard, still warming his hands by the fire.

Lightning flashed and the legionnaire released a black tipped arrow into the night. Draxz tracked the arrow, his vision unimpeded by the darkness. The arrow found its mark, punching through the human’s armored back. The force of impact lifted him off the wall to disappear over the side. Draxz glanced over to Duudra, who flipped a gold coin over to the archer.

A woman’s scream broke through the heavy rain.

“Draxz!” Goren hissed.

Draxz shrugged and watched the humans guarding the wall become more alert. Lightning flashed again, revealing the minotaur army.

A heart beat later, horns began to blow, answered by others deeper the city.

Lasteel knew, the minotaur returned.

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Draxz smiled while his legion began a slow thrum as their weapons clashed against shields.

“Uuk-rahh, Uuk-rahh, Uuk-rahh.” The wolf legion’s deep chant vibrated out. Their battle cry for blood seeped out from their ranks and infected those around them. Other legions mirrored their chant. The anticipation mounted and tingled along the formations.

“Blood will spill.” Draxz said, deciphering their ancient language into common tongue.

“Uuk-rahh!” Draxz and his two generals shouted, joining the chant as it battled the sound of thunder above them.

A battle horn wailed, and the siege began.

Half breeds ran forward by the thousands, ladders and grappling hooks attacking the stone walls. By the time they reached the halfway mark, human guards appeared and began to fend them off. Arrows, spears, and swords sent half breeds to their death.

Draxz cared little of the fodder, their lives nothing more, than useful tools to complete mundane tasks of their empire. They were viewed as less than the lives of the humans. The half breeds were all deformed minotaur. Their heads and snouts grew oddly with misshapen horns from abnormal angles. Their bodies varied greatly, from mostly bull, to mostly minotaur. Most seemed to have the height of a human with pig nosed snouts and wide eyes. Draxz had seen orcs deep within the mountain that mirrored some half breeds. Their only worth, that Draxz could tolerate, were their strength and stamina. They had the minotaur vigor for war, and the will to battle to their death. If not for that singular trait, every half breed would die in his wake.

“They will take the wall soon.” Narok noted when the low bloods attacked the gate with their makeshift battering ram. More half breeds climbed the wall, the resistance waning.

Thunder roared and with it, the crack of the gate. After another hit, the wood buckled and the gate splintered. Half breeds pushed through the broken timber and were met by spears. They died, replaced by more, hungry for blood.

Another crack of wood signaled the fall of the gate, and half breeds surged into the city.

Goren raised his hand and a horn wailed.

Hooves at full gallop made the ground vibrate as the bulls were summoned. Half Bulls, more bull than man, galloped on four legs. Their horns protruded from their necks, running parallel to their snouts. Their front legs, thick as trees, resembled minotaur arms, their feet a blend of hand and hoof. A thick mane flowed from their head down to their shoulder blades, where a large muscular hump formed. Draxz watched the horde of half bulls pour through the gates, their horns thrusting through humans and pushing the defensive line back. The living spears decimated the human shield defending the gate. The remaining half breeds followed in their wake of destruction, killing the wounded as they passed.

Once the fodder fully entered the city, Goren shouted, his command relayed down the line of his force. Low blood legions marched forward in organized columns towards the gates. Once through, Draxz could see them clearing the debris and the dead. Once a flag was waved from the top of the wall, Goren shouted another command, a legion of pure bloods moved forward, marching towards the open gate.

Draxz growled in frustration.

Rurak looked from Lasteel to Draxz and nodded. It was time.

Draxz and his legionnaires unmounted and removed their weapons from their mounts. With a primal roar, blood lust flooded their bodies, the legionnaires joining his battle cry. As one, they rushed forward, only one thing on their mind.

Blood will spill.