“Oh great, it speaks.” Argus says from behind me.

“And hears, forlisk!” The gnolls hisses, putting a cruel emphasis on the last foreign word.

I quickly shoot a quick glance to Argus to shut up, and interject before anyone gets too aggravated.

“Fulisk?

What does this mean? Ignoring my butchery of the word.”

“Forlisk.

Human In my tongue.

Your kind are enslavers and liars!”

Though heavily accented with a strange, deep gruff voice, he can still speak our language fairly well.

“Enslavers? Your speaking of the witches are you not? I don’t see how this relates to the rest of my kind.

The witches that enslaved you are outcasts, their actions have nothing to do with us.”

At my words, the gnoll first narrows his eyes and waits a few second before speaking again.

“Bah! My people have stories a great many years old that say otherwise.

They speak of the humans, talking of their greed and lack of honour.

Many blame your kind for what befell our race countless years ago, these new enslavers are just more examples of your kinds evil.

Forlisk actually has two meanings. Our word for human also means betrayer.”

“I don’t know anything about these past stories, but I doubt any of us are responsible for a betrayal that occurred in some passed down legend.”

“History forlisk, no legend.

Now, what is it you want with me? I doubt I still breath just to talk about my people.”

“Is there anything wrong with wanting to learn of other cultures?

However, you’re right. I do actually need you for something.

But first, how about we learn each others names.

I’m Raegan, the mountain besides me is Torben and the one behind me is Argus.”

“Raxka-Otaktay.

People I like call me Rax.

Which doesn’t extend to you.”

I see Torben shift forwards and clench his fist, as if it punch him.

Before he does, I quickly grab his arm, more as a gesture to get him to stop than a actual effort to restrain him. Not that I remotely have the strength to anyway.

“That’s fine.

What I wanted to talk about is the magic used on your people, who the leader of the coven is and how many would be with her.”

“You intend to kill them yes? The one responsible for this… binding, is the female with red hair that flows wild like a fire.

Jahanna is its name.” Rax spits out the witches name with a clear vicious distain, not that I blame him.

“Do you know how this magic works? If I kill this red-haired witch, will the witches control on you break?”

The gnoll waits a moment and spits to the side.

“Bah! Do I look like a shaman to you? How should I know?

The witches give orders, we are forced to follow them. Before we came here and were bound, the shamans of our tribe were told they would be to travel into this land.

Only they were never let through to this place. But I guess now we know why.

Perhaps a witch can help you, but not me.”

“Lets say we do kill the witches, and the control over you and yours breaks, what will your kind do?

Will they still fight our army?”

“I cannot speak for my people forlisk, but I doubt that we would continue to fight in another’s war.

So we’d likely scatter and reform back into a tribe, cursing your people from while regaining our strength.

And then our revenge will be bloody and unforgiving!”

“Whether you hold a grudge or not doesn’t interest me. So long as you stop fighting after the control has broken, what come after isn’t my problem.

But finally, how many witches are in this last room and what kind of defences do they have?”

“They have around- … Argh!”

Midsentence red runes light up along his neck, much more complicated than the few others I’ve seen.

Upon their activation Rax cries out and begins to writhe around in agony. Which continues for around five seconds before the runes abruptly fade away, leaving the gnoll panting on the floor.

“That… Is the last of your questions forlisk. Perhaps if this damnable binding is destroyed I’ll entertain a conversation, but for now fuck off and kill those witches already!”

“And why shouldn’t I kill you now we no longer need you around?”

Raxka-Otaktay glares at me for a second before letting out a low growl.

“Don’t try to scare me human.

From that fight earlier, I believe you have more honour than most of your wretched kind.”

I chuckle slightly and flash a smile.

“And what a fight it was too.”

As I walk out of the room, I nod to Torben, who then throws the gnoll back onto his shoulder before following me back towards the main group.

“I’ll keep you around until the witches are dead so we can have that conversation.

Though I would free you, there are plenty of others who would like quite the opposite.”

“I know forlisk, I can smell their hatred from here.”

We continue and quickly re-join the others who are just about ready to set back off to the directional hub.

Once we get there, some approach us with tedious questions on where we went.

With a quick thumb gesture towards Argus, I deflect all annoying towards him and generally ignore everyone as we set off again.

I make sure to listen out for the sound of rhythmic marching ahead, since we don’t properly know how often they come through here. Well, I could ask some member of the other group, but it’s too difficult to tell the passage of time underground.

On another note, I notice the guy who I pissed off earlier towards the back of the group, alternating menacing stares between myself and the captured gnoll.

I need to arrange this guy’s death, or eventually I’ll find myself with a dagger in the back once no one else is around. It isn’t healthy to keep a grudge after all.

Perhaps I’ll use some of my leftover devil’s thorn to make it easier.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

As we re-enter the previous room filled with scrap and gnoll bodies, I feel a slight trace of magic again.

But I don’t properly know how to sense magic without being directly in contact with it.

With the growing feeling of paranoia, I scan the room again with vigilant eyes and still find nothing.

This would be the point where I shrug it off as nothing and continue on oblivious, however I instead move to Torben’s ear and whisper.

“Brother, I feel we are being watched.

Keep an eye out.”

Torben gives an understanding nod and I begin walking again, nervously darting my eyes past each of the countless hiding places that are in extreme abundance in this littered room.

As we pass the body of our fallen ally, the future dead guy and some of his friends kneel besides his corpse, muttering some words I can’t hear from this distance.

After a few moments, he stands up from his dead friend and shouts at Raxka-Otaktay.

“I’ll be killing you slowly you animal!

Just you wait!”

Rax apparently also found something funny, as he let out a low chuckle which emphasised his deep voice that sounds like he stole it from a hellhound.

Give that poor hellhound its voice back you monster!

We didn’t break our pace and walked towards the exit of the room, leaving behind a red-faced deadman screeching like a banshee.

“Just you wait!!!

You’ll see!!!

I will be your end!!!

Do not take me lightly!!!

I’ll kill thousands of you kind!!!

I’ll kill your mother!!!”

However, just before we reach the door I deftly grab a small jagged piece of metal and quickly conceal it.

After walking for a few more minutes, we arrived back at the gargantuan directional hub.

Those from the other group who had entered here for the first time were astonished by the sight and took it upon themselves to chat amongst each other, only to be quickly hushed by Lt. Hywel.

“Enough y’ fools, listen f’ a moment!”

After a quick pause, the sound of the familiar marching became evident as soon as the group internal chatter died down.

As the newer half of the group began to show panic, ours was already moving back towards the arcade.

By the time we all filtered through the small gap in the giant metal doors, everyone had caught up and the thundering sound was substantially louder.

We wait just beyond the door, mirroring exactly what we did last time, although we do have around double the people this time.

In order to ensure the gnoll doesn’t do something stupid like shout out, Torben lightly holds him by his neck, threatening to snap it at the slightest sound.

In all honesty this doesn’t seem necessary, as it is in his interest for us to kill the witches who control his people, but it doesn’t hurt being cautious.

Like before, the beastmen enter the room and follow the same path as the last group of gnolls disappearing into the tunnel we exited only a minute ago.

Once again, as the gnolls begin the exit the room I peek around the corner.

Although they appear to have the same number as the last, they don’t have a red-marked gnoll leading them.

Instead is a regular looking gnoll, with only a slightly less tattered gear to distinguish them.

As they leave I near Rax to sate my curiosity.

“Say, do your people lack proper armourers and knowledge on equipment maintenance, most of what your people use looks old and degraded.”

“Bah! Our people are constantly fighting for our lives every day, with little resources and food.

Tell me when we have time to polish our weapons and replace the frayed seams in our clothing.

If we had the opportunity to sit around and make high quality weapons, we would have no need for this forlisk bargain that binds us.”

Most of the others hear our conversation and show varying looks of shock at his fluency in our language.

Not that their prior assumption remotely interest me, and so I begin to gesture for everyone to filter back into the large room.

By the time the sounds of marching finally die out, everyone is before the door with the two huge metal figures besides it.

Argus moves to the front of the group and addresses us all.

“Now listen up!

This leads to the last of the witches, including the leader of the coven.

It is important that they are taken out as fast as possible, with any draw out confrontation being sure to result in casualties.

The goal of killing these witches is that it will result in the control of their monster army falling apart and scattering.

Even in the unfortunate event that our army has already broken, this will ensure that our home and families are safe.

For this reason we have kept alive one of the gnolls, who will be left here, so after the witches are dead we can determine if the control over him has truly broken.”

As Argus makes his speech I sit the gnoll against the wall and quickly take out the jagged piece of metal I picked up earlier.

While slipping it stealthily into his hand I lean forward.

“If we meat again you owe me a story of your people Raxka-Otaktay.”

He makes a low grunt, which I interpret as thanks, before quietly responding.

“Human.

Call me Rax.”

We both share a mischievous grin before I turn and re-join Torben a few metres back, who gives me his own knowing smile.

As soon as the door is open, I move onwards from the back of the group alongside my childhood friend.

Ignoring the faint sound of sawing coming from where we left.

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I apologise for how late this  is.

However, I do intend for the next chapter to be a little longer with the upcoming witch battle.

I hope you look forward to it!