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Enjoy.

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A golden knife appeared in the gray man’s hand.  “Violam, I am sorry but I have to cut you now.”  

Otis split his mind.  Otis, I am going to put up a barrier between us.  I will be Violam from now on.  You must survive.  

No, you mustn’t it’s too dangerous.  We do not what will happen if we stay separated for too long.  

A moment of silence passed.  I am sorry Otis.  The barrier slammed into place between the two minds isolating pain and reality to only one side.  

The golden knife turned red as it bit into Otis’s flesh, red veins streaked across his skin.  Otis’s body tensed it was far worse than any injury he had ever experienced.  He clinched his teeth, he refused to scream but after an hour he could no longer resist.  It came from deep within him, his screams shook the carriage, and his howls could be heard all through the war camp.

A brief moment of shock crossed the gray man's face.  He looked at Violam, his eyes full of concern and with his free hand he patted Violam’s head.  “Shush, shush.  You are okay. I am here with you.”  

He lifted the knife from Violam’s body.  The gray man watched as the skin stitch back together and heal over in a matter of minutes.  The gray man’s smile widened.  “Violam, you are truly amazing, such an incredible talent.  You should be proud of yourself.”  The gray man lowered the knife and continued to cut into the boy deep into the night.

The gray man wiped his bloody hands on his trousers as he stepped out of Violam’s cell.  “I think we made some good progress tonight.  Soon you will be able to go out and contribute to the Farg Legion.  Unfortunately, from here on out your training will slow down as I cannot be here to administer it every night.  But rest assured Gooram here will take over and he is a fine trainer.”  The gray man gestured at the Neuromancer still standing in the carriage.  

An hour after the group left, Violam began to relax.  His body was completely exhausted and he only had one point of stamina.  His eyes shut and let sleep take him.

Violam felt cold water splash on him.  He was jolted awake, he looked at his clock.  “It’s only been five minutes.”  Two short gray Dwarves rushed into his cell.  Violam punched one of them in the face but there was no strength behind it, the Dwarf only stumbled backwards a few steps.  The second attacker’s kick caught Violam in the stomach, he hunched over and fell to the ground.  He felt one of them grab his head.  The Dwarf smashed his face into the cell bars.  

“Now let’s spoil those good looks.” Violam felt a knife stab into his shoulder.  The dwarf twisted it and broke off the handle.  Another knife stabbed into his chest.

“You think you’re his favorite? She used to be his favorite too.”  A fat little fist slammed into Violam’s jaw.  He felt it pop out of place.  

The little beast stepped on Violam’s groin then kneed him in the face.  “We are going to ruin you like we ruined her.  The Ambassador is not going to recognize you the next time he sees you.”  Another knife slashed across Violam’s face, the dwarf spun it around then stabbed it into his thigh and broke its handle off leaving a piece behind in the boy.

Their attacks were not strong enough to completely drain Violam’s Health due to his regenerative abilities but this was curse and not a blessing.  The attacks still hurt and the Dwarves could continue their attacks until they tired themselves out without the worry of killing the boy.

The two dwarves spit on Violam.  “Don’t get too comfortable we will be back pretty boy.”  Violam stared at the Dwarf who spoke.  He had been the one with the most vicious attacks.  

[Tharden Knifebreaker - Level 29 Farg Legion]

Violam pulled several broken knives out of his body that the Dwarf left behind.  “I am going to kill that dwarf.”  He hid the knives under the straw flooring.  

“Do not do that!”  The woman hissed.  “You will only make it worse if they find you hiding things.”

Violam was caught by surprise, he had forgotten her presence.  “I am sorry about earlier.  I did not want to get you involved.”  Violam The room was dark again after the attackers left but with his superior vision could see her outline.  He watched her turnover and face her back towards him.  Her only answer was silence.  

Violam lowered the barrier between his minds.  

Violam are you okay?

Yes I am fine.  If it's just this much I can handle it.

What happened?

Otis I don't want to talk about it.  Can we talk about something else?

Sure what's on your mind? Otis laughed.

The green woman spoke to me again.

Don't trust her.

I know Otis.

What did she say?

She just warned me about hiding some broken knives.

Knives! How did you get knives? Whatever. She might be right.  We are very weak right now.  Let's monitor our surroundings first.  Remember Milo and the Captains training we need to be calm and make a plan.

Fine but I am going to kill that dwarf.

Were you even listening to me?  Violam don’t do anything rash we just need to find a way out of here.

Okay!  I am going to sleep.  A barrier formed between the two minds silencing Otis from speaking.  A few minutes later Violam’s eyes closed.

“Hoho. Didn’t I tell you not to relax?”  Violam’s cell door swung open and the dwarf stepped inside.  Violam jumped to his feet and lunged at the dwarf.  He brought a broken knife shard down on the side of the dwarf’s neck.  The knife shard shattered against the dwarf’s tough gray skin.  

“Did you think you could stab me with my own knife?”  The dwarf growled.  “I think this calls for something special.  Oren bring the [Crippler].”  He called to someone outside of the carriage.  

A second dwarf carrying a small hammer entered into the carriage.  He handed the hammer to Tharden.  “I am going have you sing for me tonight.”  The Dwarf tossed the hammer from hand to hand.  “Oren what do you think?  Knees first? Or should I start small?  You know fingers, toes then work my way up to the more important parts.”    Tharden stared at Violam for a moment.  “Yeah hold him down let’s start small.”

The Dwarves came for Violam every time he attempted to sleep.  Most times they beat him to an inch of his life but sometimes they beat Sonashi while forcing Violam to watch.  The Neuromancer also came several times a day for Violam’s recruitment training.  Violam noticed that the Neuromancer always cut the same pattern into his chest but he could never identify what the pattern was.  Violam’s regeneration had healed the cuts on his chest but four days into his training a faint scar could be seen.  The scar appeared as several tiny jagged gray lines converging together just beneath his sternum.  

Violam felt a slight throbbing coming from his chest.  He opened his eyes it was the first time since his imprisonment that he had a full night's sleep.

[3:319:8:05:12]

“Good you are awake.  I was afraid I would find you asleep and would have to disturb you myself.”  Edgar stood outside of Violam’s cell.  “I hear your training is coming along splendidly.”  

Edgar wrinkled his nose.  “Ugh.  I see that the watchers have not cleaned your room in the last few days.  Did they not let you out to use the restroom?”

Violam shook his head.  “No.”  His voice crack as he spoke.  His throat was raw from overuse.

“Don’t worry I will speak with them and today while you are out I will have them clean this mess.  I brought your uniform so you can get out of those rags of yours.”  Edgar handed Violam a white shift through the cell doors.

“Thanks.”  Violam answered.  

“Don’t mention it.  Now you two get ready, you have work to do today. Hey don’t look at me like that Violam.  I have easy jobs for you guys since it’s your first day of work.  You are just going to be loading and unloading supplies.  It is tiring work but you will get plenty of breaks.”  

Edgar opened the carriage door.  “Oren bring a bucket of water.  Good man you have one already.”  The dwarf handed over the bucket of water.  Edgar set it inside the carriage and unlocked the cell doors.  “You two get cleaned up and ready for the day.  Once you are ready go see the Line Driver.  He will assign you to a supply carriage.”

He stepped outside and shut the carriage door behind him.   “I hear you and Tharden have been falling down on your duties.”  Violam heard a violent beating coming from outside his carriage and a wicked smile crossed his face.  “You two will spend your day cleaning the muck out of the carriages.”  Edgar shouted at the pair of dwarves.

Violam cleaned the filth from his body.  He felt better than he had in ages even if it was only a few days, to him it had been an eternity.  He glanced up and saw Sonashi doing the same thing.  Once the grime was cleaned, her light blue hair cascaded down past her slender shoulders.  Scars covered her back and legs but it looked like the offender carefully avoided cutting past her neckline.  He watched her as she turned.  Slim gray scars crisscrossed over her breast and stomach converging towards a point below her sternum.  She was not as small as Violam had once thought as she only stood a few inches shorter than him.

Violam averted his eyes once he met hers.  He felt dirty again for looking at her without permission.  “Sorry” he whispered.  Sonashi continued to wash without acknowledgment of his apology.  

The two put on the clean shifts that had been given to them and exited the carriage for the first time in four days.  The Line Driver was easily located, it was the same Dwarf he had seen directing the road traffic during Otis’s escape attempt.  

The two waited in line for half an hour until they were in front of the dwarf.  “We were told you would assign us to a supply carriage.”  Violam asked the dwarf.  The dwarf ignored them and continued to assign task to the others that were behind them.  

“Hey!  Fat Dwarf! We need our jobs!”  Violam shouted at the Dwarf.  Some of the Linnare who were also being ignored laughed at the dwarf.

The Dwarf’s expression twisted.  “What did you say you shitty little recruit?”  The dwarf kicked mud on to Violam’s clean white shift.

“I said we need our carriage assignment.”

“You and your Linnare trash can go to carriage 42!”  

“Gack!  These ones are not with the human.”

“Are you talking back to me?  Should I have your entire race whipped?”

“No these ones will go.”  Kavdiir spoke up for the group.  He stared at Violam and shook his head.  The Linnare turned as a group and walked away from the Line Driver.   Violam and Sonashi followed the group.  One of the Linnare dropped back to walk next to Violam.  

“It is good to see that you are still living human.”  

“Hello again Caeanos.  How did your date go?”  Violam asked without looking at the Linnare.

“Gack!  She stood me up.  She went with another Linnare, she said his horn is bigger than mine.  This one told her it’s not about size it is about style.  Tell me does my horn not look good?”  Caeanos pointed at the small horn that protruded out from above the Linnare’s left brow.

Violam looked at the horn.  “Hmm maybe that’s not the horn she was referring too.”  Sonashi snorted a silent laugh before returning to her somber appearance.  

“Human, what other horn could she be referring to?”      

Violam glanced towards Sonashi and she casually looked the other direction like she was oblivious to their conversation.  

“Umm.  Probably the horn between your legs.”  Violam hesitated then responded.

“This one does not have one between his legs.”  Caeanos’s carelessly answered.

“Well then there’s your answer.”  A large grin covered Violam’s face.  It felt good to smile once again, for some reason he wasn’t worried about being beaten or what he had gone through for the last few days.  He was just happy to be outside.

Caeanos looked down in confusion but before he could say anything he was interrupted.  “Are all dwarves so hateful?”  Violam asked.

Kavdiir looked back to answer.  “Yes and it is not good that you antagonize them human.  They will make life hard on you.  That is their job.  But I doubt you have a choice because I see that the Neuromancer still follows you around.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Kavdiir slowed to walk next to Violam’s group.  His brow rose as he began to speak.  “You haven’t noticed?  

Violam squinted his eyes as he thought about the Linnare’s question.  “Notice what?”

“You humans are not that bright are you?  Since you have arrived have you not been more reckless?  Do you not feel relaxed and at ease even though you are stuck in the middle of a war camp filled with death and shit?  Did you not even noticed those ones being killed as we spoke together?  Did you not know you have been smiling ever since you left your carriage?”

The smile left Violam’s face at once, he looked around to observe his surroundings.  He finally heard the crack of the whips and the beast being slaughter.  His [Aura Sense] came screaming to the front of his mind but since his time stuck in the forest surrounded by monster he had learned to push this sense back so it would not overwhelm him.   “Oh what the hell is that smell?”

Kavdiir and Caeanos smiled.  “That is you.  Did you think that dwarf just kicked mud on you?”  Caeanos answered.

“Well there is nothing you can do about the Neuromancer.  It is already inside your mind just try to keep your senses.”  Kavdiir picked up his pace to catch up with the group of Linnare.

“Why are you telling me this?  I haven’t done anything to help you.”  

“Caeanos told this one that you would whip all the dwarves for the Linnare.  The Linnare are currently the lowest race in the war camp.  These ones stick close to those who would help us as there are not many in this place.”  Kavdiir did not look back as he caught up with the other Linnare.

“We should pick up our pace to reach carriage 42 before we are whipped to death as well.”  Caeanos also strode forward to catch up to the group of Linnare.

“What do you think of them Sonashi?”  Violam asked the green woman next to him.  Silence was her only response.  “Yes, my thoughts exactly.  We will have to keep a close eye on them before we trust them.”

Sonashi looked at Violam her eyes went wide in surprise.  “What?  You didn’t know my superpower is that I can read minds?”  Sonashi still didn’t respond only frowned at Violam.  He sped up to catch up to the group as well leaving the girl to stare at his back.  

After speaking with Kavdiir, Violam was now more aware of his surroundings.  “I am going to have to keep my mind clear.”  He whispered to himself.  “Though I do wish I could block out the stink and screams once again.”  

The group approached the Dwarf standing outside carriage 42.  “These ones are assigned to carriage 42.”

“Good.  Start loading the supplies into the carriage we will begin moving soon.  You guys picked a good one.  This happens to be the busiest carriage of the lot since it is in the middle of the formation.”

Violam looked at the carriage.  It was more than twice as large as all the other carriages he had seen.  He and Sonashi followed the Linnare to the back of the carriage.  

The Dwarf stepped in front of the pair.  “Where do you think you’re going human?  I heard you caused my friends some trouble.  You and your little friend here are going to be pulling.  Go get in the chains.”  

“No, Edgar said we are on supply duty.”  Violam stated.

“Do you see the Ambassador anywhere?  Besides you are on supply duty.  You have the duty of pulling the supplies.  Now go before I make a eunuch out of you then make you pull the supplies.”  The Dwarf cracked his whip to show that he was serious.

Kavdiir caught Violam’s eye.   He shook his head and mouthed the word “no” as he gestured them to the front of the carriage.  Violam took his advice, he and Sonashi advanced towards the front of the carriage.

On the ground laid two large chains.  Violam fitted his around his waist.  He looked over to Sonashi, she had done the same but the chains made her look tiny by comparison.  One link was as wide as her entire waist.

“Sona, if you need help let me know.”  Sonashi looked like she had just ate something sour.  “If you don’t like your new nickname just speak up.  Three...Two...One.  Looks like you like it.  I will call you Sona from now on.”   Her mouth dropped open, her eyebrow twitched in irritation.  She hadn’t even had a moment to speak before Violam stopped counting.

“Get to work!”  A whip slashed across Violam’s back.  “Start pulling!”   Violam stepped forward until the chains went taut.  He stepped again as Milo had taught him, he felt his connection to the ground and drew that energy through his body to pushed himself forward.  The carriage inched forward as well then began rolling.

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“Monster” Sonashi whispered as she saw Violam pull away.

The dwarf’s mouth gaped open.  He had intended to use a beast to pull first to get the momentum going like they always had in the past.  He made them pull first so he would get the chance to whip them.  The dwarf shook himself out of his shock.  “Get moving girl!  Or do you want to taste my whip!”

After a few steps Violam gain a [Stamina] point.  His Stamina did not drop back to one instead it stayed at two.  One more stamina point made a world of difference to Violam.  He no longer felt weary and his muscles regained their strength.  

Violam gained [Stamina], [Strength] and [Agility] as he pulling the carriage through the day.  He and Sonashi pulled without break, food and water for hours.  During this time Violam slipped into his own thoughts.  He felt the energy he had used to pull the carriage.  It traced it back to the ground her was walking.  It was just a faint trickle of energy his bare feet were pulling from the earth.  He did not know how he did it but he felt there was a separate source of energy or mana in the ground.  He wanted to reach down and harness that power except there was some intangible barrier that stopped him.

Horns blew a signal across the camp.  A flurry of commotion erupted in the marching war camp.  “Keep pulling!  It’s just a bug attack.  Our front lines will soon destroy them.”  The Dwarf shouted and cracked his whip.  Violam looked over to Sonashi, her eyes were almost shut and her face was pale.  

“Girl!  I said keep pulling!”  The Dwarf yelled.

“I don’t think she is going to make it.”  Violam shouted back at the Dwarf.  “She hasn’t eaten anything in a few days.  

The girl stumbled and swayed to the side.  “I said keep pulling!”  The Dwarf’s whip slashed across her back.  Sonashi fell to the side in the mud.  “Get up and Pull!”  He cracked the whip again, this time it landed across Violam’s back who had covered the girl.  “She’s passed out you fool!  She hasn’t had anything to eat or drink in days.”

“You dare talk back to me!  Who said you could stop pulling?”  The Dwarf ran over to kick Violam.  His boot landed on the side of Violam’s head.  Violam’s head did not move an inch, instead he gathered energy from the ground and pushed it through himself as he head butted the boot.  The Dwarf flew away from the boy coming to a rolling stop on the ground.

“I will pull for the both of us.”  Violam said as wrapped a second set of chains around himself.  He stood and lifted the girl up.  

The Dwarf hurried himself to his feet, he looked at Violam with fear in his eyes.  “Good.  Well then I expect you to pull at double speed!”  The Dwarf limped away to the back of the carriage.  Violam moved forward drawing the carriage with him.  

“Don’t worry Sona I got you.”  Violam whispered to the girl in his arms.  Violam pulled the carriage the rest of the day, he never saw the dwarf again until the war camp stopped moving for the day.

“Halt!”  The order echoed down from the front lines.  Violam stopped pulling the carriage and removed the chains from his waist.  

“You two go back to your carriage.”  The Dwarf looked at them with fear and disdain.  After he looked away he began to order a new group to deploy tents and withdraw supplies.

“Come.  These ones will show you where to get food.”  Kavdiir limped towards Violam.  The Linnare looked whipped and beaten.  They were haggard and could barely stand.

“What happened to you guys?”

“Carriage 42 is the most used and important.  It carries weapons for the front lines.  New ones go in and other are sent to the frontlines.  We carried supplies to the front lines for hours without break.  As for the injuries, what did you think would happen when you broke the fat dwarf’s leg?”

Caeanos clasped his hand on Violam on his shoulder before he could apologize.  “Do not worry.  It was pleasant to see him in such pain.  Can you imagine him hobbling on a fat broken leg all day?  It was quite excellent.”  A wicked smile crossed the other Linnare’s faces as they remembered the dwarf crying out in pain as they marched forward.

“Come.  You are still a recruit and cannot be out for long after the march has stopped.”  Violam followed Caeanos and the others to the mess tent.  He was served what looked to be a bowl of brown porridge with several chunks of questionable meats and a small canteen of water.  He had attempted to get a second serving for Sonashi but was unsuccessful.  They would only serve the ones who could eat.  If they were not conscience they got no food.

Violam left the Linnare at the mess tent and went back to his own carriage.  He had committed its location to memory as he had tried to map out the entire war camp in his mind.  The mini map in the lower right of his vision did not show the soldiers, carriages or tents.  It only displayed the terrain and the river that the war camp was approaching.

Violam set Sonashi down in her cell.  It had been cleaned like Edgar said it would.  Violam looked at the unlock door to their carriage and lit the lantern that the dwarves must have left behind.  He then looked back down at the girl.  She was dirty and bruised from the chains and beatings.  He looked at the door one more time.  “There will be other chances to get away.”

Violam sat next to the girl and leaned her up against the wall.  “Sonashi, I need you to drink some water.”  She resisted the water at first but soon she began to gulp it down by instinct.  Her eyes were still shut when Violam pulled the water away.  He grabbed a spoonful of porridge and fed the girl.  This was the first time he could really see her face, he had never noticed her sharp fangs before or the scar that ran across her nose on to her left cheek.

She slowly opened up her eyes.  It took a moment for to register that Violam was sitting next to her.  She panicked and weakly attempted to push the spoon away.

“You need to eat.  Just let me feed you a bit and when you’re strong enough you can do it yourself.”  

She continued to weakly push his hand away.  “Where is yours?”  She whispered.

“Sona, I am touched I didn’t know you cared so deeply about me.”  Violam pushed through her hand and fed her another spoonful.  She rolled her eyes in response.  “Do not worry.  I already ate mine and this is yours.”

“H-How long have I been out?”  She asked.

“A few hours I guess. Get some rest while you can.  I do not know how long until they come for us again.”

Sonashi nodded.  “I think I can feed myself now.”  Violam handed her the food and moved over to his cell.

A few minutes passed before Sona spoke again.  “I was a priestess in my village before they took me.  Well a priestess-in-training.  Their ships landed near my village.  We didn’t...They just...They burned everything, our homes, crops, animals, pets, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters unless you were gifted.  If you had magical powers they put you in a cage on one of their ships.  Like you were livestock or property.”

Sona sat in silence, she looked down at her empty bowl.  The lantern light flickered and danced across the tears that ran down her cheeks.  “There was another that was taken from my village.  She was just a little girl 6 or 7 years of age.  I told her the same things you told me when you first got here.  I told her do not worry we will be okay, just stay strong and I will protect you.  I will save you.  It was all such a lie.  She died just like I am going to, in this rotten cage covered in my own filth.  Violam you cannot save me any more than I could save her.  Thank you for today but I will watch out for myself.”  She put down the empty bowl and rolled to her side with her back facing the boy.

“Well there isn’t much I can tell you then except we will get out of here.  One way or another.  Though I do think we made some progress today.  You spoke more than one word to me and actually used my name.  Maybe tomorrow you will grace me with a smile and the day after that you will speak sweet nothings into my ear.”  Violam faked a yawn and a stretch that his small cell would never allow.

Sonashi snorted a response.   “Not likely.”

“Oh but I can dream.”

The carriage door opened and Tharden stepped into the room, the [Crippler] hung off his belt.  “What do you want dwarf!”  Violam shot to his feet but stay crouched to avoid hitting his head.

“Now that’s the spirit.”  Edgar stepped in after the dwarf.  “So how was your day at work?  My father always said manual labor builds character.”

“Can’t complain.”  The boy responded.

“Is that so?  I heard you caused a disturbance at carriage 42.  Violam I thought we put that all behind us.  You know this is a well-oiled machine.  We cannot have anything breaking on us especially legs.  I know the Dwarves can be a bit rough at times but they are good guys each and every last one of them.  They are good fighters, intelligent and industrious.  So when I hear that you assaulted one of my Supply Masters it makes me VERY UPSET!”  A pressure slammed down on Violam’s mind.  The boy’s eyes rolled up as he fell to his knees.  His body spasmed as his face turned purple and veins bulged in his neck.  

“No you’re killing him!”  Sonashi shouted.  Edgar snarled at the girl before regaining his composer.  He released the pressure, Violam’s body went limp and he fell into the straw.  The boy quickly came back to his senses, he sat up and wiped the blood from his nose.  

“Sorry about that.  I seemed to have lost myself there, pressures of war I guess.  This is what happens when you cause problems.  You make me have to punish you.”  Edgar sighed and took a moment before he continued.  “Now it seems like you have regained much of your energy.  Which is surprising because these little Moochers, as I like to call them, are supposed to last a full 10 days but you need a new one after 4.”  Edgar held up Moocher centipede.  

“Now say ahhhhh.”  The Dwarf rushed in to hold the dazed Violam.  Edgar stared into Violam’s eyes as he forced the bug down his throat.  He didn’t use his pressure on Violam this time.  This time he had wanted to see Violam struggle.  Edgar pushed the boy’s mouth shut.  Violam attempted to push the bug back but it crawled down his throat just the same.  He felt all the strength and stamina he had gained that day being taken from him.

“Good boy.  Now on to Sonashi.” Edgar looked at the girl in the next cage.

“So you were not able to complete your job again.  I was told Violam here carried you all day.  Since I want to encourage that sort of camaraderie here I am not going to send you to the stockades again.  You do remember what happens in the stockades right?”

Sonashi violently nodded her head.

“Good.  I still have to punish you though.  Tomorrow you two will go to the execution grounds before your supply duty.  Hopefully that will remind you what happens to those who do not work.”  Edgar turned to face Violam.  “And to those cowards who dare to desert the Farg Legion.  In fact you two will go every morning until we reach the river.  Okay.”  Edgar brushed his hands on his trousers.  “No training tonight since you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.  Use this time to get some rest.”  Edgar left the carriage locking the carriage door behind him.  

The Dwarf stepped into Violam’s cage.  “You like breaking legs, huh?  How about I break both of yours a hundred times a piece.”  He hefted his one handed hammer up.

“I doubt you can get it up for that long dwarf.”

“You’ll regret that human!”  The dwarf lunged at Violam.

“I’ll kill you!”  Violam’s knee caught the Tharden in the jaw.  The dwarf stumbled against the bars but not before he hammered the side of the boy’s head.  

“No you won’t.  Not after you ate the bug.”  Tharden stood over the boy, his gaze full of hatred.  “I am going to enjoy this.”

The next morning Violam and Sonashi left their carriage before dawn.  “Are you sure it’s this way and why is it so early?”  Violam asked.

“Yes, I am sure.  The execution grounds are always in the same location no matter how many times we move.  Executions are a sort of entertainment for the soldiers and workers.  So the Ambassador wants to make it easily accessible.  As to why it is so early.  I guess nothing beats a good bloodletting in the morning.  Any ways we are almost there.  Don’t do anything stupid, just do as I do.”

“Yes ma’am!”

A dragon’s roar bellowed ahead of them.  “Looks like it has already started but we’re are not too late they are still feeding prisoners to the dragons.”

“Feeding?”  Violam asked incredulously.  

“Yes, that is how the executions start.”  They approached a ring made of wooden stakes just in time to see a land dragon rip a humanoid insect in half.  A few others Insect men had retreated to the back of the ring.

“What are those people?  I have never seen them before and why do they have to fight a land dragon?”  Violam asked as he watched another yellow and black man with slick shiny skin attempt to fight off the land dragon with only a dull spear.

“They call themselves the Grak.  They are the insects that have been attacking us as we move south.  You see their shiny skin?  It’s actually a hard carapace.  It took a while for our armorers to develop weapons that would actually break through it.”  Sonashi yelled over the noise.  

“And the Dragons?”  Violam yelled.

“What about them?  Oh well since they cannot fly we don’t feed them regularly.  I guess our commanders don’t care enough about them so this is the only way they get to eat.  Hurry we need to get in line before the real executions start.”  Sonashi grabbed Violam’s hand and pulled him along the perimeter until they reached a short line of mixed Farg races.

“What are we doing here?”

“The Ambassador sent us here.  Do you think it only wants us to watch?  No, we must also perform.”

Violam did not respond, he did not know how to.  He did not want to execute anyone and definitely not this early in the morning.  He just hoped that he was assigned a dwarf.  

Sonashi was next in line.  She walked out on to the execution grounds.  Her gait was stiff and rigid she looked almost professional.  “She’s had to do this before.” Violam whispered to himself.  Violam looked into her eyes they were glossy and lifeless.  

“Bring out the next line!”  The tall gray Ogrite yelled.  Ten male and female of various races were marched out on the execution grounds.  The Ogrite handed Sonashi a golden knife.  “Begin!”  He yelled.  

Without hesitation Sonashi slashed the first two’s throat.  The third and fourth got messier as she stabbed each of them several times in the chest.  She was not very tall so the green and red blood splashed out across her face.  It drained down onto her white shift.  She didn’t stop.  She smiled as she dispatched the next few by stabbing them through the eye, she wiggled the knife around for good measure.  The last remaining execution was a woman.  Violam couldn’t watch but he heard the screams they lasted for at least 30 minutes.  The Ogrite had to smash the woman’s head just so they could finally move onto the next series of executions.  Sonashi laughed as she was dragged off the execution grounds.  

It took a few minutes to clean up Sonashi’s mess.  “Come on boy you’re up.”  The Ogrite called Violam into the execution grounds.  

“This your first time?”

“Y-yes.”  Violam hesitantly answered.

“Alright.  It doesn’t matter how you kill them as long as you kill them.  You got that!”  He did not wait for Violam’s answer.  “We got a first timer!  Bring out the next line!”  He handed Violam the golden knife.  

Violam felt a gentle thump coming from his chest as he watch the twenty or so prisoners come out.  He recognized a few in the line.  They were Linnare in Kavdiir’s group.  “What have they done?”  Violam asked the Ogrite.

“That is none of your concern.  Just get the job done or you will be joining them.”

Violam stepped in front of the first person in line.  It was a Linnare.  “Please give this one and this one’s brothers a quick death.”  Violam did not say anything.  The gentle thump in his chest picked up its pace.  The point on his chest below his sternum called to him. It cried out for death, it cried out for blood.  The world was dyed red.  The thumping in his chest roared in his ears, its madness consumed him.  He could hear the screams but he could not tell whose screams they were.  He could vaguely tell that he himself was screaming or was he laughing.  It didn’t matter.  What mattered was blood and death and hate.  

[Active Skill:  Bloodrage Learned]

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Thanks for reading.