Oerbora, Daggerfall,
2:50 p.m. 18 th Banem 1092.
A heavy, tense silence hung over the city, several orcs going about their day with bloodshot red eyes. News of the massacre at Rhatheh had spread far and wide, reaching the ears of even the most reclusive of orcs. The proud tribes, consumed by rage and anger, wished for nothing more than to go out and slaughter every dwarf in sight for revenge. Unfortunately, the chief Grimlock had instead ordered a lockdown until he got to the bottom of what happened.
However, everyone knew the real truth. Grimlock was waiting for either Renark or Dust to return. Neither of their bodies was found among the dead, leading the chief to believe at least one of them was alive. He hoped to hear the news of exactly what transpired in that meeting that managed to catch both orcs off-guard.
Suddenly, a shout pierced through the stillness, its message instantly invigorating the once quiet city. “It’s Ragelock! Ragelock is back!”
Like a great green flood, thousands of orcs immediately dropped whatever they were doing and rushed to the city gates, eager to see the famous chief and hear what he had to say. Did the dwarfs really betray them, or was something else at play here?
The orcs eventually made it to the gate, where they saw a stumbling Renark supported by GrizzlyDiamond, with the other members of Silver Spear around them. Normally, the orcs would have reacted strongly to the presence of these humes, but Renark’s critical condition seized their attention. The poor orc suffered numerous large and small injuries, many of which were life-threatening. He could barely stand, only managing to walk as a result of GrizzlyDiamond’s support.
Seeing Renark’s state, the orcs could not help but exclaim in shock, “Vengeful Sutr. What happened to you!?”
Renark violently coughed, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood in the process. The orc weakly raised his eyes to look at the person who spoke and then begged, “Grimlock. I need to see Grimlock. Quick!”
The orc rapidly nodded as he processed his shock and then turned around to find the great chief.
Meanwhile, the other orcs quickly crowded around Ragelock, each one with a thousand questions. What had happened? Where had he been? Who were the people with him? A thousand questions for a single orc who looked to be on the verge of death. Luckily, a smart orc realized the severity of the situation and pushed the rest of his brethren backward, creating space for Renark to breathe.
“Th-thank you,” Renark huffed between heavy pants and then asked once more, “Where’s Grimlock?”
“I am here, Ragelock,” Grimlock called out as the crowd parted, forming a path to the injured orc. Grimlock walked up to Renark, eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced at Brilith and her party. However, moments later, he looked at Renark with sadness in his eyes, “So. It really is you.” The orc sighed and then asked, “And Durst?”
Renark shook his head. “We got separated at Adder’s Pass.” He took a deep breath to stabilize his breath and then continued, “He drew our pursuers onto himself, so I could escape.”
“Sounds like something he would do,” lamented Grimlock with a sigh. “I can only pray he is not dead. But if he hasn’t returned for this long, then he most likely is.” Grimlock sighed once again as he took out a potion and fed it to Renark. “Here, this should help clear out the foreign ki in your bloodstream.”
“Thank you,” Renark said as he felt the foreign ki invading his body slowly being expelled outward, which then allowed his regeneration to finally kick in. The orc let out a relieved chuckle as he felt strength returning to his body. When he was strong enough, he removed his hand from GrizzlyDiamond’s neck. He then slowly regained his balance as his leg muscles healed at a visible rate.
“Good. It’s working,” Grimlock remarked as he observed Renark’s rapidly healing injuries. “Now tell me everything. Who ambushed you? How did they do it? and why did they do it?”
Renark nodded, knowing that Grimlock was not a very patient orc. “It was the dwarfs. They set up an ambush at the town. I don’t know how they even knew we were going to be there.”
“Dwarfs!” “I knew it!” “Those Bastards!” “Kill them all!” “Kill them all!”
Grimlock raised his hand, quieting the protest before it began. With a frown, he asked, “Dwarfs? Those cowards bested both you and Durst?”
“The dwarfs weren’t the problem,” Renark explained. “They had help from a powerful guild. I have never met Summoned that strong before. We were on the defensive before we even knew what had happened.”
“These Summoned. What are they called?”
“The Hopeful Maggots,” Renark answered with a hardened gaze. “They’re planning on world domination, and it seems we were next on their list. They must have allied with the dwarfs to gain full control of Daggerfall.”
“Hopeful Maggots?” Grimlock repeated with a frown. “I have heard that name somewhere.” The chief scratched his head, but then failing to recall, he just said, “Ah, it doesn’t matter. We’ll go on lockdown right now. We have enemies to our front and back. We cannot afford to engage in any prolonged battles right now.
“What? No!” Renark shouted in rage. “My people are dead! Hundreds of orcs, men, women, and children, all slaughtered. And you want us to turtle even further!? No! I say we take the fight to the dwarfs! Let’s see how much they like it when it’s their homes being burned to the ground.”
“YEAAAH!”
The earth trembled as the surrounding orcs shouted in unison, each one excited at the prospect of enacting vengeance on the wily dwarfs.
“I said no,” Grimlock affirmed with stern eyes. “We don’t know everything yet. There are still many pieces missing. Until we have a clear picture of the board, we shouldn’t react by instincts alone, or we’ll all get killed.”
“Nonsense!” Renark roared in rage, bloodshot eyes revealing his deep-rooted anger. “You cannot let the dwarfs get away with this! We must strike now and strike hard! I refuse to wait around for another town to get burned to the ground. If you won’t help, then I will go on my own!”
BOOM!
Renark stumbled, eyes wide as Grimlock’s aura swept through the surroundings, knocking over several orcs like dominoes. The chieftain glared at Renark as he gave a snarled warning, “I understand you are angry but do not ever question my decision again!”
Renark snorted, eyes narrowing as he roared, “This post has made you senile, old man. Since you choose to stop me, then I’ll take your place!” The orc raised his war ax and then tossed it on the ground in front of Grimlock. With a savage glare, he challenged, “Pick it up, Grimlock. I challenge you to Uruk-Thai !”
The road went silent as the orcs processed what just transpired. Moments later, however, they erupted in loud shouts of joy, “ Uruk-Thai, Uruk-Thai, Uruk-Thai! ”
Amidst the chanting and swearing, Renark glared at Grimlock, a grim smile on his face as he challenged, “Surely you won’t turtle away from this too?”
Grimlock looked at the ax, then at Renark, and finally at Brilith and her companions. He seemed to have reached a conclusion as his gaze hardened, a sinister glint in his eyes. “You have gone down the wrong path,” Grimlock warned as he bent over and picked up the ax. “I will set it right.”
Crack!
The orcs once again went silent as they watched Grimlock snap Renark’s ax handle in two. This singular act had changed the nature of the Uruk-thai . It was no longer a battle to find who was stronger but a true deathmatch. Evidently, Renark’s challenge had greatly infuriated Grimlock.
Once again, the orcs erupted in a series of loud cheers, disbelief written all over their faces. To think that they would get to see not just an Uruk-thai, but a true deathmatch between two of the strongest orcs. They could not wait!
Renark looked at Grimlock, eyes grim as he picked up the broken pieces of the ax. “What time?”
“Sunrise tomorrow,” Grimlock stated and then turned his back to the orc. “Be ready.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Renark snorted as he, too, turned away.
The crowd cleared a path as both orcs went their separate ways. They could not wait. The next day was bound to be an unforgettable one.
A couple minutes later, within a building in the Elven district, Renark let out a sigh as he looked out of a window, his eyes heavy with hints of regret and self-doubt. “Am I really doing the right thing here?”
“Now is not the time to doubt yourself,” chided Brilith Loneheart as she walked up to and then stood next to the orc. Gazing out the window, she said, “You might not realize it, but your actions have saved the lives of your brethren.” A sadistic smile played across her cold lips as he stated, “If you had not taken my hand, this city would only be a pile of rubble by now. You are one of the few people who have seen my true power. You know I could do it if I wanted.”
Renark clamped his hand over his mouth, “My men. All of them. Massacred. This was not supposed to happen!”
“We also lost a lot of good soldiers in that massacre,” Brilith stated with a regretful sigh. “I did not expect an ambush in that situation.” Her gaze grew sinister as she snarled, “We will find this woman of the Chaos Order and drive a sword through her throat. Until then, you must keep your head on the mission at hand.”
Renark clenched his fists. Blood dripped down his palm as his nails dug into his flesh. “Why did you have me name the Hopeful Maggots? What part do they play in this?”
“That is more a precaution than anything else,” Brilith admitted. “Our spies in Serisis reported that the Hopeful Maggots have made multiple contacts with Serisis’ royalty. Durst and the dwarf might come into contact with them while there. This way, we can paint Durst as the villain if the need ever arises.” Brilith smiled as she added, “Never forget that the most important part of a lie is its foundations. You need to set preparations to back up your lie well in advance of actually telling it. That way, you might even deceive yourself that it is the truth, not to speak of whomever you are lying to.”
Renark’s eyes glazed over as he looked at Brilith. “You are a deceitful, spiteful woman.”
“Why, thank you,” responded Brilith with a cold smile that sent chills up Renark’s spine. “I try my hardest.” With those words, Brilith turned around and made her way out of the room. “Tomorrow,” the wisben called as she paused at the door. Without looking over her shoulder, she questioned, “You are confident in your victory, correct?”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Renark clenched his fists but then nodded and said, “Yes. Yes, I am.”
“Good to know,” Brilith said as she disappeared into the corridor, her parting words filling the orc with untold dread. “It would be preferable if I do not have to interfere.”
Renark glared at the door, remaining silent until he was sure Brilith had gone out of earshot. Only then did he turn back to the window, blazing eyes gazing out into the streets below. The orc let out a sigh as he muttered to no one in particular, “Forgive me, Durst. This is the only way to save our people.” The orc gripped his fists and then said with firmed resolve. “Whatever it takes…”
Forever Sea,
3:50 p.m. 20 th Banem 1092.
Somewhere in the Forever Sea between Rosendun and Serisis, a group of fishermen on a fishing trip stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the most absurd thing they had ever seen in their lives.
A stallion, mounted by a foolishly grinning daeben, charged across the ocean, leaving massive waves and lightning storms in its wake.
Senehal Port, Serisis.
6:30 p.m. 18 th Banem 1092.
The sun hung low over Senehal’s port, washing the area in its beautiful red light. As a result of Serisis’ new partnership with Rosendun, the once empty ports were always busy. Hundreds of workers walked back and forth, offloading or loading ships moored to the port. Most of these ships contained fresh food products from Rosendun stored in cool ice-boxes. In return, Serisis sent back resources like wolfram and asphalt. The latter of which was used in the construction of new roads in Rosendun.
The Serian workers sported bright smiles on their faces as they went about their daily businesses. Never had the entire country been filled with so much hope and anticipation towards the future. Every new day brought with them a chance to grow, and they could not wait to see the latest changes promised by the Royal Family.
On this particular day, a raku (raccoon beast-man) and a lycan dressed in a loose shirt and pants were in the process of carrying a crate off a ship when the lycan suddenly dropped his end of the crate. The raku barely had time to jump out of the way as the crate crashed to the ground, narrowly missing his toes. Luckily, the crate only contained food items, so there was no danger of breaking anything. Still, the raku was considerably shaken and upset.
“What gives man!” The young raku pulled off a pair of headphones and then shouted at his friend, “That could’ve really hurt me!” To his ire, the lycan did not respond but instead pointed at the distance with shaky hands. Angered by his friend’s silence, the raku complained as he turned around, “What are you looking a—Merciful Aerith!” The raku exclaimed in shock at the sight of a massive bolt of lightning rushing towards the port.
Initially, it was so far away that it seemed like a speck. But it rapidly grew within a few seconds, indicating it was traveling at an incredible speed.
The raku’s eyes went wide with fear. He instantly turned back and took off, calling to his friend as he sped past, “Run! You Fool!”
The raku’s shout shocked the lycan out of his stupor. Shaking his head, he chased after his friend while shouting at the top of his lungs, “Enemy Attack! Enemy Attack! Call the soldiers!”
By this time, numerous sailors had noticed the anomaly on the sea. Chaos ensued as the superstitious men and women tumbled over themselves to get as far away from the docks as possible while screaming for the soldiers’ help.
Luckily, although Serisis did not have a naval force, they did have a garrison stationed at the port for the unlikely event of a sea invasion. The understaffed garrison, barely containing over a hundred soldiers, were shocked when they heard the cries coming from the docks.
However, being shocked was one thing; serving the country was another. Despite never expecting such an attack, the Serian soldiers quickly grabbed their weapons, mounted their raptors, and quickly sped to the docks. By the time they got to the docks, it was completely devoid of hume life. The Serians had retreated a good distance away, but not too far that they could not spectate the harbor. Curiosity won over survival instincts.
The Serian soldiers frowned as the approaching lightning bolt showed no signs of stopping. The captain, a grey lycan, frowned as he stepped forward with his tower shield. Even among beastmen, his sight was much better than most. He could barely make out the form of a man riding some type of beast amidst the lightning.
The captain, hoping his hunch was correct, walked to the edge of the docks and projected his voice for miles outward. “STOP! You are entering the Sovereign space of Serisis! Any further movement will be seen as and treated as hostile!” The captain paused, releasing a sigh of relief as the lightning bolt visibly slowed down, then came to a stop a few dozen meters from the docks.
The lightning dissipated, revealing a smiling daeben sat atop a magnificent beast that resembled a cross between a horse and a dragon. Kashi raised his hands to convey the idea he was not a threat and then shouted, “My name is Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots. I am here with King Parissius of Rosendun and King Xafier of Merriheim for an important meeting with Serisis’ king. I apologize if my appearance has caused the locals any discomfort.”
The captain frowned as he examined the daeben. Kashi of the Hopeful Maggots. He had indeed received a missive from the royal court to expect a visit from a daeben by that name. However, Kashi was supposed to be accompanied by a massive entourage. This man was by himself. “You say you are with the kings, but I do not see them!”
“It’s complicated,” Kashi explained with an embarrassed smile. “If you permit me to come ashore, they will be with us in moments.”
The captain hesitated but then looked over at his second in command, a Masonian mage in her forties. “Are you locked on?”
“Yes,” confirmed the vice-captain. “We can seal him if he tries anything funny.”
The captain nodded and then turned back to the supposed Kashi. Waving his hands, he called, “Come over slowly. We will attack if you make any sudden movements.”
Drixlia snorted, incensed by the captain’s rude remarks, but Kashi patted the kirin’s neck as he soothed, “It’s fine, Drix. We’re not looking to start a fight here.” With those words, he spurred Drix into a light jog.
Drixlia jogged over the ocean, the sight causing the captain to frown as he realized Drixlia was not treading water but ‘flying’ above it. The captain understood then that if Kashi wanted, he could probably fly over them altogether. As a result, although he did not lower his guard, the hostility in his eyes decreased by a small degree.
Kashi eventually made it to the end of the pier where the captain and vice-captain stood, smiling as Drixlia mounted the wooden walkway. The daeben slowly dismounted the proud kirin and then approached the captain with raised arms. At the captain’s behest, Kashi stopped roughly three meters away.
The daeben smiled as he said, “Just a moment. The rest will be joining us shortly.” With those words, the daeben slowly lowered his right hand. “Please, do not attack. I am opening a portal to the dignitaries.”
The captain gripped his sword, eyes narrow as he watched a portal appear in front of the daeben. However, despite his unease, he trusted in his training and chose not to attack first. Luckily, his decision was proven right moments later as King Parissius, King Xafier, their ministers, and the Hopeful Maggots walked out of the portal.
The captain, upon seeing the massive crowd exit the portal, gaped in shock. His eyes shone as he recognized someone amongst the group. “Ms. Lightwood!” greeted the captain with a loud shout and a salute. “It is an honor to see you once again!” He had been present on the day of Leila’s visit and bore witness to the gifts she brought with her. Both in his minds and the minds of several commoners, she was a symbol of prosperity and growth. If she weren’t a Summoned, they might have begun to worship her in secret.
While the captain greeted Leila, his vice-captain exclaimed in shock, “Lunette! It’s actually Lunette Falsetto!” Many soldiers behind craned their necks upon hearing the songstress’s name. The songstress had become a big hit in Serisis ever since the Maggots started trading with the country.
Numerous batches of the headphones with sound crystals containing Lunette’s songs had been sold to the Serians. It was a common sight to see countless young folks working with headphones on, singing or bobbing their heads in tune to the idol’s tracks.
“Uh, guys,” Syèl called, waving his hands with an amused grin. Upon catching the soldiers’ attention, he pointed at the bemused kings and then said, “Actual kings here? Aren’t you forgetting the order?”
“Oh! Sweet Mera!” exclaimed the captain as he realized his massive error. “Please forgive me!” The captain rapidly apologized with a salute. “King Parissius Vermillion the Second, and King Anton Xafier, the Royal Family of Serisis, cordially welcomes you to our nation.” Taking a breath, he added, “I apologize for the lack of reception. We did not know you were coming today.”
King Parissius laughed as he shook his head and waved, “It is of no concern.” Glancing at Kashi, he added with an astonished smile, “Neither did we, to be honest.” Crossing the ocean in just under three hours was an astonishing feat. This was a journey that would usually take a few days by boat!
“Haha, Even I know how famous the Maggots are,” joked King Xafier in a bid to relax the captain’s frayed nerves. “It was an honest mistake.”
The captain released a sigh of relief, thankful for the humility shown by both kings. There were many nobles out there who would have had his head for less. The captain took a moment to regain his composure and then gestured toward the garrison in the distance. “If you would please follow me, I have some carriages that can transport you all to Redmont Manor. I am certain the king will be overjoyed to see you.”
“Please, lead the way,” King Parissius gestured with a smile, and then walked abreast with the captain and King Xafier, discussing the latest news in Serisis.
Kashi initially planned to blend into the crowd following the kings, but Lunette and Leila had other plans. Both women dropped back as the kings advanced, so they were in line with Kashi. The daeben mock-glared at the women as he protested, “Hey! I’m trying to keep a low profile here.”
Indeed, the Serians’ eyes were drawn to both women, cheering and shouting their names as they walked past. Of course, this also brought their attention to the daeben walking between them. Unfortunately for Kashi, he was dressed in a simple, black sleeveless shirt and leather pants. The shirt was actually crafted from a manticore’s hide and enchanted with many powerful runes, but looking from afar, it only seemed to be a regular, cheap piece of clothing with no stand out features.
As a result, there were numerous disparaging comments, claiming the daeben was a toad trying to eat a swan and that he did not deserve to walk amongst the goddesses. Kashi, whose hearing was too good for his own liking, could hear every last word of these comments and could not help but glance ruefully at both Leila and Lunette.
However, Leila pretended not to see Kashi’s glare while Lunette wrapped her arms around his right hand and leaned into him. The crowd’s reaction was instant. Many young fans coughed blood as they saw their idol tainted by this abominable man. If it were not for the soldiers blocking the path, they might have run up to challenge Kashi to a duel.
This was to be expected. The captain had cleared the docks before engaging Kashi, so only a few Serians knew that it was the daeben that had come riding atop Drixlia. A notion further emphasized by the fact that Drixlia was currently walking next to the more visually-impressive and striking Absalon.
Kashi, feeling the intense glares and death wishes being sent his way, looked at Lunette and could not help but ask, “What are you doing? Your fans are getting pissed?”
Lunette looked up at the daeben, the anger in her beautiful blue eyes stunning him into speechlessness. “How dare they say you’re not worthy?” Lunette huffed, cheeks turning red. “I don’t need fans like that.”
“Uh…” Kashi scratched his cheeks, unsure of how to respond. “I don’t particularly mind, to be honest.”
“Well, I do,” Lunette complained with the cutest pout. “Hmph. When they realize how awesome you are, they’ll start throwing themselves all over you.”
Kashi pictured an image of rabid fans foaming at the mouth as they rushed towards him. The daeben shivered as he shook his head. “No, thank you.”
Lunette, guessing what went through the daeben’s head, chuckled as she squeezed his hand.
Meanwhile, behind them, Syèl turned to Shokō, who had a strange, listless expression on her face. “What’s wrong? You’ve been off for a while now.”
“Nothing. It’s nothing,” Shokō replied with a shake of her head.
Syèl’s brow raised as he bent over to examine the swordswoman’s face. “You do not look fine. Whatever it is, you can tell me.” As if realizing what he just said, the halben quickly added with a shrug, “Or not. Your choice.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t keep this to myself.” Shokō let out a weak smile and then turned to Syèl. “I have something to tell you. I—”
“We’re here!” announced the captain as they turned a corner, drawing everyone’s attention to the massive gates at the end of the road, beyond which was a small castle-like structure. Several freshly cleaned carriages were lined up in front of the walls, awaiting the entourage.
Syèl took one look at the carriages and then turned to Shokō, “You were saying?”
Shokō, however, shook her head. “It can wait. I’ll tell you after this is over.”
Syèl raised a brow but did not pursue the matter further. Since she said she would tell him, she would. All he had to do was wait. As luck would have it, he had far too much experience with waiting…