The Wastelands of Zalamar, a fixed gathering point that the Horde has been using since Zalamar served Hyperion, twelve generations ago. There is no vegetation, no animals, no rivers or any water, there is nothing but onis because we are the only ones in all of creation capable of living on the land that Hyperion has claimed as his own. "These are my domains!" A barren land as far as the eye can see and beyond, where the onis bring all our trophies from the eastern lands, and where no one, under the command of the eleven remaining titans, dares to disturb us for reasons that are more than obvious.
"Home, sweet home!" I think aloud, filled with joy at having finally arrived. All my warriors roar with happiness, and all our new slaves tremble in terror, knowing that their particular hell will begin soon. Or well, those who have survived the journey and the affectionate greetings of my warriors. I don't know what I'm going to do with them; they are a bunch of brutes~
"It seems Hyperion is not here," my little brother says, clearly disappointed.
"He'll come soon, I'm sure of it. I can feel it in my mark," I say excitedly. "He's going to be so pleased with everything we have to tell him."
"Yes, I can already imagine," my brother says sarcastically, of course.
"Don't be a grouch, man. Come on, let's put the slaves in the dungeon, and then we can relax. We'll drink until we're full, and if you want, I can find you a woman for later."
"I'm fine, thanks," my brother says, furrowing his brow.
"Oh, come on. You haven't touched a slave during the whole journey."
"Don't start with that again, Rathari."
"You and I are only two years apart, and look at my children, they're already Horde warriors. And you, nothing. I'm not saying you have to settle down with one for life; find one who agrees to give you children just for you, and that's it. That's what I did."
"With just keeping an eye on you to make sure you don't get into any mischief, I have enough to do. I don't need more kids to look after," my little brother says, loosening the reins and moving ahead.
I know I should say something, but it amuses me.
"So, what are you going to do?" I ask him when I catch up.
"To start with, accompany you to the dungeon and see how things are going there."
"That does interest you, huh?"
"Unlike whether I have offspring or not, what happens down there could lead the titans to revolt against Hyperion, so yes, it interests me."
"Between that and the alliance forming in the east, we're not going to be bored at all, huh?" I say, genuinely excited, but he keeps looking at me as if I'm an idiot. I don't like it when he looks at me like that, but he's so cute that I allow it.
"Don't pout, Blurko. We're onis; it's our thing."
"Yeah, I know. Hyperion of Chaos and us, the Sons of Chaos. Tasked with following his will, spreading chaos like fire itself. Seen in that light, it's clear that we're doing damn well."
"Isn't it?" I say, happy to see that he finally understands. "These alliances that humans and elves are forming demonstrate perfectly how well we are serving Hyperion. I'm sure he will be very proud of us."
"I have no doubt about that."
"So, cheer up. We're fulfilling his desires perfectly, and in about a year, according to you, a real mess will begin. It's a good time to be an oni."
"I know. I'm just... nervous, that's all. You know I don't like speaking in public, especially not to Hyperion himself."
"If I tell him everything, I'm sure I'll miss a lot of details. You're the smarter one of the two, so handle it. It's an order from your boss," I say jokingly but completely serious.
"I'll do it, boss."
I don't like it when he calls me that. The joke backfired on me.
Moving with all the slaves we've been gathering for months slows us down significantly, but it's what we have to do. By the time we reach the Wastelands of Zalamar, it's already night, although we appreciate the cooler temperatures. Even for onis, the average temperature in this place is suffocating.
Our slaves won't live for long, but as long as they serve their purpose, I don't care.
The camp is located next to a massive cliff. In the lower part of it is the dungeon where all these slaves will go. The camp, as one would expect from onis, is complete chaos. Everyone sets up their tents wherever they please, with roofs made of fabrics connecting all the tents to provide shade everywhere during the day, except in the areas where there are bonfires for especially cold nights.
It's a climate of radically opposed extremes, with scorching days and freezing nights, although it depends on the time of year or whether Hyperion is around or not. And well, the race also matters: what we find freezing, humans don't mind, and what we consider pleasant warmth, is deadly for them.
But in the dungeons, there isn't as much temperature change, so they might live longer, although it won't be the case.
Upon arriving at the camp, all the onis welcome us and show me their respect. Some, as always, want to touch Hyperion's mark, and I allow it. It's a great honor for me that I must share with my people. When we finish and have a few drinks, my brother and I take the slaves to the dungeon.
To do so, we have to go down tunnels we dug ourselves near the edge, which takes a while, but I've always enjoyed being underground, and I think my brother does too.
As we descend, the screams of the slaves who already reside in the dungeon become louder and clearer. To me, they are like a lullaby, but not so much for the slaves we've brought. Look at them, how they pale and try to break free from the chains and my warriors. As if they had any strength left after the journey.
If they knew what truly awaits them down there... There are moments when I almost feel sorry for them, so it's better not to inform them.
At the entrance to the dungeon, Karazo awaits us, a sadistic and fat as a giant pig. He greets us with a wide smile as he wipes his hands with a dirty rag.
"Every time I see you, you're getting fatter," I say jokingly, and he laughs without reservation.
"The good life to which you condemned me, boss. How did the hunt go?"
"Moderately well, but the next one will be infinitely better. We've located more than one large human city, and the elves and Alfars are in the mix, so there will be variety too."
"Great! There are only a few left here, so those you bring are as welcome as rain in these parts."
"Any progress?"
"Some, I won't deny it. The cicerones are still working diligently, I must admit, but of course, reaching the level of manipulating souls like Japeto himself is no small feat."
"Hades can do it too, so it's not something exclusive to the titan."
"Don't take it the wrong way, boss, but Hades is a god. We and the spirit guides are not."
"The last time I was here, you told me that Hyperion's request was possible; have you changed your mind?"
"I didn't say that. The fact that he and Hades can do it shows that, in terms of capability, it can be done. However, we need more time. The cicerones can manipulate souls to a certain extent, and our blues are getting better at mimicking their control of darkness, to resemble the cicerones... Well, don't confuse me. We can do it, but we need time."
"How much?"
"No idea. A month? A year? Ten generations?"
"That's unacceptable," I say angrily to him.
"You're asking us to manipulate the cycle of transmigration, boss. It seems so obvious to me that it's a damn difficult thing, I don't even know how to explain why it's not something we can master overnight."
"I'm not asking you to know how to manipulate it, but to know how to disrupt it."
"It's the same thing, boss."
"No, it's not!"
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"Yes, it is, Rathari," my little brother tells me with a serious expression. "You know that time means nothing to Hyperion, so don't worry about angering him. And I would say that even he doesn't know if this is possible."
"Do you doubt our lord, Blurko?" I ask angrily.
"Life is a wide range of grays, Rathari; there's nothing black or white. Hyperion's words are not absolute."
"Watch your tongue!" I shout at my little brother, grabbing his tunic, worried he might offend our lord and bring about punishment. "Our lord is absolute and wants us to do this for him, and we will!"
"We will, but it will take time. We've only been at this for a few years, and as Karazo said, this is a task that might take generations for our people. Be patient and don't consider it a personal failure if we don't complete this task in our generation."
I understand he wants to encourage me, but...
"He asked it of me, Blurko; I must be the one to deliver it."
"Because he asked you, or because you want it to be done before our time runs out?" my brother asks with a furrowed brow.
You're quite clever, little brother.
While I think of a response, I can feel my lord through my mark.
"Hyperion is coming this way," I say, interrupting the conversation. "Let's go; we must meet with him. Keep working, Karazo, and stop eating them all. Those who are not fit are for the horde, not for you!"
My brother and I leave the dungeon and make our way to the surface. We grab a pair of giant horses and ride hastily to the Seat, the place inside the precipice that Hyperion uses as his seat. When we reach the ledge where the servants speak with him, we can see him in the distance, walking toward us.
He's like an immense, burning mountain that walks. The largest even among the titans, Hyperion of Fire. His bulk resembles that of an oni, though his face looks more human, with short hair ablaze like burning grass and a suit of incandescent black rock armor that covers him up to his neck. His eyes are like the very sun in the sky, so piercing that it's impossible to look away from them.
Hyperion crosses the plain at the base of the precipice to reach us, turns, and sits, leaning his back against the wall. Then he turns his head and smiles at us.
"It comforts me to see that you have returned safe and sound, Rathari," Hyperion tells me, settling into his seat. "Although it seems you haven't brought too many this time."
"I beg your pardon, my lord," I say quickly, frightened. "It's true that the number of slaves this time is not very high, but we have located several densely populated cities. The next hunting party will be considerably more productive."
"Oh, I'm glad to hear that. And how are the experiments going?"
"Still without remarkable achievements, I'm afraid. It's an exceedingly complex and unprecedented task, my lord... It might take generations for our people to find the method you asked for."
"Do you worry that would upset me, Rathari?" Hyperion asks, laughing. "I wasn't entirely sure how I felt through the mark, but now I understand. I take for granted that this might take millennia, so don't stress over it."
"Yes, my lord," I say, partly relieved, partly hurt that he takes it for granted that I won't succeed.
"Oh, come on," Hyperion says. "Don't get down about it. I have full confidence in your ability, Rathari; that's why I gave you my mark, and thanks to it, I know you will do everything within your power. But it's quite clear that you have your limitations. And I don't want to be a hypocrite and blame you for not being able to do something I myself am incapable of. So don't worry."
This sounds like the conversation I had with my little brother earlier; maybe he was trying to tell me the same thing.
"But come on," says Hyperion. "I know you want to tell me something more, Rathari. Speak."
"If you don't mind, I'd rather pass the word to my brother, Blurko. He can explain the situation better to you."
"Of course. Go ahead, Blurko. You have my permission to speak."
My brother takes a few seconds to gather the courage to speak, but he finally does.
"The balance is breaking in the east, my lord," my brother says, and I can feel the curiosity awakened in our lord's heart.
"Explain," Hyperion orders him.
"From the information we've gathered in the raided territories, we've discovered that Cronus's servant and Themis's servants have allied to fight against us. They are tempting us to attack the realms Rathari mentioned a few seconds ago. This is only a theory so far, but we believe they want to ally with other clans, like the White Wings and the Black Wings. It seems they want to start a large-scale war with our people. Not one like those that have occurred before, to force us to retreat to our territory, but to exterminate us."
"Are you serious?" Hyperion asks, and I can feel how pleased he is, as much as I was when my brother explained it to me. "Give me more details."
"They've established villages and towns near the borders to lure us into invading them, leaving just enough information to make us move deeper into their territory until we reach Bastiagron. According to the information we've extracted from our slaves, they are preparing for a large-scale invasion by our part there, and their neighboring realms are also prepared to attack us from the flanks and cut off our retreat. Bastiagron is the bait they expect us to take, where they want to exterminate our warriors through sheer numerical superiority, and then assault your domains and wipe us out completely. The latter requires a much larger alliance than they seem to have now, but if they manage to form it in the coming years by allying with the different clans surrounding us, they might create a large enough army to annihilate us."
"Fascinating. And what do you think, Blurko? Do you believe it's possible?"
"All these clans have reasons to fear and hate us, although a traditional alliance on that scale doesn't seem possible to me. If they manage to hurt us in Bastiagron, I wouldn't rule out the others wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to crush us."
"Even within these lifeless lands?"
"Without a doubt, even in the best case for them, they'll lose a considerable number of lives. But looking to a future where we won't be there to attack them, I think they'd be willing to accept those losses. And speaking frankly, we are the strongest, but we can't defeat such a numerous enemy."
"That would be truly chaotic," says Hyperion, excited. For a moment, I'm bothered that he seems to care very little about the fact that this could mean the end for us, his children, and he seems to sense it, so he stops smiling.
I'm ashamed immediately for having that thought. What right do I have to reproach him for anything? I got excited about this idea too. And I think I understand now why Blurko got mad at me. Just as I'm bothered that Hyperion values chaos more than his children, I, as a leader, put the joy of battle before the survival of my people.
"My lord, if you'll allow me," I tell Hyperion, "my brother Blurko hasn't finished speaking."
His gaze returns to my brother, and he continues to speak.
"This is just a theory on my part, my lord; I have no evidence to support it, but I think it's possible that this sudden alliance is orchestrated by Cronus and Themis."
"We titans agreed to limit our intervention on you to certain agreed-upon minimums. This would be a violation of our own laws. Why do you think they would do that?" Hyperion asks, appearing offended.
"Because we broke those laws first, my lord," my brother says. "What we're doing here with your children violates the most basic laws that have governed us since the beginning of time. Doesn't it make sense for their children to rise against us in retaliation for what we're doing by using them?"
"That's assuming they know what we're doing," Hyperion says, contemplating my brother's words.
"Don't you think that, in part, the invasion they are preparing for our lands is to check if this place exists?" Blurko asks, surprising even me.
I can feel the consternation in my lord, but all he does is laugh heartily.
"Your logic is irrefutable, Blurko. You've done well to keep him by your side, Rathari."
"Thank you, my lord!" I say, filled with pride and surprised by the sudden praise.
"My brother, Cronus, has called a meeting in a few days. What do you think that means, Blurko?"
My brother seems perplexed and falls silent, his eyes fixed on the ground, thinking rapidly. My lord seems to understand this, and he waits patiently for a response.
"With the information we have, there can be three cases," my brother finally says, and our lord listens with curiosity. "The first is that they have nothing to do with the acts of humans, elves, and alfars and want to prevent this conflict from degenerating before it even begins. Second, they know what's happening here and want to end it by talking to you or by being hostile to you."
"Hostile?" Hyperion asks, surprised.
"If they ask you nicely to abandon this project, will you?" my brother asks with a very serious expression.
I don't like the tone with which he asked, with too much familiarity, but right now, I don't dare to speak.
"Probably not," Hyperion replies honestly, smiling.
"Something my sister and I know, and they know it as well. But there, you'll be surrounded by the other eleven titans."
"Do you think this meeting is a trap?"
"I think it's a possibility, yes."
"Do you fear for my life, Blurko?" Hyperion asks with a mocking tone.
"It's well known that you have a rivalry with Themis, just as it was Cronus who killed Uranus at the end of the Forgotten Era. And you have broken one of their laws. Maybe more than one."
"Cronus killed our father because he had no other choice and was the only one with the courage to do it. He did it to save all of us. He would never harm any of us, and the same goes for Themis. We have our differences, but we love each other like the siblings we are. We can fight, but we would never try to kill each other. They might try to force me to change my mind, but they would never attempt to harm me."
"And not us either?" Blurko suddenly asks, interrupting Hyperion. "Don't you think they might exterminate us to punish you?"
"That's possible," Hyperion says, realizing that he hadn't considered that possibility, just like me. "What is the third possibility you mentioned earlier?" Hyperion asks, changing the subject forcefully.
"That they don't know anything about what we're doing, have nothing to do with the actions of their children, and the meeting is about something completely unrelated to this situation."
"That's wishful thinking," Hyperion says, laughing, and then he gets up from his seat. "Eat, drink, and fornicate. When the sun sets tomorrow, we'll set course to see my brothers. Cronus has authorized taking our servants, so I will take both of you."
With that, Hyperion leaves in the same direction he came from, and we remain kneeling until he is no longer in sight.
"You get really nervous, but once you gain confidence, you say the first thing that comes to mind, huh?" I scold my brother. "Watch your words more carefully when you speak to him, or he..."
"Or he'll kill me?" my brother asks, defying me. "Did you feel anything when I said they might kill us all to punish him?" he suddenly asks, and I don't know how to answer. "Did you feel any concern in your mark at least?"
"I'm not sure."
"That's a no," he says, getting up. "Whether by the titans or by the other clans, we're between a rock and a hard place for following his orders, and he won't do anything to help us, one way or another."
"Your words border on blasphemy, Blurko!" I scold my brother, frightened.
"Why are we doing this, Rathari? I'm asking you seriously. What are we doing here? What we're doing to those humans in that dungeon is an abomination that goes against the very natural laws of the titans."
"Don't question Hyperion's orders, Blurko."
"How can I not when they put our entire race in danger? I understand that you are his servant and that you share with him a bond that no other oni possesses, but I've never felt from him a love like Themis feels for his children."
"That's enough!" I shout and then slap him hard. "Forget about those damned elves! Damn it, they kidnapped and tortured you when you were just a child! Stop feeling sorry for them or comparing us! We're not the same!"
"I know, Rathari. And you don't know how much that embarrasses me," Blurko tells me, almost spitting the words at me, and he leaves, leaving me here alone. But I can't go after him, not after hitting him.
Damn it! I know that Hyperion loves us, but he loves chaos even more. And it horrifies me to know that I'm the same way. I'm not any different from him, just like the rest of the onis. No matter how many of us might die, all that matters to us is the joy of battle. The only ones I don't want to die are my children and my brother, but he cares about everyone indiscriminately.
Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better if he were the servant and not me.