Kore waited inside his office with Grum seated on the floor a couple of strides away. At first, the hulking beast had tried the chair, despite Kore’s warning, and predictably crushed it under his weight. The satyr could have asked his assistants to clear up the small stack of timber, but he currently felt in no mood to see others.

Grum stared blankly at the windows, his large, moon-like eyes glazed over and his pale and puckered lips gaped wide open. He was on the smaller side for ogres, reaching only seven-feet if he stood, but that was to be expected given his share of satyr and nymph blood as well. Despite this, he was heavier than other ogres with his ballooned out paunch and beefy limbs. His most notable features were his red squished nose, his lack of hair, and the stump of a horn on the centre of his brow. This pitiable appearance was completed by his work clothes, dusty slacks and brown boots, his upper body bare except for the bright yellow tribal tattoos adorning his shady grey skin.

The ogre had only recently been seen into Kore’s office from the hidden cell when the mayor had received the news that the Avatars were nearing Lyfort. He had briefly contacted and warned them of the encirclement around the settlement, and also requested permission to send out forces who could sweep through the human scouts. Alas, the Avatars had answered no, and so here he sat, continuing to twiddle his thumbs, too nervous to even pour himself a drink.

Bouncing his leg uncontrollably, he took inventory of his office for the umpteenth time and followed Grum’s glassy gaze to the windows. Kore wondered if the ogre too was waiting for the Avatars or whether he was simply admiring the morning’s gleam - probably the latter, Kore supposed, feeling all too envious of his retarded companion. A deafening commotion would break out on the Avatars’ arrival, so it was a pointless task to search for them like this, and yet the satyr struggled to tear his gaze away all the same.

Without warning, the door unlocked from behind him and quick fury simmered up his body as he turned, having already made it clear to his attendants that he and Grum weren’t to be interrupted under any circumstances. However, his fury plunged just as quickly into the pit of his stomach, replaced by respect and fear when he saw the willowy figure standing before the door. He shot up to his feet and bowed so deep that his horns clacked against the table. “Most Blessed Grace.”

Karaes naturally had lush green skin but little of it could be seen under the vibrant blue tattoos covering her figure. The nymph wore a silky, gossamer dress which modestly came down to the ankles but immodestly revealed everything under, translucent in the morning light. In her hands, she held a seven-foot staff with glowing blue running down its length. She too was seven-feet tall, but she was whip-thin and wiry compared to the hulking Grum, who dumbly turned to observe the entrant.

“How about it?” she asked after a moment, her voice high and haughty. “Do you recognise me, K?” Her eyes danced over his figure with clear amusement, fully ignoring the satyr mayor sharing their space.

“Uh, hello, All-dora,” the ogre said, rising from the floor. His mouth continued to hang open as he took in her appearance, his expression dull. “I go now.”

Karaes flashed a wolfish grin and strode forward, setting her free hand on his giant shoulder and giving him pause. “Your exile is over, K. We need a proper Foltrus right now.”

Kore gulped at her words, on the one hand pleased that his bet had worked out but on the other dreading a future with this retarded renegade leading them. Perhaps Ish had been right all along - perhaps he should have killed Grum on first sight instead of exercising mercy to further his ploys. Either way, it was all past his control now; he was too nervous to even raise his head here, let alone advise the mighty Karaes on how she should proceed.

Finally, the nymph regarded him. “You may raise your head, Kore Brightmind. Leave us here and go prepare Lyfort for siege: you’ve certainly got one coming your way.”

“At once, Most Blessed Grace,” Kore replied, hurrying out of his office and leaving them to it. He didn’t even consider eavesdropping, not against the Avatars.

Once he was gone, she turned her attention back to the ogre who was doing his utmost in avoiding her gaze, shuffling awkwardly on his thick legs. “Did you remember to thank him, K? You should know it’s him who saved your life.”

Grum gave a stiff jerk of his head, which could have been perceived as both a nod and shake. His gaze ambled to her smiling face and immediately darted down to her feet again.

“Come now, K, meet my gaze. Am I really so ugly that I disgust you so?”

He gave a clearer response this time, shaking his head while donning a miserable expression. “I should go. It’s not right for me be here with you.”

Karaes laughed and hooked her arms around him, embracing him for several heartbeats before separating again. His grey skin flushed slightly at the motion. “Don’t you worry - didn’t I say your exile is over, K? That was for a different time with different circumstances, but things have dramatically changed since. For one, Auden decided to get himself killed, so now we need you again. Do you reckon you can help?” she asked in a cooing tone as if speaking with a child.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Grum shook his head once more. “I cannot help even if I wanted.”

“Sure you can.” On the office table suddenly appeared a stone box the size of her head. She gestured at it, and it opened to reveal fine blue crystals so bright and ghastly that Grum winced away, the sight burning a hole in his retina. Resting her staff on the table, Karaes grabbed a handful of the crystals and spread her other hand over Grum’s head.

The process began at once, stealing away his breath before he could even scream. Although his strength drained out of his body, he remained affixed to her hand as it drew at his head with a magnetic force strong enough to support his prodigious weight. It tore at his mind, creating rips and rifts which it promptly filled in, adding to his conscience while he mewled helplessly, his eyes rolled back. It was near a minute before she released him, dropping him to the ground with a resonant thud. She herself fell back and leaned against the table, her arms hanging limp beside her thumping chest.

“Dear Tyr, you were right about that, C. It really does do a number on you,” she said, but receiving no response.

A long moment passed, allowing her an almost complete recovery, when the dead body on the ground twitched to life. Grum’s meaty fingers clawed at the floorboards and ripped through as he clenched and unclenched. A low, threatening rumble sounded from his throat as he slowly gained conscience, pulling himself up from the floor with unsteady steps and considering his surroundings with a stormy frown.

“Hey, K,” she said, smiling before he exploded forward and snatched her by the chin, easily lifting her until her legs were kicking beneath her. She maintained her composure, though, as she put her arms around his shoulders for support, aware that otherwise he would pop her head off.

“What did you do, Aldora?” he asked, his voice gruff and tone domineering, nothing like before. His eyes blazed in a predatory glare.

“That was mana essence - purified mana crystals. It’s priceless, but you’re invaluable, so C and I figured it was worth it.” Seeing a lack of response from Grum, she continued. “We’ve discovered many things here that would have been miraculous on Caen, and one of them was that mind repair spell.”

Grunting, he released her at last and looked to an unremarkable corner of the room. “Are you not even going to greet me, Coelus?”

Out appeared a slim figure in a dark mantle. Just like Ish, the figure’s body was covered by shady clothing and a smoky horned mask. “This is why I liked Auden - he treated us with respect, unlike you.” Their voice was soft and chilling like a threat whispered by the wind.

Grum snorted and joined his broad hands together, fingers linking over each other. He stretched out both hands, and they cracked like thunder. “I’ve Krumtor Bloody Godhand - I don’t suck up to others.” His yellow tattoos suddenly darkened until they were as black as wet ink. His aura grew baleful and dreadful as his face set into a menacing grin. “You’ve got more of those crystals, right?”

“And here we had thought you would stop using Themir’s void,” Coelus said, although Aldora undercut his comment with laughter.

“We have enough from all our settlements, so yes, K, you’ll be able to go wild,” she said, picking up her staff again. She seemed to pay no mind to the rough treatment he had just served her.

“Good,” Krumtor said. “So what are we going to do here?”

Aldora answered him without missing a beat. “We’re leaving - Lyfort is lost.”

The ogre imagined grabbing her once more but thought better of it. “I don’t recall you two ever being so hopeless as to give up on a town that’s still standing.”

“Did your stay here make you all soft for Lyfort?” Coelus taunted. “It doesn’t matter either way; we’re giving up because there’s nothing we can do here. We’re no longer on Caen fighting mycelia: we’re on Idroa and it’s humans banging on the door right now.”

Krumtor grunted. “I’ve seen these humans: they’re nothing to worry about.”

At this, Aldora smiled ruefully, and Coelus cackled openly. “You’ve got much to catch up on if you’re going to lead as Foltrus again.” He brandished a shortsword-sized clump of metal from underneath his mantle and pointed it at the wide windows, pulling the trigger. It released a burst of bullets which shattered the glass and blasted their ears.

While Krumtor regarded the damage done, Coelus continued. “This is one of their deadliest but also most commonly used weapons: a gun. There are thousands of humans outside Lyfort right now, and at least a few hundred of them have these guns, so you can imagine what’ll happen here when they begin the siege. Better we get out of here and start preparing you for Dahlia; it’s only right that you personally take vengeance for Auden.”

Turning from the shattered windows, Krumtor exhaled deeply. “Are you saying I can’t take on this Dahlia right now?” He deliberately failed to mention Lyfort, having acknowledged his fellow Avatar’s point about the town.

“Not a chance,” Coelus said, “She would rip your level 20 arse into bite-sized chunks.”

“My level doesn’t matter,” Krumtor grumbled back. “You seem to forget how I powerful I am. Even if she has a gun, it would do little for her the second I get serious.”

But before the two could start arguing again, Aldora interrupted. “Listen, K, there are three human rankers in the area. How about we take you to them and let you play around for a while? That should help you get a feel for Dahlia’s power.”

____

Author’s note: just a quick glossary since I’m sure all the weird names are confusing. Foltrus, Dimas, and Karaes are all positions held by the leading figures of the Order of Tyr with each of them having different roles.

Auden: the Foltrus which Dahlia ate.

Krumtor: the old and new Foltrus

Aldora: the current Karaes

Coelus: the current Dimas

Themir: the fiend which lures people away from Tyr’s light, in the Order’s belief. Anyone under his influence is identifiable by their use of void magic.