Crimson Talon - An Uruk Dominion tale

[Socrates1984]

Very well done to you sir! Truly enjoyable! My beloved Privateers are much more gentlemen in my imagination, but other than that the Uruks' honour, orderly structure, militarism, sheer badassery etc... I really love it! Keep up the good work!

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Thirty Seven






'You Uruks are strange creatures.
You fight like your masters, you breed with your slaves, you name your offspring after your conquered.
Yet you call yourselves rulers.'
-Bolontiku the Last Jaguar



`Remember, you will always be my son. Don't ever forget that...`

Her voice still raged in his head, as if it were yesterday. The Magistrate rubbed his forehead,trying to scrub the thoughts away. His trusted aid watched him closely, with big, wolfish, preying eyes.
They were approaching that city named after his mother.
Where nobody knows my name...
The Magistrate looked up through the window, over the heads of his Uruk Gan retinue, at the tall defensive walls.

*

The two harlots were inspecting the incoming convoy, from the safety of a tiny window inside one of the town's many towers.
`A fancy lord, coming to our neck of the woods, imagine that!' Tessa the Blonde-Giantess grinned, her two ample breasts shaking with laughter.
`Well, slap my thighs if he doesn`t look royal!`declared the younger one, Ymaia.
The Magistrate stepped out of the shadows of his transport. A thin, delicate sort of chap, unseemly so, compared to other Uruks, observed Tessa.
`He's awfully young for a Magistrate! Wonder what he's doing here, acting all official and such... Must mean war, I reckon.`
Ymaia crossed her arms under her tiny breasts, pocking through the flannel shirt.
'Is that good or bad for business?'
'Silly girl!' Tessa slapped the gall's bottom. 'War's always good for business!'
Ymaia let out a little playful scream, of surprise. She knows how to vocalize, this one! Tessa noticed.
'Come along, now! Let's greet our guests nice and proper!'
The two women scrambled down the spiraling stairs, their hands pushing up their gowns, already revealing legs for the peering public.

*

Behind the convoy, among the town beggars that crowded for a piece of bread, there lurked a figure.
Geru, clad in rags to cover his slow healing wounds, raised his head and watched as two women of bad reputation were already taunting the troops, flaunting and provoking them.
One of them, a curvaceous blonde unveiled some parts of herself that even the Almighty Sun could not see on a day to day basis.
'Come on, lads! We'll show you a good time!' they were yelling, most joyously.
But Geru was anything but glad. He had followed the Magistrate into the city, with a single purpose in mind: to find his beloved Yana.
And sure enough, he found her. His maddened eyes widened in disbelief, as he spotted her in the arms of her would-be tormentor.
Hector of the Sixth Legion...
The Uruk Gan was part of the Magistrate's retinue and close beside him, walked his Luna.
From time to time, she was stealing his glances and caressing his powerful right arm.
The same arm he used to bash my skull in, thought Geru bitterly.
But it was plain to see. Somehow, Yana had forgiven the great beast and being of a frail constitution, she chose the strongest.
Like all damned humans... Oh, I'm such a fool.
Geru grasped the pistol closer to his heart. He had in mind to shoot them both, right there, on the main street of Medusa city. But somehow, something in him delayed his hand.
Best to keep watch. At least now I know what I'm dealing with...
Unsuspecting, the raven haired beauty stared at the crowds of people. Her eyes almost fell on Geru but just in time, he hid his face.
Soon, my beloved... Soon.

*

The human called Aed O'Neil was fast asleep. In his dream, he was alone, on a cog, the same boat that took him to Verstov island. But now, he was in the middle of nowhere. As far as his eyes could see, all was pitch black. The horizon was made up of a shard of glittering sea slicing through darkness.
In his front, at the other end of the boat, stood a woman. She was clad in strange attire, her face obscured but he knew, deep in his heart, that she was his sister.
'Branwen... You've returned. You've come back to us!'
His voice echoed through the stillness. Her empty eyes met his own.
'Aed... I'm cold.'
He came closer, closing the distance. But she dodged his embrace.
'No, you mustn't touch me.'
'But... why?'
'I'm changed, Aed. You wouldn't like what you see.'
Her skin shone paler than ever into the moonlight.
'Show me your face, sister.'
She listened and unfastened her cloak. It was her alright, though the skin had a translucent quality to it now. Her veins were more obvious, striking blue on the once rosy cheeks.
But her eyes showed him the truth. She has changed.
'What is this sorcery? You are not my sister.'
'Oh, but I am. That's the cruel joke of fate, brother.'
Her smile was sad. He felt inclined to rush her. Even though this was a dream, he could feel the coldness radiating from her.
'Listen' she fixed him with those unholy glowing eyes of hers. 'I don't have much time, they won't be asleep for long. This is the only way I could reach you. Where they cannot follow… They are dumb brutes, their magic is weak. You must do what I say, no matter the cost. Understand?'
The Celtic warrior strengthened, his hand searching for an axe that was not there. Nonetheless, he kept himself alert.
'Who are they? What are you talking about, waif?'
Branwen or the demon posing as her was losing its patience.
'No time for explanations. I can't hold them back much longer.'
She appeared distressed. Her form was starting to fade.
'He has my son, Aed. He has my son and I will get him back, with or without your help.'
Her last words were but a whisper in his ears as he woke, sweaty and alone in his room.
But he was not alone. Three figures stood guard beside his bed, upside down, as if perched on the ceiling. One of them was a woman.
Aed reached for his axe.
'Grab him.' Branwen commanded her two Uruk vampires.
It did her no pleasure seeing him restrained, like this.
Aed could tell. She was always good at hiding her feelings from others, but not from him. Never from him. Somehow, her last words echoed in his mind.

'He has my son, Aed. He has my son...'

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Thirty Eight





'All men are beasts but all beasts are unlike Man.'
-Ullon the Unworthy

'I intend to survive long enough to see my sons on the throne of Demos.'
-Sten Volchok, son of Alpha Heinz & Fay Hades, during the Second Siege of Peluda




His yellow, wolfish eyes surveyed the battlefield.
In his hand, the Alpha's request for reinforcements.

He's Kaga's sire. That's too bad for him. Now he's trapped in Mesocala and he wants our help. He's not going to get it.

The philosopher's words came into his mind. 'All men are beasts but all beasts are unlike Man.'
Sten Volchok's dark, brownish skin deflected the sun's rays, as he still held the official parchment in his armored hand.
Growing up, Sten had a very different outlook on life.
To humans, he was a monster, born of an unholy union.
To Uruks he was a halfbreed, far too feable to ever be considered pure.
These facts bothered Sten Volchok not, for even if his father was human, his mother was Uruk of the noblest of origins. And she taught him the game well. It was for this reason in particular that he kept as far away from the capital as possible.

Here, in the farthest regions of Ibellica, no conspiracies could reach him.
Best let the Treasurer sort those out, for now.
'Gentlemen, Alpha Kaga is dead!' he addressed his generals, in front of Peluda. 'Which means they'll likely place another bastard in his place. Which means our troops will get rowdy soon if we don't take that city.'
Tall, bald-headed Paulus Beowulf listened, together with the short and badly scarred Kubla Shuba.
'So, I want to hear your thoughts!'
Now he had their attention. Big, brown and broad shouldered, Sten knew he looked far less like his father than any ever gave him credit for. Not that he needed their opinion in the first place. Physically, he felt Uruk through and through. Mentally, he was a different beast altogether.
He felt their nervousness as they sluggishly tried to guess his intentions. All Uruks get nervous around me.
'You should lead from the front, as is tradition.' bold Paulus Beowulf recommended
'We have a place ready for you, in the first assault team.'
To this, Volchok grinned.
'Aye, is that so? You saved a place for me on the scaling ladder? How thoughtful of you! And if I should fall in battle, who will take my place? You, Paulus? Or perhaps you, Kubla Shuba?'
The scarred, short orc coughed and shuttered at the prospect. That's right, know your place, worm!
'Thank you for the kind offer, but I have to decline. You see, I have bigger things in mind.'
The two generals were beginning to look flustered. His words were too sophisticated for them. Time to set aside irony.
'I intend to survive long enough to see my sons on the throne of Demos.'
No single Uruk could admit this openly and live. But he was their commander.
'Why the long faces? Siege will begin immediately!' Sten Volchok roared with glee.
'Oh, and Paulus...'
His underling tensed his posture, waiting for the incoming blow.
'Worry not. I'll let you have my place on the ladder. Take my armor as well!'
The amazement in their eyes amused Volchok to no end. He'd never understood the sense of entitlement that Uruks got from receiving a few trinkets and some titles from their betters.
Must be all that human blood in me...

*

'He plans to kill me, you heard him!'
Paulus Beowulf said to his friend, as soon as they were out of the commander's tent. 'That's why he's giving me his armor. He thinks I want to take his place. '
'A cuirass is not the same as a sword.' Kubla Shuba observed. 'Now... if he would've offered you his sword... and you'd refused it...Now that would've meant death.'
The pale, tall one frowned.
'You think it was all a joke then? About him wanting to stay behind?'
'He does have direct claim to the throne. These Hadessa always think of their family first.'
'But he's not Pureblood! The people will never want him as Alpha!'
Paulus Beowulf spat on the ground.
'Did he look frail to you?'
To Kubla's question, Paulus had no straight answer. He pondered a while, as they were crossing the camp.
'No... He looked... He looked very much like a leader.'
'Then we must follow.' concluded the scarred Uruk general.
The two Uruks exchanged no further words, until they reached the entrenchments.

*


„Old Friend,

How long has it been since we last saw each other? I've lost track of the years. If we continue like this, we will meet at the end of the world, on opposite sides.
Peluda has been a tough nut to crack. Who knew the humans had some fight in them left? Turns out the entire place was filled with Musketeers. My troops suffered a beating.
One of my generals, by the name of Paulus returned riddled with bullets. I allowed him to keep my Armor, as a gift for his services.
But we took the place. The Valiente fought hard, for every inch of the square. We've encountered some sort of Royal Bodyguards, Guardia de Palacio, they're called, the Duque's own loyal guard. They put up a stiff resistance but died, nonetheless. I can never understand the human thirst for glory.
It serves them not, but to their own blind selfishness.
I entered the town as the last pockets of resistance were being put out of existence. You know how much I loathe fighting. I still have to keep this from my generals, though. They might get the wrong ideas...
I wasn't on the Ladder, because I hate traditions. My generals were grateful to have survived this siege.
There are bullet holes everywhere: in the walls of the houses and in each and every Uruk from my Bodyguard retinue.
These are proud warriors, each and every one of them. They brought me the head of the Valiente captain, a simpleton named Ruy. As if that mattered!
It was a cloudy, dark afternoon when Peluda fell. We named it Goiro, Cloud City. Seemed fitting at the time.
I'm thankful that Paulus Beowulf still lives. I think he's thankful too!
Remember when my father used to argue with my mother, over the differences between them? He could never understand how was it that I didn't look like my sisters and she didn't look like her brothers.
I miss the old bastard.
There were times when he barely spoke to me at all. Guess it was his Faustian upbringing. It must've been hard for him.
Imagine, if you can: serving, as a general in their armies until he met and married my mother. Then he went to Demos to realize to his surprise that the monsters he fought in his youth could have a gentle side.
The family never liked him but he learned our ways.
What was it that they called him? The Un-Uruk?
Hah, he was as Un-Uruk as they come! I can still see him now. Always on his white charger, in the courtyard, failing at the epic endeavor of teaching Uruks to ride horses. He would yell and shout and cuss at them. In Faustian!
And they would apologize to him in Black Speech!
Those were good times.

He spent more time drilling the Guards than he did with me. But I didn't mind. As long as it kept him away from mother...
I still remember how they argued, late, at night. Mother was taunting him, always probing, still trying to see where his true loyalties lie, even after 15 years of marriage
'What are they to you? Beasts? Monsters? I call them my relatives!' she would yell. 'Is your son a freak too?!'
'I never said that!' my father would yell back. 'I just said our son will not be like them...'
Her tone would shift, turning poisonous.
'Do the creatures of the night frighten you, my lord?'
'No, your uncles do. And I'm glad my son will be smarter than all of them!'
So, in a sense, he was right.
As you know, I would never be truly Uruk or fully human.
I learned to live with that fact. Father did not.
He died in his bed, of a brain aneurysm. Some say his wife poisoned him. But I know better. All those worries got to him. Humans are terribly frail creatures, when it comes to the matters of the heart.
I watched my mother weeping as the funeral pyre turned the body of the first human Alpha in Dominion history into ashes.
'I thought you hated him.' I dared whisper in her ear, that day.
'This is the last time you'll see my tears.' she said.
That night we made a pact. She made me promise that one day, I will be Alpha.
You say things are a little hectic in Demos, right at this moment. I imagine them to be so, with the Civil War or the Usurper's Rebellion and all that. But I can assure you, I have no desire to take the Throne.
Let the Hadesa fight and kill each other for that thing.
For me, it's just a chair.


Your comrade in arms,
Sten Volchok ~ Hades”

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Thirty Nine







'Violence breeds violence.'
-Arcadius the Saint







A warm wind was coming in through the window, rustling the Treasurer's papers, as he sat there, at his desk.
His home, once a summer residence of a Valiente nobleman, was fairly spacious to accommodate an Uruk of his size. Suddenly, a quarrel outside announced the stormy entrance of Draganos Hades.
'Where are my boys, Treasurer?!' he bellowed. 'Tell me now!'
Without budging his massive bulk, Cerberus Fulk dominated the room. He still held the stylus, and looked up from the letter he was writing.
'Ah, Draganos, my brother-in-arms! Any Hadessa is welcomed in my house! Come in!'
'My apologizes, sire!' Ookla, the Lykan female secretary intervened. 'I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen...'
With a magnanimous smile, the Treasurer dismissed her.
No witnesses, thought Draganos.
'You are obviously distressed, my boy.' the giant grinned at him. ' Come, sit, eat, have a glass of wine. Ibellica doesn't offer much in terms of soldiers, but it more than makes up for in women and loot!'
Draganos Hades kept his stance, tensed as a pouncing jaguar.
'I'll stand. Tell me of my boys...'
Before I open your skull.
The Treasurer's yellow gaze grew cold.
'Have you, by any chance read Xenonius?'
The Hadessa snorted in disgust. There's your answer.
'I know, it is unusual for an Uruk to read or write. But let me enlighten you, old friend.'
Cerberus Fulk picked up a heavy tome, bearing ancient symbols on its leathery cover.
'Here is a Romuli scholar who survived the Purge. We left him alive not because we liked his writing. No, far from it. We left him alive because we feared him! That's right. We left him alive because that would give the Romuli hope!
They needed to have someone of their own telling them what to think and what to write, showing them that it is alright to be conquered, it is alright to be ordered around by brutes such as us! Even, they, the once mighty Romuli who could've had the entire world under their command, could learn to live under such conditions. Why? Because we showed mercy to their scholars.
Because we incorporated their own officers into our ranks, as military advisers.
Because we used everything from their armies, everything we could get our hands on, from swords to shields, to javelins and onagers, we took it all!
Just like they took from us! But we worked on their inventions, improved them. Brought our black magic to the forefront. We amplified their lethality! To their science we added our black magic. We could even bring back the dead!'
Cerberus' enormous fist struck the table, making the entire room shake.
'Now tell me, Draganos, wasn't it good that we did all that? For them, I mean, for our miserable, dejected, former masters?'
The Hadessa crossed his muscular arms. He's unarmed, noticed Cerberus.
'Where is Xenos and where is Fulk? This is the last time I'm asking.'
'Sorry but you already know the answer.'
The Treasurer's eyes spoke of nothing but death.
Draganos' face changed drastically.
'You... animal!'
Without any warning, he jumped over the desk and grabbed the Treasurer's wide, enormous neck.
Without much effort, Cerberus Fulk subdued him, in something that looked like an embrace. He smiled, entirely unfazed.
'Told you they are safe. You are far too dangerous now for them to be around you. Understand?'
The Hadessa struggled and growled.
'Let go of me! Face me as a warrior! Give me back my sons!'
'You want your sons back? Then act like a Hadessa!'
That remark dissolved the brutality in Draganos Hades. He relaxed and his arms fell to the floor.
'You will meet them when the time is right. No sooner, no later!' the Treasurer whispered in his ear.
'You bastard... You're worse than Kaga! I'll kill you if you harm them. I'll throw your ashes into the sea!'
'No, my lord. I am your most humble and most loyal servant.'
Cerberus Fulk allowed his master to gather his composure. The physical contact was lost as fast as it was given.
'Show me proof that they live. Or else, none of us leaves this room alive!'
The Treasurer grinned.
'No, I'll show you something else, something far greater!'
His massive, brown hands unrolled a giant parchment.
'I have no time to look at maps!'
'This is not a map. This...'
The Treasurer pressed his claw onto the map.
'This is the home of our enemy! The Grand INQUISITOR's Palace!'
Draganos Hades stopped frowning, for a moment.
'And if you want to see your sons again, you'll do what I say!'

*

His breathing told him he was alive. He laid face-down, in a puddle of dubious origins. Arandorf's Red District was coming alive as well, all around him. There were howls and roars all over, as if he was hearing wolves and lions mating.
Closer to the truth than you already know, Gustav thought to himself.
'We lost Yaotl' Urlich the Squid announced. ' Last time I saw him, he was at that wretched bridge.'
They were both dirty beyond belief, some of the mud they used to camouflage themselves from Uruk patrols. Carl Gustav remembered the ambush, the desperate fight that followed, his gun going off into the night.
'What do we do now, mate?' inquired the pirate.
'We go on with the plan.' the Faustian's face hardened.
'What, you mean... stay here? After all we've seen?! You're begging for the gallows, lad!'
The old man was right. They were behind enemy lines. Deep, really deep. No hope of rescue, not even the slightest. But a Faustian had a duty to fight to the bitter end.
'It's what Holy Karl would've done, it's what we shall do!'
Gustav voiced his convictions.
'To hell with your honor, then!'
Before Gustav could stop him, Ulrich the Squid vanished into the night. That did not shock the Faustian one bit.
He smiled and got to his feet. He even started to sing.
'Wenn ich alleine bin*...'
Gustav remembered that old song, from his childhood. But went silent as soon as he saw two Uruks approaching. He feared that they would ask for his papers but the two monsters were obviously too drunk.
He had to make his way towards the Crimson Gate, where all black market transactions were completed. He had to know if some of the cargo made it into the right hands.
'I don't even know how the Resistance looks like...' Gustav addressed the night air.
The Ly Kan counterspies must be looking for him. But he was ready to die, fighting.
I'll take as many with me as I can. As long as they're not Uruk Gan.
Uruk Gan were the nightmare of all infantry troops in the world. Hardest to kill, harder still to frighten. They fought to the last and never surrendered. And they were ten times stronger than an average Uruk. Who was in turn, five times stronger than an average human.
At least it will be over soon...
'You there! Hey, Shara**, stop!'
Carl Gustav froze in his tracks. He instinctively grabbed for his pistol.
'No need for that, human.' the Uruk came close, bearing his face as a sign of good will.
He was stunted and his visage was mangled, beyond belief. Gustav couldn't help but think that the monster had survived some sort of wild animal attack. A bear, most likely.
'We serve the same purpose, so to speak. The name's Geru and I want what you have...'




* when I am alone (germ.)
** human man (Black Speech)

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty







'No good ever comes of peace.'
-Toke One-Eye of Demos



Early morning mists were rising above a mountain of corpses.

Humans, the knight noticed. Women and children, for the most part. He limped into the village before sunrise, using his sword as a crutch. Now, the vanishing of darkness revealed last night's carnage.
They didn't spare one soul. Not the elderly, not even the sick.
Even though they were Vestrovian and pagan, the Teutonic Knight still felt sorry for them. He clutched his sword, rising it above the dead. Her shadow flowed above the pale faces of the dead, like a cross sent from the heavens.
The only cross they would ever have, on this godless field.
,Mein Gott, erbarme sich ihre Seelen *...`
Philipp of Austria whispered a prayer for the fallen, for his brethren and for his Chaptermaster. He was in a sorry state himself, armour all but gone, shivering with fever from the wounds he'd received. The first day after the battle, he laid on the field, trying his best to act dead. The monster who felled him from his horse was on top of him, slain but still heavy.
The second day he regained consciousness, enough to push the dead beast off of him and limp away to the relative safety of the woods.
He used a stream to clean himself as best he could. The maggots crawling in his festering wounds did not approve. Using a crossbow retrieved from the battlefield, the knight killed a deer. Its liver got him on his feet.
Three rabbits helped him live through the following nights. He ate their flesh raw, for fires might attract unwelcomed guests.
He was alone. Muddied and alone on an island of monsters.

At first, he thought he'll find some survivors. Even deserters would've sufficed. He would abstain from chastising them for betraying the Order.
He was still First Councillor, but at that moment in time, Philipp of Austria didn't know if the Order even existed anymore.
Just seeing another human face would've made a difference.
Of course, he kept away from the villages, for he knew what the locals did to the Teutonic Knights.
But each night, he noticed something strange: the villages were becoming more and more empty.
As if the people were fleeing from this great, invisible threat that only seem to came at night. He found less and less traces of human activity.
And more empty villages. With each passing day....
It was as if the ground itself was swallowing the people of Vestrov island.

Mostly he stayed off road but even in that secluded position, he could hear the screams of the tortured. At first, he thought they were Uruks, killing off the entire human population.
But that was unheard off, for he never saw Uruks cleansing entire populations. Wherever they went, they kept the humans alive for sport or pleasure.
The creatures were most infamous for their bountiful slave-trading. He wondered what was killing the people.

Until he found the answer, in the form of an Uruk still feeding off the body of a young maiden.

*

`You allowed him to touch you?!` Zoranna Hades stared at her husband, in disbelief. 'You're the heir of Demos!'
She was tall and skinny, but the Uruk rage shone in her deep, large eyes.
`I didn't ... I didn't think much of it, at the time.` Draganos Hades apologized. 'I was upset.'
'Well, that didn't get our children back, did it? You let your anger get the best of you...' Zoranna continued `...You're the rightful heir! You! Not Sten, not your cousin! and you let a commoner touch you!`
Draganos clenched his jaw.
`He's not a commoner! He's the most powerful Uruk in the empire. The entire Dominion is in his hands. My father was saved by his orders...`
Zoranna drew her head back and laughed.
'Don't be so gullible! Your father died the moment Fulk got him off that torture rack. A bit convenient, don't you think?'
The young Hades turned his back to his wife, as he always did when her arguments got the best of him.
`My fault for marrying such a smart woman...` he muttered, as if to himself.
`What did the Usurper want from you?`
Draganos turned, almost afraid to talk.
`Don't call him that. He's the sole reason my family still exists...`
Zoranna slapped him. It was fast and unexpected. Draganos blinked.
`The Treasurer wants the throne for himself! Are you this blind?! Can't you see how he's been manipulating you from the start? You are the heir of Demos! You, not him, not Sten, not Atlas! But you... It was always you. And where are our children, Drago? Where?! Show them to me!`
Before she could continue, she broke into sobbs. Zoranna turned and hid her face from him. Draganos felt his own eyes go watery.
`Don't cry. ` He placed his hand upon her naked shoulder. ` I will get them back to you. I promise.`
Zoranna rose her proud head, wiping away the tears.
'What did the Usurper want from you?'
To this, Draganos Hades gave a deep sigh.
'He wants me to kill the Grand Inquisitor. He says it will bring balance to THERA.'
For once, Zoranna had no words left.


*

The beast was still feeding as he plunged his sword into its neck. The blade got stuck. Its head didn't come off.
Instead, the monster turned, his eyes shining like the gates of hell.
But that didn't stop Philipp of Austria. He prayed through clenched teeth and struck again, this time with his dagger.
'Heilige Maria, Mutter Gottes, bitte fur uns` **
He heard a howl, coming from the creature. It was staring behind him, as if freightened by some unholy sight. Philipp did not need to turn to see what it was.
The sun is coming up.
Somehow, the monster feared the rays of sunshine coming down upon them more than it feared holy steel.
There is only one way to end this.
The Teutonic Knight pushed himself against the monster's body, dragging it to the ground. Its claws went through his chainmail as if it was a maiden's gown.
He was inches away from being disemboweled. Swirling and twisting, he managed to break free from the chainmail, leaving the monster to struggle with the mail.
Philipp crawled away, his hands frantically searching the grass. This Uruk was different from any Uruk he'd fought before. Tougher, stronger, more resilient.
Smoking and smoldering from sunlight, it got to its feet.
The Teutonic Knight kept praying.
'Sünder jetzt und in der Stunde unseres Todes.***'
He fired the last bolts of his crossbow into the monster's skull. The Uruk fell backwards, his massive frame in flames.
The First Councillor crossed himself. It was the most unfamiliar, strange thing he'd ever witnessed in his entire life.
'Amen.' he addressed the corpse.





© Mariusz Kozik


*My God, have mercy on their souls... (germ.)
** Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us (germ.)
*** Sinners now and at the hour of our death (germ.)

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty One







'What Uruk does not dream of becoming Alpha?'
-Toke One-Eye of Demos



Somewhere high, in the mountains.

The heavily guarded wagon bearing the Dominion's emblem blazed a trail through the forest. The four black horses were neighing and wheezing in the night, pushed to their limit by their Uruk driver.
Suddenly, the chariot came to a halt, its wheels screeching sharply. Four armored Uruk Gan guards arose from their seats on each side of the carriage. In front of them, up on the road, was a gathering of Uruks.
Dark and brooding they stood, obstructing the path.
'Marauders, by the looks of 'em.' one of the Gans whispered to his colleague, in the back.
'And you complained this was an uneventful journey.' the other said, half-laughing.
'Stand aside, you gits!' the driver of the carriage yelled.
'Halt in the name of Alpha!' roared one of the marauders, pointing his rusty scimitar to the head of the lead horse.
'And who might he be?' asked the Uruk Gan, who went by the name of Gotz.
'Why, Thesseus the Merciless , the one and true leader of the Dominion!' the marauder captain replied, baring his teeth.
'Ha, he's been dead for a year now! I guess news travels slow up here.'
Gotz mocking him didn't sit well with the Uruk. There was always animosity between the Gans and Uruks, that was known all throughout the Dominion.
'You Pale Knots * think yourselves so clever... Descend that box! Looks important! We'll confiscate its innards!'
'Afraid we can't let you do that, Voz**.'
Gotz pulled out his two glaives, that dwarfed the captain's scimitar. And every Uruk weapon, for that matter.
'We're on official Dominion business. Now, step aside!'
'What sort of business would that be?'
'None of yours. Move or we'll move through you!' another Gan roared, from the fourth corner of the chariot.
The atmosphere was growing heavy. Gotz licked his lips. He had been waiting for a fight ever since they left.
'There's fifty of us and only four of you!'
'Good.' Gotz grinned. 'That evens the odds.'
Just as they were about to pounce on each other, the trees went alive with movement. Trickling down from the branches like big raindrops, were silhouettes of warriors, smaller than Uruks but dangerous none the same.
They were Ly Yar, deserters of the Academy. All of them carrying arquebuses.
'Let me guess' Gotz addressed one of them 'you serve the true Alpha too?'
'No. We're just here to rob you. Lower your weapons!'
To this, the Uruk Marauder Captain snorted.
'Fire arms are forbidden in the Free Territories!'
'So is taking lands that weren't yours and calling them free.' the Ly Yar retorted.
'Look at you, whelps... Carryin' boom-sticks like weakling humans. You think those sticks make you Uruk Hai?! Ha! That's no way of a true warrior! You'll never be Uruk Hai! You bring shame and dishonor on us all!'
'Maybe we don't want to be Uruk Hai.'
'What can you be then?' Gotz intervened. 'Ballet-dancers?'
Laughter came from the Gans and Uruks alike.
'Free' the Ly Yar leader said and opened fire.
Gotz and his three comrades ducked for cover. The other Uruks weren't so lucky. Most of them were felled by projectiles. Some lucky ones threw themselves into the fray, roaring with gleeful abandon.
'Now what do we do, Gotz?'
Gotz stared into the face of his comrade.
'We survived worse, Wulfila. Let's leave the scum to sort themselves out. Remember our mission.'
Some pellets hit the carriage but as it was armored, it made no difference. Then silence came. Gotz was the first to peer out the window.
'Well, seems like the odds are against you!' he addressed the wounded, but breathing Marauder Captain.
The Uruk was panting, still holding the head of the Ly Yar leader in his bloodied arm. His Uruks took a battering which halved their numbers. The Ly Yar were all dead and that was good.
' Doesn't matter.' he groaned. 'Honor of the Dominion is preserved. Now come down and let's die like warriors, you and I!'
'As you wish...' Gotz jumped down, his heavy armor rattling on his massive back.
Just as they were about to duel, a shout came from up the pass.
'Make way for the true Alpha!'
Gotz laughed.
'Not this again! What's yours called?!'
This Uruk Captain was better dressed and there was an entire Company behind him. They looked official, but lost.
'We serve Zolton, the one and true! You are all under arrest. Drop your weapons!'
Gotz sneered at them.
'Zolton's dead too. Nobody ever bring news around these parts?!'
To this, the other laughed.
'You lie, Betrayer! Behold, the mighty Zolton is here!'
From the ranks, on top of shoulders of Uruks a figure was brought forth. Looks like an upturned bounty hunter. Gotz thought.
'That's not him! Zolton's skin was light as milk. Every Uruk in the Dominion knows that!' a Gan roared in the back.
To this, the Pretender extended his arms and said.
'Friends, Uruks, countrymen... Let us renounce our squabbling. I am here to lead us to victory!'
Gotz was losing his patience.
'How can he be the rightful leader when he hasn't even received the sword?'
To this, the Captain raised his visor.
'We are escorting him to Demos, precisely for this honor.'
'Well, you're going the wrong way. Demos is back there.' Gotz pointed with one of his broadswords. 'And secondly, he's no true Alpha until he receives the sword of Slavos!'
To this, the Pretender retorted:
'I need no wooden toy to lead my boys! I am the one and true Alpha!'
'Good. Then you can die first.' one of the Marauders said and unloaded an arquebus straight into the Pretender's skull.
So ends another Zolton, Gotz thought. His death enraged the other Uruks.
'Get out, lads! Time to join the fight!' Gotz roared to his mates.
The other three Gans needed to hear no more. They all jumped out, straight into the unfolding chaos.
Heads of Uruks were flying through the air, as Gotz expertly dispatched enemies, left and right. Wulfila was doing the same. But they were outnumbered. And the corpses kept stacking up, further barring the way.
'Were not going to win this, are we?' Wuflila was panting from the effort.
'What, did you expect to live forever?'
Gotz sliced an Uruk in half, using his glaives in a scissoring motion. He roared towards his companions.
'Stand close to the carriage! Let none of these mountain monkeys touch it!'
One of the Gans was felled by blows from twenty adversaries. Another soon followed, leaving Gotz and Wulfila to fight, back to back. It looked like they were about to meet their end when another voice echoed through the mountain pass.
'Cease this at once!'
An entire Company of Ly Yar Crossbows took them all by surprise. Gotz was the only one laughing., at this point.
'Let me guess, you serve the rightful leader too?'
'Aye, we do!' the Ly Yar Crossbows Captain answered. 'Which makes all of you rebels.'
'Shoot them!' the Marauders Captain yelled. 'They're brigands, the whole lot of 'em!'
To this, Gotz stepped upfront, but not before stabbing the rebel in the neck, silencing him forever.
'We are an official Dominion envoy. We carry the Rudis of Demos, to our leader, Alpha Attila!'
To this, the Ly Yar Captain smiled.
'We've been sent here by the Treasurer to make sure you do not reach him. '
An adjutant stepped forth, to his side.
'But ... sire... killing officials... Doesn't that make us the outlaws? This... this goes against our faith.'
'Just fire on them, Zug. Callisto will claim her own.'
At the other end, the battered and bloody Uruk Gans addressed each other, one last time.
'It's been good knowing you, friend.' Wulfila said, looking at the line of Ly Yar Crossbows preparing to fire.
'Well, at least we die looking the enemy in the eye.' Gotz said.
'You won't be alone.' a voice muttered from behind them.
The Uruk Marauder Captain got to his feet, having survived Gotz's blow.
'Captain, you surprise me!' the Uruk Gan remarked. 'You truly are a hard Uruk to kill...'
'So are my soldiers.'
Several of the Uruk Marauders, who were faking death, stood up behind the Ly Yar Crossbows. What followed was a slaughter of epic proportions, the size of which that tiny mountain pass will never see again.
After the explosions died out, all was quiet.
All except for the groans of dying monsters.
And one Uruk Gan stood up, smouldering but alive. He went inside the armored wagon and opened the ornate, lead box. Within, he found the symbol of power, craved by all Uruks.
Gotz picked up the Rudis of the Dominion, the famous sword who freed the founder of Demos.
He looked around, at the hundreds of dead bodies.
'All this for a wooden sword?'
Gotz the Uruk Gan threw the Rudis of the Dominion into the valley below.

*

Back in Mesocala, a nervous Alpha Attila was waiting to be invested officially. An officer barged in his tent.'Sire, there are reports of a mountain ambush. The Rudis is delayed!'
Attila ground his teeth. That large fist of his struck the wooden table.
'Curse those bastards! They just don't want me as their leader, do they?!'
He stood there, brooding while the other Uruk held his breath.
'Fine. Sound the attack. We rally to meet the foe. I'll die an Alpha, at least in name.'

That night, surrounded and outnumbered, Dominion soldiers rushed out of their fort and charged the Paynali forces. It was a forlorn battle, which would've meant total annihilation in normal conditions but being night, the roars of the beastmen frightened their human assailants. It ended in total victory for the Dominion.
Much to his chagrin, Alpha Attila survived.


* Silverknots or Silverheads: all Uruk Gan suffer discoloration to their hair not due to aging, but as a result of continuous combat stress; also, a sign of status and pride among the Uruk Gan, `our hair shows our strength`

** Egg (in Black Speech) : soft-head, easy to kill, derogatory, meant to show weakness and feebleness;




Gotz, The Uruk Gan

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Two







'All brutes are the same. Just like men.'
-Yma the harlot


It was Tessa the Blonde-Giantess that first walked in through the doors. The Magistrate's chambers were as lavish as she expected. A servant, a wolfman, stood by the entrance, waiting for them.
The two harlots stared for a moment, in disbelief. It was the first time either of them had actually saw a half-man, half-wolf hybrid.
It was natural to stare. The creature raised one arm, in its hand, a tray carrying fruits.
'Refreshments, ladies.'
Tessa and Ymaia sampled the pomegranates, all the while not taking their gazes off of him. The wolfman raised his arm again, after they were finished.
'This way, ladies. Your bath awaits.'
The buxom blonde chuckled towards her friend.
'Oh, ain't this somethin', eh, Yma? We're being treated as high-ladies, all of the sudden.'
The brunette was not impressed.
'Ya, it's all the same until he pulls out a whip.'
'Hush now, dear. Those are only rumors!'
'All brutes are the same. Just like men.'
The wolfman didn't seem to mind what they were saying behind his back. He'd probably done this a hundred times before, Tessa thought to herself. The monster got them to the sauna and left them there, shutting the door behind him.
'Phew, good riddance!' Tessa wrinkled her pretty, pink nose. 'The reek on that thing!'
'We probably stink just as worse to him.' said Yma.
The two women disrobed and entered the steam bath. No sooner had they had time to wet their ankles that the Magistrate himself walked in, entering the room from a secret passage door.
'Your Highness, you grace us with your presence!' Tessa took a bow, covering her large breasts as best she could.
The Magistrate looked more human than Uruk, at first glance. His delicate features betrayed an exotic lineage. The white, long hair contrasted wonderfully with his ebony skin. He embraced Tessa immediately, without any further ado.
'Oh, my lord!' she giggled in his arms. 'You don't waste any time, do ya?!'
He gave her a smile, which looked sad and menacing at the same time. The mark of the pampered elite.
'It's been long, far too long...' the youngster whispered through thin lips.
Yma, the raven haired girl was feeling left out.
'What about me, Your Highness?'
The Uruk noble took her by her pale neck and kissed her, forcefully.
'Wait your turn.'
Before he could finish with Tessa, he changed to Ymaia.
'Ah, slow down, m'lord! Before you reap what you sow too early!' Yma begged him, to no avail.
There was no halting him. The Magistrate looked mad, possessed even. He started to laugh, his pale eyes bulging out of his head, almost. The two harlots exchanged worried looks.
Just as it looked that there would be trouble, a knock came at the door. The youngster pulled himself off of Yma, but not all the way out and yelled at the door:
'What now, Kano?! I'm busy!'
The knock persisted, in an almost comedic manner.
'Blast your eyes, you wild dog! I'll have you flogged for this!'
He gave out a long sigh.
'Come in, if you must...'
The door creaked opened but a woman walked in, instead of Kano. She was young and pretty. Her face had noble features as well. She was smiling while the Magistrate stared at her.
'Surprised?'
The candles in the room flickered.
'How long has it been for you not to recognize your own... sister?'
'Wilelda...' the Magistrate whispered. ' How... how did you find me?'
'Doesn't matter. What matters is that I did.'
He grasped for a hidden weapon beside the pool.
'Oh, don't bother with that!' the noblewoman chuckled. 'You should be feeling its effects by now.'
At this point, Tessa intervened, her voice shaking with fear:
'Listen, this doesn't concern us. Whatever it is... it's not our business. Just let us go, please!'
Wilelda gave her a chilled gaze.
'Well, it sort of does concern you. '
The Magistrate opened his mouth wide but for some reason, he could not scream. His body was already raked by convulsions.
'You see, little brother, these whores lips have been coated in Huaxaxa, a potent toxin my Oddus brought back from Mesocala. It only works on Uruks, mind you. These two had no idea that the pomegranates Kano gave them were filled with the stuff. Oddus wanted to break your skull, but I found a more poetic way, don't you think? '
The Magistrate convulsed in the warm water, unable to reply.
'Seeing how you killed mother for her Uruk blood, I think it's only fair that I should poison yours.'
The two harlots were speechless, embracing themselves for emotional comfort. They were witnessing a family feud, at its most tragic extent.
'You see, ladies, this is how we deal with relatives in the Hadessa clan. This is why we're almost extinct.'
Tears were now running down Wilelda's face.
'Oh, I'm not weeping for you, little brother. I'm curious: did Mother begged after you stabbed her? Did it felt good to stab the womb from which you came into this world? Did you stood by her as she bled? Do not worry. I am here. I'll stand by you.'
She kissed his sweaty forehead.
'What's that, little brother? You have something to add? Speak up, I can't hear you!'
He moved his lips slowly.
'... going to be Alpha. Can't die ... like this!'
Wilelda wiped her tears from her eyes as she laughed.
'No, Atlas, you'll never going to be Alpha! With your last breath, know that you were nothing more than a spoiled child who killed his own mother. That's all you were! No more, no less...'
Atlas Cerberus died, mouth still gasping for air, his eyes wide opened, staring at the ceiling.
'Hmm, it seems you did have more Uruk than Sycorax in you.' Wilelda mused, over the body of her brother.
A dead silence came over them.
'Madame, I beg you, spare us! We've done nothing wrong!' Tessa insisted, with tears in her eyes, this time.
'Spare you?' Wilelda gazed at them. 'I'm going to hire you. You'll do what you did here. From now on, you're no longer whores, you're weapons. You will answer my call and all will be well. But mention what happened here to another soul and you'll suffer a fate worse than him.'
She pointed to the body.
'If this is how I treat family, imagine how I treat strangers.'
The two women had no objections.
'What... what was your mother's name?' Yma dared to ask.
Wilelda bit her lower lip, to prevent the tears from flowing.
'The same as this city: Heidindrudis.'



-Wilelda Hades

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Three




'For the first time in decades, foreigners land on Dominion soil. Fulcinius Divinus defends Troia from Vashtas.'
-Lives of the Alphas
Ulon the Unworthy


From Letters to my dear friend, Mahmud


-We landed on the island of the great sword-wielding apes, in the Year of Alla the Most Merciful [unreadable] ,during the reign of our Sultan Abdul-Ahad (Slave of the One and Only) Commander of the Faithful. Immediately, after landing, our commander fell to his knees on the beach and gave thanks to God, for it was night and no enemy galleys were present, except for a few fishing boats whose crews paid us no mind.

'There is no might and power except God' he said. ' We take refuge with God from Shayṭān, the accursed.'

For surely it was a gracious night, that we could sneak up undetected from the shore all the way up into the countryside. You should have seen how careful we walked the next day, not wanting to move a blade of grass, for fear of detection from the great warrior beasts.
But much to our surprise, there was no enemy party there to greet us.
We traveled unopposed all the way to the great city of Troia. We found some villages on the way, but they were deserted, inhabited only by the whitened bones of former inhabitants. The locals did indeed spot us, but like the fishermen, gave no sign of alarm.
This emboldened our host, for we truly felt like saviors in a godless land.

'By God, fate has granted us a second life!' our commander said smiling, upon witnessing the city's walls, on the horizon. 'Ready the catapults! We siege at dawn!'

For surely, we wanted to waste no time, before the brutes' reinforcements arrived. But the Almighty God was on our side and no help came for them.

The next day, the enemy came out to face us. The Hashashims, having no fear of death, fought on, long after our Yeni Ceri troops have been routed. Otjuk warriors recruited from nearby Syrianna, in their traditional white garments filled in the gaps. The battle was fierce and lasted for the remainder of the day.
One Hashashim, with only 15 of them left, killed the great monster called Fulcinius Divinus.
The moment they saw him fall, his acolytes gave themselves to death, freely.
Their Hesperos Phalangists fought on to the bitter end. They were only men but they fought most valiantly. It was a sunny day.
Troia fell and we sacked it, in the name of Alla, for there is no power except with Him, the Exalted, the Omnipotent.'

-Ahmed al Keisha, Servant of the Faith, Veteran of the Hesperos Campaign





'Upon hearing of the Fall of Troia, in the nearby town of Elysia, Jubal Brutus starts recruiting from the local human population, mainly Samnes and Retiarii gladiators.
'We must reclaim our lands!' he cried.
The Northern tip of Hesperos' peninsula was now under Vashta control.'

-Lives of the Alphas
Ulon the Unworthy






*

All the vampire lords were present at the meeting. Tribal Chieftains, from all over the Emerald Isle that accepted Kubadai Achilleus' dark blood, willingly.

Branwen felt her stomach turn, an untypically human behavior on her part. 'Look at these idiots' she transmitted to her brother, newly-changed himself and sitting next to her at the table. 'Aed, I'm going to be sick.' He was still adorned in the bear and wolf pelts of the Chosen.
'Remember the plan, lass. Remember the plan.'

After a long pause, Patrick, called the Evil Bastard even before he killed his father and brothers and sisters, spoke out, with a firm voice:

'Invade Avalon! That is what we must do. Let's bleed those bastards dry!'

To this, his supporters grunted in approval.
A dry snicker, of a grizzly supernatural source halted their ovations.

'If you do that now, the only ones who will bleed will be you and yours.'

Kubadai Achilleus presided over the meeting, with a martial air to him, like a giant spider.
'Look at that smug face. He thinks we're all his children.' Branwen sent again, through the power of her mind alone.
'In a sense, we are.' her brother admitted.
Branwen hated the black Uruk Vampire Lord. She still remembered that night when she was hanging naked in front of him, chained to the ceiling.
'At least, my children are safe.' she thought to herself this time. Claudius and Kungund, her daughter of only eight summers, were spared by the Vampire Uruk but that came at a price: the turning of all Tethra's nobility.

Some chieftains chose to turn their entire clans, others chose to eat theirs.
It was mayhem. Worse than Avalon ever did to us. Or the Norsemen.

Only the O'Neills of the North refused the dark gift and still fought against their turned brethren and the knights of Avalon.

The whole of Tethra was plunged into darkness. A heavy cost for the lives of your children.

Branwen O'Neill knew she will have to live with the shame for the rest of her unnatural life. Her people bled because of her.
'Avalon is under siege by the Dominion.' the growl of the Uruk Lord woke her up.

'You will find more Uruks there than men. I suggest you postpone landing on that island, for now.'
This made a lot of the Gaelic chiefs grumble.

'I understand Avalonans are your mortal enemies. But you are not prepared. However, I can understand your thirst for vengeance. I feel it too, in my bones, for my former masters. Those of you who want to fight Avalon can do so, on their own, without my help. And do not count on my Uruks saving your hides when it all goes south!'

The gathering was silent, all eyes were on him.
'I propose a different raid, far more daring and far more glorious!' Kubadai bared his fangs.

'Hit the Christians where it hurts them most. Take Rema!'

'The Reman Island of the Inquisition?! That's madness! We'll be massacred!' Patrick the Evil Bastard exclaimed, his long, blond hair fluttering in the air.
To this, the Uruk Vampire offered a malicious grin.
'You would be, if you were human.'
The Chieftains were not convinced.
'You want revenge against those Christian dogs or not?'
Some mumbled, some agreed.
'It's a trap!' Branwen sent to the entire gathering. 'He wants us out of the way!'
She was sure they could hear her. All transformed humans could use their minds thus.
'How can he not hear you?' transmitted The Evil Bastard, his eyes still fixed on Kubadai.
'They're dumb brutes and the dark blood doesn't infuse them with such power. They cannot talk through thought as we do!'
'So what are you waiting for?' demanded Aed O'Neill.

And so it was that Gaelic Chieftains attacked Kubadai Achilleus and his retinue, that night, in Rathmore, a small fortified village in the mountains of Tethra. The Uruk Vampire Lord did not expect this. He barely made it out alive.
The dark blood, it seems, made humans just as strong as Uruks, if not stronger.

Kubadai Achilleus returned to Ibellica, leaving Tethra to her old masters.



Branwen O'Neill at the Battle of Rathmore

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Four






Taking a city and renaming it, does not make you a great general.
-Sulla Hades




The sea struck the jagged rocks, as the warrior watched from the precipice.
He remembered walking the hallways of the imperial palace with his father. They would watch together the gallery of portraits of ancient leaders, from times immemorial.

'Remember this above all, my son. We are not like them and we shall never be. Born into royalty we are not but we will be Kings in our own right. All in due time.'

He could see the determination on his father's face, even then. They would often come to the Hall of Legends, where the Alphas of old would be guarding the walls, looking down on them from their pedestals.
His father had something to say about each and every one.

'The first Haddesa was Slavos. They call him the Founder. He was an upturned slave, no more, no less. When given the chance for freedom, he took it. Not much different from a wild beast, if you opened its cage.'
The bust showed an Uruk of middle age, balding, with a noble forehead and large fangs on his lower jaw.
'His son was Cerberus, the Builder. He wasn't that smart but he knew how to appease the people around him. That's why they allowed him to stay on the throne for as long as he did. Cerberus never conquered anything in his life. He's only actions against our enemies were building watchtowers in the Western Sumari Steppe and a line of forts on the Eastern Border, to prevent any Romuli incursions. He's the ancestor of all living Hadessa and the only one I wish I could go back in time to strangle with my own two hands.'

This one's statue revealed almost the same features as his father's, except for the fangs, which were much shorter. Nothing particular special about him, thought the boy.
'His offspring were the ones responsible for the terrible state we are living now, my son. His firstborn, Spartacus was a crazed Berserker, thirsty for blood. He was half-mad and brash. This is why he died somewhere in Ibellica, fighting the Tribes of De Soussa. He was not missed by anybody.'
The bust showed an imposing figure, braids of long hair crowning a tall brow. The wild eyes, the massive jaw and the vicious snarl captured by the artist fascinated the youngster. Surely, his father was speaking the truth!
'His sister, Fay was a loon. She married a human, imagine that! Of all the creatures in this world, she chose the feeblest as a mate! Nonetheless, the people loved her. Even so, she vanished without a trace, after her weakling husband's untimely death. Now you see just how selfish these Hadessa are! Always thinking about themselves...'
Her statue showed a woman of delicate beauty with a terribly focused gaze. The boy felt awe watching her royal features.
'Her son, Argus was a degenerate. More human than Uruk, prone to orgies and senseless slaughter. He died somewhere in Mesocala. He was named Alpha purely because his mother's blood linked him with the Founder! Such is the state of affairs in our great empire...'
His bust showed a bald Uruk, with an arrogant grim showing two slender fangs from his upper lip. Nothing particularly special about this one either, the boy thought.
`Then there was Gennadius, mad like any of them. He had great dreams but no skills. Kaga the Beastly wanted him dead but I saved his life. He died shortly afterwards and his family soon started spreading rumours about me, telling the world how I poisoned him. Such is the way the Hadessa show their gratitude! Be mindful of this for they will never give you anything other than poison and daggers at midnight...'
The statue of Gennadius revealed a different creature than what he heard from his father. This Uruk was tall, with gentle features and a benevolent smile, frozen in stone for all eternity.That is when the lad started to wonder:
Were they all truly evil?
'The young ones are still out there. alive and well. Plotting to seize the Throne. Remember this: if and when I die, there won't be a statue of me here. Ever. Not unless I do something about it.'
At last, they came in front of a bust of a truly magnificent specimen. He was the most regal of all, his visage showing frail features with an expression of dignified acceptance.
'This... is my father. My adoptive father. His name was Tiberius, they called him the Noble Savage. He was the son-in-law of the great Sulla Hades, the only Hadessa with a mind. He... he was beloved by all, except by his own son. He was never there. Sure, he loved horse-riding and battle but he never saw me... as his flesh and blood. '
That was when the boy first saw tears on his father's face.
'I never truly understood why he chose me out of all the younglings in that breeding pen. I was no younger than five summers. Barely had any muscle on me, but he pointed his staff towards my runty head and that was it. He gave me the Builder's name as if to mock me. Thus I was adopted into the strongest family in the Dominion.'
Then, his father got to one knee and grabbed him by the shoulders with both hands.
'You remember what I say now: whatever happens, you are my boy. Understand? You are no runt of the litter. You are not something I chose to keep me entertained. You are not a pet! You are my son. You are the one who brings joy to my heart. You are the one who will bring balance to our empire. You are my greatest hope. You are my best achievement.'

By now, the sea was getting restless. The young Uruk felt tears in his eyes. But it was not because of the stormy winds.
'My boy!' he heard his father's voice.
Cerberus Cerberus turned to face his father. The Treasurer's massive size eclipsed even that of the tallest of his Gan Bodyguards.
'Father, how are you going to sail back home on this weather?'
They hugged as they did long ago, a hundred times. Fulk was rejoicing to see his son before his departure.
'You worry more about yourself. Where you're going, strong winds are the least of your worries!'
His face betrayed the terrible anguish he was in. His son tried to comfort him.
'Do not be troubled, father. I've been training for this day my entire life.'
The rain hid the tears from his father's eyes.
'My boy! My strong boy...' he whispered.
They made me do it. I had no choice, son.
'I'll make you proud. I promise!'
'Just come back safe!'
Such a silly, human thing to say! Cerberus Fulk reproached himself.
And those were the last words they said to each other, before Cerberus Cerberus sailed to Avalon.

Watching the galley slipping away on the troubled sea, the Treasurer grind his teeth.
He could not help but notice the obvious:

the most influential Uruk inside the Dominion was sending his only son to war.

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Five







Uruks can live forever. All they have to sacrifice is their sanity.
-Anonymous




The boat hit the shore, letting more water in through its perforated hull, to soak its almost dead occupant.

'Mother- Callisto, you have not forsaken me!'
These were all the words the poet Ullon had left in him, before falling onto the wet sand. His already frail constitution was pushed to the limit by the voyage around the world.
Sole survivor of the Conquering Dread, a galley capsized somewhere around Slavia, he had given up hope after weeks of being adrift and feeding on nothing but salted pork and seagulls.
Luckily for him, he had still some octla left so he mostly spent the cold nights drinking himself to sleep.
He was thoroughly drunk when the Zhuliki found him, on the beach, almost naked and unconscious.
'Tell me, young fellow, which marvelous land is this so I can write about the place where I found my death...'
The man spoke no Black Tongue, as it was expected but dragged the Uruk to safety, anyway.
The snows and ice were not to Ullon's liking, his feet frozen stiff but the octla he shared with the Zhuliki, in his tent and they were good friends afterwards, even though they couldn't understand a word of each other.
Soon enough, the Zhuliki got Ullon on his elk and even though more people flocked to their side, women and children mostly, the man waved them away.
The locals were all wearing bear and seal pelts, a far cry from the feathers and brightly colored, jade encrusted garments of the savages of Mesocala. Judging by their attire, Ullon assessed he was somewhere up north.

'As far up as no Uruk has ever gone before...' he said to himself, half-drunk.

'You don't talk much, do you?' Ullon addressed his host. 'Say, you wouldn't be carrying me as sacrifice to one of your Gods, would ya?'
The hunter grunted, as a sign to the Uruk to stay silent.
'A man of few words, indeed.' the poet whispered.
He remembered his first encounter with the Great Paynal. What saved his life from certain death was that thick skin of his and the fact that the sacrificial daggers kept bouncing off his chest. That was the first time when they've ever encountered an Uruk.
Ullon called the Unworthy by his brethren, because of his frail constitution, was no fool. He even managed to settle a trade agreement. Seeing how beautiful the Paynali women were, he hoped his stay would be a long one.
Especially for the liquor.
But all his nights of party were cut short when Alpha Thesseus the Merciless decided to slay the Paynali envoy. From then on, all Uruks in Mesocala were fair game. So Ullon said goodbye to Centehua, Cihuaton and Citlalmina and gathered all the octla he could carry and sailed away on the first ship home.
It was a hard thing to do to leave such beauty behind!
When news came of Alpha Thesseus' death, slain by his own officers, Ullon was not glad. He knew that this meant the war would go on, forever. So he set up to go south and explore the mountains of Huang-Chuan.
In the end, that nearly killed him.

So,yet again, he was at the mercy of a stranger.
'So, tell me, what do you people worship here? The snow? The Ice? The chilling winds?'
Then Ullon felt silent. Not because the hunter told him too, but because they have arrived at the gates of a large camp, guarded by two of the biggest creatures he ever laid eyes on in his life.
'By Callisto, they're bigger than Aztlans...'
The giants were ice-covered, their skin pale-blueish in color and their temperament cold as winter. Their large hands carried huge spears made of tree trunks. Their beards were frozen but could not hide the stench of their mouths.
They were the ones that opened the heavy iron gates.
Ullon was pushed through by the hunter who waited outside. It was as if the camp was forbidden ground to him.
Then, the Unworthy let out a gasp of surprise.
'Do my eyes deceive me?!'
But it was true. The flag of the Dominion was perched high in the middle of the camp. It was an old, battered battle standard, but he'd recognize the crimson hand with its talons anywhere.
'So far up north...'
From the snow covered huts, a figure appeared. The foreigner unveiled his face, removing the furry hood from his eyes. It was an Uruk, tall and well built, but wearing the attire of the locals.
'Welcome to New Demos!' he said in Black Speech.
Ullon was speechless. For the first time in his life, he had nothing clever to say.
The warrior raised his arm.
'Follow me. This way, to my master's chambers.'
They strutted through the camp towards a giant Longhouse.
'It's no Governor's Villa, but you'll get used to it.' the soldier said.
Inside, there was warmth. Uruk Gans dressed in furs guarded some of the prettiest local women dancing around a great fire and in the middle of the Hall, there was a pool of boiling mountain waters.
Ullon was shown to his seat, a modest looking wooden chair.
And from the pool emerged the largest, most powerful looking Uruk he had ever seen. Through the steam, his eyes glowed, fixed upon the poet.
Then, as his face was revealed, Ullon the Unworthy thought his heart might give way and burst. He could hardly speak and his mouth gaped.
'What's the matter, stranger? You look like you've seen a ghost.'
The Uruk leader smiled. His wet, black hair was still dripping when ten maidens came to dry him off with their hands.
'You have a million questions, I presume. I shall answer each one at a time. You want to know how I arrived to these lands? The same way you did. These people have not fought us, upon landing. Instead, their daughters were happy to be with us. Can you imagine? Humans not wanting to hunt us down or use us in blood games! These people were special! They saw great opportunity in the union of our two races. The one thing that they asked of us was that we helped them against their enemies, the ones they called the Skraelings.'These people were special! They saw great opportunity in the union of our two races. The one thing that they asked of us was that we helped them against their enemies, the ones they called the Skraelings.'
These people were special! They saw great opportunity in the union of our two races. The one thing that they asked of us was that we helped them against their enemies, the ones they called the Skraelings.'

Still, Ullon the Unworthy had no words.
'You're probably wondering how I survived all these years...' the Uruk leader continued. 'Well, I can tell you that now I know the answer to that age old question: can Uruks live forever?'
Ullon started praying out loud to Callisto, the All-Mother.
'It's no black magic, stranger. There's no need for praying. Yes, Uruks can live forever. All they have to sacrifice is their sanity.'
Ullon fainted.
Seeing this, Spartacus Hades, legendary son of Alpha Cerberus the Builder, began to laugh.

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Six







It's all fun and games until someone dies.
-Sulla Hades on politics




The funeral procession was massive, for someone as lowly as a provincial Magistrate.
The crowds gathered in front of the Temple, living proof of the deceased one's importance.
'Are you sure he'll appear?' Carl Gustav asked his hooded friend.
'He's a Gan. He'll be here.' Geru answered, keeping his face hidden from sight, as usual.
Won't do us any good if I keep pestering him, thought the Faustian.
Ever since Arandorf, the Uruk had been a loyal comrade, always at his side, through thick and thin. Where his human comrades failed, he succeeded. Although they served different masters, the two were now friends.
Friends in the broadest term of the word. More like business associates.
The mass of people was beginning to stir.
'Look, they're taking him out!' a Reptarri beggar called out.
Soon, everyone was pushing to get to the front. This was the moment Geru's been waiting for. His hand on the pistol, he strutted ahead.
His human companion kept his distance.
Sure, the monster was instrumental in getting the rest of the guns to the Resistance, but all was done for the sake of vengeance. Gustav knew, deep down, that the beast was doomed to fail, one way or another. But, assassination or not, he still had to cross the Badlands to get back home.
He still had to report to his peers the success of the mission.
Watching the hunched form of the Uruk creeping ever closer to the official column, he felt a sense of relief.
Brutes and men cannot coexist. That much was true. Inquisitor Mercurio was right.
The Imperial Creed said that no idols ought to be worshiped beyond the Necessities of Man. Karl Faust founded his Kingdom on these rules.
But those were happier times, when men fought against men, with gunpowder and lance. Before the black beasts and their wizardry enveloped the land. Before the fall of the Free Cities.
Now the Valiente and the Faustians were fighting side by side. Mankind was on the brink of collapse.
A new age was dawning: the age of the Uruk!

'Heard he was royalty, that one.'
The raspy voice of an exotic creature disturbed Carl's thoughts. He turned to see a Reptarii harlot standing close by, looking straight ahead at the procession.
'From an ancient family he was. Uruks don't admit this, but he was one of them.'
The Faustian found himself fascinated by her shinny, blue, scaled skin. Despite himself, he was feeling a bit peculiar.
'You're wondering how it feels like, aren't ya?'
'W-what?!'
' My skin. I saw you looking at me. Go on, touch it.'
The Reptarri female was smiling, her hands up on her hips.
She noticed I was staring. Ach, Gott!
There were others like her, all around. Fantastic creatures more beasts than men, hoofed legs, horned skulls, wolfish eyes, all were watching the funeral row. Monsters of Hadeea... thought Carl Gustav. Brought here to colonize Ibellica.
To drive off Man from his own land.
'Say, am I not pretty enough for ya?' the lizard woman hissed at him.
'No, no, you're fine. More than fine.' he managed to answer. 'Is just that... I have a wife...and I...'
'Don't worry, soldier. I'll make you worth your while.'
She took his own hands into hers and pressed them against her scrawny chest. Gustav could feel the coldness of the reptilian skin through the corset. He wondered if... Then they heard the shot.
Geru, you mad bastard!
The crowd went wild. All around, lizardmen and goatmen were running all across the plaza. The cacophony of screams and snarls was deafening.
'He tried to kill the Cleric! Get 'im!' an Uruk Gan was roaring, in front.
The massive brutes were pushing people aside, as if they were twigs. Their dark armors shined like grim warships parting up the stormy sea. Onlookers were making their advance very difficult.
From nowhere, Geru appeared.
'Let's go, Shara.' he whispered, his face all sweaty. 'I failed.'
'Did you at least managed to see him fall?'
'No, worse than that.'
The Uruk's cracked lips turned upwards, in a brief caricature of a smile.
'I hit a priest.'

*


'Do the children have to see this?' Claudius Oddus, the massive brute, asked his delicate wife.
His whisper echoed inside the white walls of the Temple.
'They do.' answered Wilelda. 'If they ever want to achieve something with their lives.'
Eothese, only a babe, cried in his father's gigantic arms. By their side was Demuth, a girl barely past her 9th spring, holding the hand of her two year old brother, Dragos. They were both watching the marble slab upon which the body was displayed.
'Kids, this is your uncle, Atlas Cerberus. Come closer, so you can see his face.'
Wilelda guided them to the front. The children stared down, with cautious eyes.
'He was the son of a great leader, a chief among his people. He was also the one who...'
For a moment, their mother voice broke as she fought back the tears.
'...killed your grandmother. '
'Why did he do that?' asked Demuth.
The Magistrate's face looked terribly thin, due to his long trek through the wilderness towards civilization. But he looks at peace now, thought Wilelda.
'He wanted power. Unlimited power. You see, children...'
She touched her brother's cold forehead.
'This is what happens when you don't think of the consequences.'
She leaned in and grabbed Demuth's chin.
'And if you ever think of stealing something that is not yours, make sure there are no repercussions. Or else you'll end up like this.'
Wilelda turned and caressed her dead brother's gaunt cheek.
'Farewell, brother. I will always love you.'
She kissed his closed eyes. To this, her husband let out a low snarl, in disgust.
'Time to go, Wila.'
The black robbed Priest of Callisto was sitting beside them now, signaling that the final moment has arrived.
'Yes, yes, I know.' Wilelda wiped the tears from her face. 'Come, children, let's walk uncle on his last road.'
The four Uruk Gans rose the sarcophagus and carried Atlas Cerberus' remains outside.
Behind them, the family followed.
'You want our children to be like Atlas?' Oddus whispered as the sun's light invaded their sight. 'Why did you show him to them?'
'So that they don't grow up like Atlas My mother gave him everything and she paid the price. I won't make the same mistake.'
Her brute of a husband snarled again.
'You'll understand, Oddus.' Wilelda pressed her nails into his muscular arm.' One day, you'll thank me.'
'Make way for the Guard!' a Gan in front was bellowing.
She looked up at him. He looked strong for his age, strong enough to destroy anyone that stood in their path.
Wilelda knew she could trust him to protect her and their children with his life.
The sun was shinning. It was a beautiful day, despite the circumstances.
Then, they heard the shot.
'Get down!' roared Oddus and instantly grabbed the children, pushing them to safety behind their uncle's coffin.
The Gans unsheathed their broadswords and jumped into the crowd gathered below the Temple's steps.
'Did you see him? Who fired?!'
Wilelda clutched her daughter close to her chest. It's the Treasurer. Here to finish what Atlas started!
'Stay here.' Oddus ordered her, calmly as he always did.
My beloved... Wilelda's eyes filled with tears as she watched him descend the stairs. He always kept his cool in extreme situations. That's why she chose him to sire her children. That's why she loved him.
Then, mere paces away, she saw the dying Priest, praying, his pale faced turned to the heavens.

'In your hands I lay my life, may I forever burn by your side, Mother of Life, Keeper of Secrets, Supreme Heavenly Goddess...'

'No, Mother.' she heard a voice say, a new voice, someone whom she had never heard before.
Wilelda looked down and saw her son, his yellow cat-like eyes, transfixed on her face.

'Father strong. Father kill.' spoke Eothese, for the first time in his life.


*


'I served with him, you know, at Apelia.' Perseus Charon told his friend, as they were watching the sarcophagus go by.
'Not a fighter, more of a talker. He knew a lot of jokes, though...'
'Apelia? Isn't that...' the other Uruk replied.
'Aye. The last bastion of the Valiente. The very city we're in.'
The monster grinned, pointing to the ground.
'This is where I killed their Lord High Marshall. '
Close by, a ragged old man was listening. He tried to hide his intentions behind his white beard and an unkempt appearance but try as he might, he could not keep those memories away.

'Ramon, this is our last chance.' his lord was speaking directly to him, as if it was yesterday. ' If we slay the leader, the rest will break! Follow me!'
With this being said, Simon Ruyz, Lord High Marshall of the Ducado de Valiente charged the fray. The Uruks took the blunt of the impact, their monstrous bulk shielding them from an impact which would've killed lesser foes.
Ramon was only 32 at a time, but he was one of the Guardias Musqueteros so he loaded his musket, prayed to God and jumped off the parapet, following his lord and master.
That was when he saw it. Both Simon Ruyz and Secundo Areas, the Last Prince, shinning like angels in their ornate armors had cornered one of the monsters leaders. His back to the wall, the beast was staring death in the face.
'' El Duque está muerto!* Fall back!'
The desperate cry went like a hale through the ranks. Men began to cry, everywhere, their hands still on their swords. Through the wailing and the screaming of women, Ramon saw deeds of valor he would never forget.
He saw Valiente soldiers cutting down the cursed black robed heathen priests before they could set forth their fiery enchantments and open up the gates of Hell. He saw women fighting alongside men, shooting with arquebus and hitting with the spear. He saw Guardias Musqueteros firing their last shot then killing themselves on the spot.
He saw the last heathen priest burning a large mass of enemies, avenging his fallen brothers before being put to death himself.
But most importantly, he saw the great black beast aproaching his master as it hacked its way through the ranks of fighting men and immediately he called out to his lord.
'Cuidado, mi Señor!**'
Then he saw the beast cutting down the last hope of the Valiente. With two strikes of his sword-axe, the monster unhorsed the honorable Simon Ruyz and Segundo Areas. The Prince was killed on the spot.
With Ruys, the creature took its time, slowly twisting the blade inside the visor of his helmet.
Ramon wanted to shoot but his limbs were not his anymore. Anywhere he looked there was chaos. Women were falling prey to monsters. Men were commiting suicide than risk being captured alive.
He looked down at his hands. His fingers were shaking.
The musket fell, as did the Valiente banner from ontop of the highest tower.

Tears were still coming down his face, even after all these years.
Ramon wiped them away with anger and frowned. His heart was filled with determination. His only good hand was on the dagger and he was moments away from ending the life of his lord's killer.
I lived as a slave all my life. I will die as a free man.
He could still hear the monster gloat, in front of him.
'I tell you, if it wasn't for me, Draganos Hades would've been dead. I never received any thanks for that.'
Perseus Charon stared at the family marching behind the coffin.
'This is how these Hadessa are. Always making enemies and forgetting their friends.'
The shot rang in the square, clear and sudden as thunder. Birds flew up into the sky. People started to scream.
The Uruk Gans were shoving their way through the crowd, looking for the conspirator. Ramon fell to the ground, being one of the people pushed aside by a Gan.
'Ha! Look at that!'
Perseus Charon laughed, watching the chaos unfold.
'It seems Wilelda is harder to kill than her brother! Har-har-har!'


Translation:

* The Duke is dead! (in spanish)
** Watch out, my Lord! (in span.)


Ramon Gonzales, during the Fall of Apelia

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Seven





You see me here, Lucius, in answer to your prayer.
I am nature, the universal Mother, mistress of the elements, child of time, sovereign of all things spiritual, queen of the dead, queen of the oceans, queen of the immortals. I am the moon and the stars, single manifestation of all gods and goddesses that are and ever will be, my nod governs the shining heights of Heavens, the wholesome sea breezes. Though I am worshiped in many aspects, known by countless names ... the Hadeans who excel in ancient lore and worship call me by my true name...Queen Callisto

-Callisto, the Bear-Goddess

They say Callisto shows herself to the select few. I hope I only see her when I die.
-Cerberus Fulk, the Treasurer


The angry sea hit the rocks bellow, as the Treasurer watched from the same spot he said his goodbyes to his son.
This time, a different boat was approaching. His own transport was hidden from sight, as usual.
The Uruk watched the white flag of the Inquisition curl in the wind. The envoy was coming close to shore. After they landed, the Treasurer left his own guards behind and ran to greet his guests.
The human saw a lumbering giant heading towards him, with the grace of a mountain gorilla.
The Uruk saw a feeble, diminutive creature, skinny and pale as a sacrificial lamb.
'Welcome Cardinal McLeod, to Skull Island!' roared Cerberus.
Filthy human, he thought.
The pale and frail man returned the bow.
'His Holiness is most pleased by this request.'
Vile monster, the human thought.
'I, however, do not share his enthusiasm.'
'Oh?' the Uruk frowned. 'Does my appearance frighten you?'
'Not more than the purpose of our meeting. And the ambivalence in which we find ourselves.'
Cerberus Fulk smirked and scrubbed his hairless chin.
'It will pass, in time. What news have you brought me?'
The Cardinal shook under the weight of the sea breeze and kept his long coat closed.
'Like I said, the Inquisitor is most pleased that you wish to discuss further. However, His Holiness fears that soon, the world will be left without any Christians for us to defend.'
The two walked side by side now, the differences between their bodies made more evident to the bodyguards waiting on the shore and exchanging hostile looks.
'The Valiente have been pacified. So have the Meravangians. Humans under Dominion rule are free to practice their beliefs. It will remain so, under my rule, I assure you.'
The Cardinal looked up to him.
'Treasurer, tell me... why do you hate these Hadessa so much?'
'It is not them I hate, Cardinal McLeod but what they represent.'
The stormy seas roared, covering their words. They entered the deserted fisherman's hut.
'Centuries of domination, imposed by the strong upon the weak.' Fulk continued. ' Years in which our decadence stunted scientific achievements while other nations flourish. Sure, we are good at war, but we are not good at progress. While humans develop technology, we still cling to ancient superstitious and old beliefs. This will be our undoing.'
Cardinal McLeod rose his eyebrows in surprise.
'These old beliefs gave you valiant generals which conquered continents. It is known that the arcane practices of your priesthood have offered you an unparalleled tactical advantage. Of course, to us, any heathen ritual that involves black magic is repulsive and heretical but a learned man can see its uses.'
Cerberus growled, losing his patience.
'When I am Alpha, trust me, Cardinal, there won't be any room for such gimmicks!'
It was then that the human actually feared for his life. But he managed to hide it very well.
'So, tell me, Treasurer... what are we to gain from this agreement?'
Cerberus Fulk took an air of importance.
'Well, I plan to give your Lord Marshall a Dominion's princess hand. Her name is Agnes and she has Hadessa blood in her veins, so you will have the support of the people. Then, I plan to extinguish the Hadessa male line, every last one of them. Gone. With no one to challenge my claim to the throne, you will have a strong ally in the southern Hemisphere.'
The Cardinal brushed his red tiny, beard.
'I see. I will relay this message. But... what of the old veterans?'
'What about them?'
'Won't they be displeased? I can presume that much. And I am not sure the Inquisitor will agree to this marriage.
Uruks have been the biggest threat Christianity's ever faced since the Crusades. Many men lost their families and livelihood to them. Many want to see them utterly destroyed. They fear you more than they fear the Saracens. Why? Because you are, well ...'
The Cardinal too a deep breath and swallowed.
'...monsters.'
To this, Fulk merely chuckled.
'Look around you, Cardinal. What do you see?'
'Water. I see only water.'
The Uruk leaned in, so close that the Cardinal could smell his breath.
'This is what stands between us. Nothing more.'
For mere moments, there was silence. They could hear the sea howling outside.
'Between Rum and the Dominion there's nothing but air and water. If you like to see your Palaces burn to the ground, your women defiled and your children taken into slavery to be used in gladiatorial games, then do nothing. If you like things as they are and you want your precious cities to stand for another century or so, you will take my offer. I am the one thing that stands between you and total annihilation.'
McLeod could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth.
'You are very blunt.' he finally managed to say.
' I am Uruk. We're not used to soften our blows. '
The human stared into the creature's foul face.
'So... you believe that one day, Thera will be ruled by Uruks?'
'It's only a matter of time, Cardinal. We are winning every war. And if the right Alpha leads us, then yes.'
'But that would mean slavery for all humans.'
'Only if the wrong Alpha leads.'

After their talk ended, they shook hands and Fulk led the Cardinal back to his boat.
'I can see you have already mastered the air, Treasurer! Impressive!'
Another piece of heathen witchcraft, McLeod thought, pointing to the airship suspended above the island. The blimp was all black, adorned with the bright red claw of the Dominion to one side.
'Aye. It was a gift from a Machiavellian scientist. He made this for me after I saved him from the Executioner's blade. '
The Cardinal hunched ever closer.
'What was his name?'
'Veonard.' Cerberus answered.'Veonard Linocida. But he's ours now and you won't have him.'
They both laughed a fake laugh under the same, heavy wind.
Moments later, McLeod looked on as the Treasurer embarked his airship. Looks like the monstrosity can handle bad weather, he noticed. It was then that the blimp exploded.
The fire ball lit up against the grey sky.
'Thank you, Almighty Lord!' the Cardinal cried out to the heavens. 'Faster, Luca, get us out of here!'
The flaming carcass of the airship carrying the Treasurer fell into the stormy sea.
'Silly creature! To think any Sforza will ever accept a mountain monkey as his wife! Bah, nonsense!'
The boatsman grinned watching his master's delight.
'Who set the bastard on fire, sire? Was it us?' Luca asked, still rowing.
The Cardinal turned to see the burning remains floating on the waves.
'No. But whoever did, made us a great favor.'

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Eight





When battle is joined, no Uruk thinks of anything other than breaking heads and arms.
-Toke One-Eye of Demos



In another part of Thera, a different sea was hitting the legs of a different Uruk.
The Treasurer's son, Cerberus Cerberus, just landed on Avalon. He was aware of the importance of his mission. During the trip, he kept to himself, mostly out of respect for his men. Now he was pushing the siege equipment out of the water, side by side with other Uruks.
Cerberus the Silent, they dubbed him.
'Send out the Hounds...' was the first thing he said, after hitting the beach.
Winter was here, freezing the breaths and slowing down advance. The dogs will sniff out any danger, before the scouts, Cerberus thought. He knew many perished on this island.
Many brave warriors. Braver than me.

In front of the landing parties, up on the shore, securing the flank, were five knights, on their steeds, all draped in black.
'This is the place where old Traianus* found his death.' Adaluin the Fair said to his brethren, remarking the obvious, once more.
'Pretty sure he croaked inland. Not right here.'
Vane the Mad pointed his sword hilt towards the unloading brutes. 'And I'm certain you're not supposed to mention this to them...'
'Bad for morale.' remarked Skane the Scared.
'I'm safe. They can't catch me. I'm on a horse!' Adaluin cried.
The knights chuckled, all except one.
'Inland.' Gurian said. 'That's why he sent in the hounds. That's where we're going. Now, move and keep your mouths shut. All of you!'
The Mordreds rode off, all in formation. Once more, into the unknown.

All around them, the forest was thick with snow. No living animal could be heard for miles. The breath of the knights formed little clouds in front of their visors.
'Shouldn't we wait for the others?' Adaluin broke the silence.
'Uruks don't move fast in the cold.' said Vurd the Bald. 'We'll be waiting for centuries.'
'Luckily for Cerb-Cerb, his army's mostly humans.'
'Shut it!' ordered Gurian. 'Can't you hear that?'
Adaluin listened to the wind.
'What? The silence?'
'Exactly. No wolves, no crows, no nothing.' Gurian watched the trees, his teeth clenched.
'You know what this means, right?'
'Oh, no, not again...'whispered Skane.
'Skane, dismount. You take the point. We'll wait here.'
'Why me? Why always me?!' the Scarred protested.
'Because you're ugly enough to spare. Now go!'

*

He'd left his troops behind and he had gone up the hill, on his own. There was no one to disturb him there.
From a very young age, he knew his father hated the royals. But he never understood why. Surely, the Hadessa had paid for their popularity in blood. Many of them had died on the battlefields , giving their lives for the Dominion.
His father himself was adopted into the family by a Hadessa.
For a time, Cerberus Cerberus thought his father took his role of Protector serious. Later on, he'd realized it was all a sham, a facade to keep the rivals guessing. During the time of the Revolts, the generals fought for control of the throne.
'Let them fight.' his father snickered. ' I have the sword!'
Now that the Rudis of the Dominon had gone missing, Cerberus wondered what was left for the rivals to fight over. The one named Alpha was an upturned general and he had no fear for his life, judging by his brave deeds in Mesocala. The others schemed to have him removed, while Attila himself was seeking death on the battlefield.
The Protector of the Hadessa clan plotted to have them eliminated, while the Hadessa were busy killing each other.
Never before has there been so much turmoil.
But Cerberus Cerberus wanted none of it. What he secretly, craved for, was a wife.
It was in that moment that he spotted the Avalonian Yeoman, hunched behind a tree.

*

Cursing his bad luck, Skane the Scarred tiptoed through the hedges. His helmet off, so he could hear and see, the Mordred was the picture of caution itself.
He did not want to die needlessly. Not that there was a family waiting for him, or anything, it was just that he'd seen so many of his friends die, that he'd lost any appetite for heroics.
A long time ago, Skane thought, carefully removing a branch from his face.
That's when he saw them. Hundreds of them, laying in wait. Archers, for the most part. No heavy cavalry. That was good. The ambush was set up nice and dandy, all he had to do now was turn back real slow and warn the other before...
'Hurgrakat **!'
That Uruk roar, somewhere far behind him, got all the Avalonians to their feet. Soon, one of them spotted Skane.
Bloody marvelous...
The Mordred squire swore as he ducked for cover. Arrows were already whizzing through the air, nearly missing him. Without any thought to the codes of chivalry, Skane turned and ran.

*

The Yeoman was a large, burly man but he had no time to draw his bow. Cerberus Cerberus was upon him, like a shadow from the Underworld.
He thought his cry would warn the others. He thought of Traianus Hades, of Arcadius the Conqueror and of all the Uruk generals that had died, because of their carelessness. He cursed his own foolishness while punching a hole through the man's throat.
Soon, others were upon him. Humans, all heavily armored, this time. Men-at-arms, these were called. He remembered reading about them in the chronicles. Not yet knights, but eager to prove themselves.
Although unarmed, Cerberus Cerberus was nimble enough to dodge their poleaxes. Fresh out of the Academy, his wrists weren't hardened yet as with mature Uruks but there was only a matter of time before a human would be quick enough to slash through his defense and...
'My lord!'
The cry announced the arrival of a black knight and his steed as they smashed their way through the group of enemy soldiers. Soon enough, three more knights dashed to the rescue, reestablishing a perimeter around their lord and master.
Vexilles, Cerberus first thought then realized his mistake. The Vexilles had a dark greenish taint to their armor. This ones were fully black.
'Mordreds, I thank you!' he growled.
'Don't thank us, m'lord!' the first knight replied. 'The battle's not over yet!'
But by that time, Cerberus Cerberus was already at peace. He knew the day belonged to the Dominion.
The woods offered no protection to the Avalonians, now that the Uruks were close to them. What followed was a massacre. Close quarter combat through ice and snow.
The Vexilles and the Ly Kan Crossbows had a field day, taking down routing enemies. Many Avalonians burned alive during that cold, cloudy, winter afternoon. The battle itself was fought at the edge of the forest.
Yeoman archers, Squires, all ran for their lives.
In the end, Cerberus Cerberus was presented with entire rows of prisoners.
'Let them go.' he said. 'There's been enough killing for one day.'


Cerberus Cerberus after his first battle in Avalon




*Traianus Hades: son of Sulla Hades, killed in the first Avalon campaign
** Ambush! ( in Black Speech, composed of Hur- army and Grakat - to break apart)

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Forty Nine





None of you are allowed to touch this axe-sword.
Not until you wrestled others to the ground for it.
That is the Uruk way.
-Toke One-Eye to young recruits

Fate is blind. Fate is a one-armed giant that squashes or lifts you up in an instant, depending on his mood.
-Ullon the Unworthy



All around him, Uruks were laughing.
He was back in the arena again. Helpless and sweating under the old Hadeean sun.
This was the place of his nightmares.
'Go on, finish him!' the trainer was goading him. 'Show 'im who's boss!'
Despite himself, he was shaking. The other recruit in front of him, looked harmless, almost as scared as he was.
'I... I can't...'
He turned to the Lanista.
'Look at 'im! He's... he's just a boy. He's done me no wrong!'
'Why don't you throw a poem in his face then?!'
A mocking voice echoed from the crowd. That's when they started laughing. They always do.
He dropped his wooden sword onto the hot sand.
Then he heard it, the moniker which would stay with him for the rest of his life, in each and every town and village under Dominion law.

*

'Ullon!' he heard his name as if through a dream. 'Ullon, wake up!'
The chieftain's guttural voice roused his mind into full alertness.
'I apologize, my Lord. My reveries caught the better of me.'
The ancestor of all living Hadessa leaned in his throne. He was inspecting him as a curios child inspects a new toy. The cave was warm, despite all the ice around them.
'Is the old flea market still standing?'
For precious seconds, Ullon failed to see what the living legend was talking about.
'The flea-market... You mean, the Market District! Oh, my lord! Nowadays, it's as big as the Old City was. You could lose a whole day just walking from one of her ends to the other. Everyday, thousands of merchants from all across the Dominion come there, to show off their wares. You should see it with your own eyes! Perhaps you will, one day.'
The old war hound was not convinced.
'Tell me, why should I risk my Ice Uruks all the way down there...'
Spartacus Hades pointed a clawed finger to the dying embers on the scorched ground.
'...When we can live like kings up here, drink giant's blood and cavort with daughters of enemy chieftains?'
Ullon the Unworthy pressed his palms together and rubbed them hard.
'Because the fire down there will eventually come up here, my lord. And you will not be spared.'
In reaction to this, Spartacus pulled his head back and laughed, his giant mane arching in the air.
'You think we'll melt like icicles? You think we fear death?'
'No, it won't be fear that will melt you, but the fires of the Black Priests of Callisto.'
The chieftain's face hardened.
'Let's say I am willing to follow you, out of curiosity. Undertake this journey for the price of a wooden sword and a few noble harlots. Risk the lives of my Uruks just so that you can see Demos once again.. I want you to do something for me, first and foremost...'
Ullon the Unworthy swallowed, his eyes wide opened.
'Anything, my lord.'
'Prove your allegiance to me. Step into the fire-pit.'
Without any options left and with all eyes on him, Ullon did what he was told. His nightmares had a tendency of becoming real.
The pit itself was nothing but a large hole, dug in the ground of the cave, by hundreds of slaves. Made to resemble a fighting arena.
'See, you can take the Uruk out of the arena...'
Spartacus' voice echoed through the massive cave.
'...Forgot how that saying goes...'
The chieftain scratched his chin.
'Anyway, if you'll ever going to be one of us, poet... you'll have to face the same challenges as we did, when we first landed. You see, behind those doors lies the secret to our longevity!'
There was something big behind those wooden gates, Ullon knew. Something monstrous, beating on them with large paws, like drums of war.
'Mother Callisto, have mercy on my soul...'
Ullon was praying again, his lips quivered as he stared into the darkness. All above, Uruks were chanting and stomping their feet.
'Brace yourself, poet!'
The gates exploded, splinters raining down upon Ullon's terrified face. An ice giant stomped out and roared at the poet, death frozen in its eyes.
'We couldn't find a blind, one armed one for ya, but I trust this one will do fine!'
The chieftain's laugh became a bestial roar.

*

The tavern was filled with laughter as Tessa walked in. Everywhere she looked, Uruks were singing.
'What's all this ruckus?' the Blonde-Giantess asked her friend.
'Haven't you heard? Their Treasurer is dead!' cried Yma, the raven haired girl. 'They're celebrating. Apparently, he wasn't much liked.'
'Looks like it.' Tessa added, examining the crowd for possible customers.
Her gaze fell on a young woman, sitting by herself in a corner. A working lass by the looks of her. Why is she alone? 'What's a matter, girlie?' she approached the stranger.' No luck tonight?'
'Leave me be.'
'Why so gloomy? Usually I don't talk to competition but you have such a pretty skin. Ashamed not to use your assets, if you know what I mean. You should smile more. Then the sailors will come rushing in!'
Tessa tried to caress her hair, as black as night it was, but the woman flinched and soon enough, a dagger was pressing against the blonde's throat.
'I said... leave me be.'
Her eyes were black as night as well. She means bloody business. Tessa could tell.
The doors creaked opened and a bunch of dusty Uruk Gans walked in. That killed the singing. The Uruks stared at the Gans, in hateful silence.
'Which one of you maggots do I have to kill to get a drink around here?' the Gan Captain growled, dominating the room.
The brunette leaped out of her chair and approached one of the Gans.She's dancing with the Big Boys, I see. This girl's going places, Tessa thought. No wonder she has a knife on her.
The Blonde Giantess was close enough to hear what was being said between the woman and her lover.
'I saw him! As clear as day! He was here. He was aiming at you!'
The Gan puffed in disbelief and shoved her aside.
'I'm not interested in your games anymore. You've been bait, nothing more. And a poor hunt, at that.'
'Don't you see? He plans to kill us both!' she insisted, unimpressed by the monster's enormous size. 'He was the one who shot the priest!'
'Who? Who did?' the Gan Captain intervened, well within earshot. 'And you reported nothing? Hector, this will not stand!'
Before Hector could answer, the Gan Captain was silenced by a blow to his head. His massive body fell to the floor.
Then came Hector's turn to receive his portion.
The huge Uruk that downed them both roared with glee, to his brethren.
'Looks like Gan's back on the menu, boys!'
After this, the Uruks and Gans started fighting each other, with gleeful abandon. Tessa grabbed the young woman and dragged her out of the way.
'Come with me if you want to live, lass!'
Outside, the chilled night air brought a blush to their cheeks.
'I didn't catch your name. I'm Tessa by the way.'
'I'm...'
But the stranger couldn't finish. Instead, she let out a scream. Tessa turned and noticed a black figure emerging from the shadows.
'Hello, Yana.'
Geru smiled and fired one shot.

*

The priest was bound to a chair and gagged.
So that he cannot conjure up the flames of Hades upon us all, thought Cerberus Cerberus as he approached the prisoner.
The room received light only from a tiny window, way up high near the ceiling. It was meant to make him feel deprived of nature's help.
'Take the gag off.' he ordered the torturer.
'But sire, he'll...'
'No, he won't. This won't let him.'
Cerberus Cerberus pointed to his dagger.
'It's safe, Abraxas. Trust me.'
The torturer complied, but not before spitting on the floor as a sign of mistrust.
'Now... where were we?'
The priest gasped, taking in the rancid air of the cell.
'You... have the wrong man...' he whispered.
'That's what they all say.' The Uruk smiled and looked at that ceiling. 'See that little window? Imagine that's the last time you ever see sunlight. Now, tell me: who killed my father?'
The Priest of Callisto shook his bald head, violently.
'It wasn't us, sire, I swear on Her holy breasts! We had nothing to do with the explosion!'
To this, both the torturer and the Uruk lord, laughed, side by side, in front of their captive.
'How gullible do you think we are? They found traces of Hellfire all over the wreckage. The blimp was drenched in it.'
Cerberus Cerberus drew his dagger and caressed the priest's cheek with its tip.
'How can you say such lies?'
The priest's face turned sour. His eyes shone like two boiling cauldrons. When he spoke, he had a different voice.
'Do you think my adepts are the only ones to use Hellfire in battle?'
'Holy Mother, forgive us!' the torturer fell to his knees.
Unimpressed by the priest's antics, the Uruk lord continued.
'If not your adepts, then who?'
This time, the Priest's voice hit them like a hurricane.
'SEARCH WITHIN YOUR SOUL, BOY!'
The room itself shook, from top to bottom. The scrawny bald man drew his head back and from his mouth came a torrent of flames, engulfing the ceiling.
'Mother, have mercy on us!'
Cerberus Cerberus was fascinated by the red flames. He drew closer, ignoring the torturer desperate cries. The Uruk lord swore that he could see a woman dancing in the fires. Her hair was a rising flame, as bright as gold. Her eyes were two beacons of hellish light, transfixed on him. She twisted and swirled like a candle's flame.
'You never were a believer, were you, boy?' Her voice was now echoing in his head. 'You thought I'll come to you as a bear, didn't you? Sorry to disappoint you.'
Her fiery hand touched his face and he could feel his own flesh burning.
'Remember to watch behind what is seen, or you will forever be blind, Unbeliever.'
Then it was dark and Cerberus Cerberus was on the floor.
'Master! Master, answer me!'
Abraxas was shaking him, against all pomp and decorum. When he opened his eyes, the room was the same. No flames, no goddess, all except the priest who was smiling and looking directly at him.
'Now you see the truth.'
Cerberus Cerberus pushed aside the torturer, refusing any help in standing up.
'Let him go. The Priests are not to blame.'
Abraxas spat again, in frustration.
'Then who?!'
The Uruk lord stared at the tiny window.
'Our true enemy has yet to reveal himself.'

*

'Is this truly necessary, sire?!' Ullon shouted at the top of his lungs.
The giant was now catching his breath after chasing the prey for over half an hour.
'Well, you said you wanted to be one of us. So, live like us!'
The living legend was busy cleaning his fangs with a whale bone.
'I killed my first Jotnarr when I landed on these shores. This is why these people worship me. I've cured them of their troubles.'
Spartacus Hades wasn't even paying attention to the scene, anymore.
It's like he knows I'm dead already! Ullon thought, then yelled:
'At least give me a weapon!'
'You think I had one when I got here?'
The Uruk lord squinted his yellow eyes. 'All our Armoury went down to the bottom of the sea!'
To this, Ullon the Unworthy said nothing. He just yelped, like a helpless dog.
'Oh fine! Here, catch!' Spartacus threw the bone inside the arena. 'Who can resist those puppy dog eyes of yours?!'
Ullon jumped flat on his belly to catch it. A tooth-pick, that's all I get.
By then he was caked with mud from head to toes. But he was alive and that meant the world to him!
The Uruks looking down started to chant his name. The arena reeked of Jotnarr feces.
This is not all mud in my mouth...
Ullon spat on the ground. The giant roared as it stood upright.
'Time for a Second Round, poet!' roared Spartacus Hades. 'Are you up for the challenge?'
The Jotnarr was already charging, head first, like a giant ice bull. Ullon jumped out of its way, just in time.
He avoided getting crushed so many times, now it seemed like second nature to him. But the grueling effort was beggining to take its toll.
Won't be long now... until I won't be able to jump anymore.
He shoved his new makeshift dagger several times into the side of the colossus. The whale bone did nothing to penetrate the thick, icy, blue skin. Useless! It's like poking a bear with a hairpin!
Ullon stared up at the spectators.
Among them, he spotted the Zhuliki hunter that rescued him on the beach. The man was pointing to his mouth, unbeknown to his brute overlords.
He's giving a signal! But what do you mean?
Ullon was tired. His mind was not making the right connections anymore.
'Aye, sure old man. I could use some drink right about now!' he addressed the air.
His thoughts were in disarray. He truly felt unworthy.
Maybe those lads at the Academy were right. Maybe I don't deserve to live.
When the giant's hand grabbed his waist, he didn't even struggle.
Maybe I'm just a big, giant mistake. Uruks aren't made to write poetry.
He was still holding the whale bone.
This toothpick is a joke, like my life. To die here, in the hands of a toothless giant! Such cruel fate...
Ullon remembered the hunter and that mysterious gesture of his.
He's right! I can't harm him from outside, I have to go inside!
As the Jotnarr was trying to swallow him whole, Ullon pushed his arm down the titan's throat and placed the toothpick there, perpendicularly.
Soon, the gigantic brute dropped him and began to cough. The coughing turned into convulsions as the Jotnarr choked and fell on the cave's floor.
The Arctic Uruks were yelling ovations. Ullon could hardly stand.
Spartacus Hades himself jumped in the arena. He had one axe in his hand.
'This one was old and wanted to die in battle.'
The Uruk lord pressed his palm over the giant's eyes.
'Fare thee well...'
The Hadessa hit the Jotnarr's chest with all his might. Ullon heard the bone break, under the axe.
'Farewell, Uvo! Goodbye, old friend!'
Spartacus pulled the giant's still beating heart out of his chest.
'Here!' he offered it to Ullon. 'From this day onward, you are unworthy no more! Now you are Ullon the Mighty!'
All the other Uruks were chanting his name. The poet blinked in disbelief.
'What do I do with it?' he asked, still holding the heart.
'Eat it.'
Once more, Ullon did what he was told.

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Fifty




Do not hit below the belt.
Do not hit him in the back.
Do not hack him when he's down.
These are the rules of combat.
Respect your enemy as you respect your own sword.
-Toke One-Eye




'I...' Tessa muttered through full lips. 'I've never seen one of you cry before.'
Geru was holding the still warm body of his former mistress. He raised the smoking pistol to Tessa's cheek.
'You will not see much else if you don't leave right now.'
'Funny. That's what she said before you killed her.'
That remark made the Uruk's scarred face soften. He was in pain, the kind of pain she could use to her advantage. Tessa pushed her luck.
'Look, you loved her, that I can see. She betrayed you, that's why you did this. Crime of passion. Trust me, darling, I've seen my share of these too...'
Geru did not speak. He still looked at the face of Yana, as if he was hoping she would wake up.
'Let me take her place.' Tessa came closer and stroke his neck. ' I can be real gentle, you know.'
'I've warned you before, woman.'
His body tensed under her touch. Tessa could sense the aggression flaring up inside him. Geru stared into her eyes, making her blush. She had no idea if the brute would slap her or kiss her next.
A voice interrupted them.
'Found yourself another one? So soon?'
The man was not bad looking, a bit too Teutonic for Tessa's taste. She could see Faustian heritage by the way he kept his blonde mustache curled upwards and by those awful pants. The mercenary spotted the dead woman. His blue eyes became fixed on that scarlet flower blooming in her chest.
'You finally did it, I see.'
'Our friendship ends here, human. Take this other one with you.'
But that didn't persuade the Faustian.
'You want the Gan? He's inside, a bit out cold at the moment. I can fetch him for you.'
Geru allowed the lifeless body to leave his embrace. He rose to his feet.
'No. This is done. I have no more will to kill anymore.'
'Too bad.'
Another voice erupted from the shadows. This sounds like trouble, thought Tessa. She instantly reached for her dagger, hidden inside her skirts.
'Because we need Uruks like you now more than ever.'
The monster advanced, his heavy boots striking the pavement with brutality. Another Uruk, this one's missing an eye.
'Who are you?' the Faustian asked, holding his hand close to his own pistol.
Everybody's armed and ready. Tessa was tensed and very much in the present moment.
The Uruk ignored the human but presented himself to the other Uruk.
'I'm Toke of the First Legion, sole survivor of Traianus Hades' Avalon campaign and loyal servant of the true Alpha.'
Geru smiled.
'Toke died at Hoth. You can't be him.'
The other Uruk grinned as well.
'What I am or cannot be hardly matters now. We are ready for battle once more. Will you join us, Geru of The Saint's Chosen?'
Tessa felt the Faustian's hand slowly grasping her arm.
'I can handle myself, pretty boy.' she whispered and showed him her knife.
'Ja, so I see. But this smells like official Uruk business. The kind we're not allowed to see.'
'Why not? We're citizens of the Dominon.'
The mercenary smirked and winked at her.
'We're humans, first.'
The two Uruks were speaking to each other in Black Speech, but she could understand it pretty well.
'Join you? Since when has banditry become a noble profession?' Geru growled.
'We're not thieves, brother. We're soldiers. On our way to the place where true redemption lies.'
Others were exiting from the darkness. All of them were missing eyes, like they were part of a cult.
'Where is that?'
'Demos.'
Outnumbered and outgunned.
'This is it, Fraulein. Make your peace with Herr Gott.'
The Faustian was shielding her with his body.
So very noble... Futile yet noble.
'At least I die in good company.'
She pinched him, where the sun didn't shine. The Uruks turned to them.
'Are these creatures with you?' the cyclops asked Geru.
'Aye. They're my friends. Let them be.'
Tessa jumped in Geru's arms.
'Take me with you!'
Geru laughed, a harsh laugh it was, an old wardog's howl.
'This is no adventure. This is civil war, whore.'


*

The chilly winter wind was blowing hard into his long, dark mane, eclipsing all sound.
Spartacus Hades, leader of the Arctic Uruks was on deck, exploring the cloudy horizons. Next to him was the newest addition to his retinue.
'But if the place is crawling with Jotnarr, why go there? Why risk your entire army?' Ullon the Mighty asked.
In front of them, the island stood, a pale slab of ice, her surface pocked with dark clusters of tall pines.
Even the trees are menacing. Her silence made her feel even more like a tomb, in the poet's eyes.
'Because it's there.' his lord replied.
With that remark alone, the leader made Ullon feel worthless again. He talks like I don't understand the Uruk way. Like I don't know bravery.
Just then, his master spoke again:
'And Ullon... These thoughts... They do not belong to you.'
The bald Uruk blinked. He'd lived with his lord for quite some time now and yet he still struggled to understand the metaphors in which Spartacus often spoke.
'I... I do not grasp the meaning, my master.'
His lord smiled towards the heavens.
'These thoughts do not belong to you anymore than you do to them. You are no longer that weakling.'
'Aye, but that weakling knew how to survive!' Ullon raised his voice above the waves. 'And there's no getting alive out of this situation! Once you step foot on that island, you and your soldiers will perish! Every piece of that island hates you. Every rock, every tree and even the rivers themselves will be used to destroy you!'
He had guts to speak to his commander that way. Few did and survived. This pleased the living legend.
'You see, this is why I don't kill you, Ullon. You always speak your mind. Even when it's in the wrong.'
For a moment, Ullon feared that he might've said too much.
'Sorry, my master. I didn't mean to speak out of place. I do not wish to challenge your tactical genius.'
Spartacus Hades roared towards the sky.
'There he is, the coward is showing his face again!'
Ullon went silent, his heart beating faster than a mouse's.
'The truth is that you have no idea how this endeavor might end. And this scares you. You're more afraid of being alive than dead!'
His master was now staring straight into his eyes.
'Like I said before, these thoughts do not belong to you. They belong to the craven you once were. You are Ullon the Mighty now. Act like it. '
Without any warning, his master turned and left the deck.
Ullon was not trembling anymore.
But the island was still there, waiting for blood.

*

The fort reeked of death and fear, but most of all, it reeked of defeat.
The ragged remains of the last Valiente army were all gathered there, worn down soldiers preparing themselves for their final stand.
Outside, the Uruks were battering down the gates.
Among the half-frozen wretches waiting for the monsters to break in and finish them off, was an old man, a veteran of many campaign, a survivor shamed by the guilt of surviving.
This time, I shall die, Ramon Gonzales promised himself. A world without Valiente is not a world for me.
Once an Arquebusier, he was now armed only with a sword. His arquebus was lost, a long time ago.
When he saw Duke Ruiz die, slaughtered by the black beasts, he went mad. And probably at that time was his weapon gone. After failing to avenge his lord's death, the old Conquistador left the confines of the city and took to the fields, searching for the last remnants of the armies of The Sangre Valiente and when he found them, he gladly joined what has left of his people.
No better place to die but this.
The Valiente were proud, even in defeat. They still held their banners high. Ramon looked around and was pleased that he would die in good company.
Upfront, a huge crash announced that the gates were down. The men rose to their feet and joined those that stood, hands tensed and faces grim with determination. No one will shame the honor of Valiente today!
From the front, he could already hear the distinct sound of flesh being hacked to pieces by a heavy, bronze blade.
'They're inside!' someone yelled.
We're too close together, Ramon observed. This type of warfare favors the beasts. They like to fight in close quarters.
He saw the Knights of Santiago, last ones of their kind, their white cloaks stained with mud, advancing towards the thick of the fight, lances held high.
As if they're on parade!
A crowded fort was no place of Jousting Knights. Soon, Ramon could hear the roars and snarls of victorious Uruks, accompanied by the cries of dying horses.
'Let me out of here!' a young peasant boy screamed in front of him.
'Cobarde!' * Ramon spat through clenched teeth and struck the boy senseless with the pommel of his sword.
They will be upon me soon, the veteran realized. Madre di Dios, let me get just one! Let me die like a man. That's all I ask...
Bodies were falling in the mud. Humans were screaming for mercy. The dark brutes were chopping men down, by the hundreds.
It's what they do. It's what they've always done. It's what they do best...
The old man felt hot droplets of blood hitting his face as the man in front of him fell to an Uruk's blade.
'Dios, yo doi mi vida en tus manos!' ** Ramon whispered.
The monster looked at him with glowing eyes. His dark skin was crimson from the blood of all the people he killed.
The scimitar hung above the ground, adorned with human entrails.
'Vuelve al infierno, demonio!' *** Ramon Gonzales shouted but the blow never came.
Instead, they stood around him. All in a circle, their weapons lowered. Ramon's sword slashed only air.
'Fight me! Kill me! Malditos! ****'
No, I can't be the last one. No, Dios, no! Not again!
The brutes stepped aside and through the gap, an Uruk bearing no arms walked in the circle. A character of some importance, Ramon could tell by the quality of his armor.
This monster was paler than his brethren, shorter but no less ugly, his leathery face crisscrossed by long, deep scars.
A few grunts from their chief and Ramon was seized and pushed to his knees in the cold mud.
He wasn't the only one kneeling. To his right he saw the very boy he knocked out, looking far too young to be there in the first place and scared out of his mind.
'They're... they're setting us free, right, senor? That's why they've kept us alive, no?!'
His blue eyes starred into Ramon's weathered face, searching for any sign of hope.
The scimitar fell between his shoulder blades and the lad died, without even a gasp.
As Ramon looked around, he saw this scene repeated, over and over again, men of all ages, being put down like dogs. However, none of the prisoners begged for their lives. None, because they were Valiente through and through. To the very end.
When his turn came, the veteran was almost glad. His eyes were full of tears but he smiled to the brute.
Let it be over...
'You are far too old to be waving that sword around.' the Uruk commander addressed him.
Ramon could understand Black Speech, after living twenty years in servitude.
'Know that I, Taurus Vlad, have set you free.'
The creature leaned in closer, its yellow eyes fixed on Ramon's face.
'This isn't mercy for I can see you crave death more than anyone else here.
I want you to tell the other humans about me.
Tell them Taurus is coming.'



* Coward! (in Span.)
** I give my life into your hands, God! (in Span.)
***Go back to hell, demon! (in Span.)
****Cursed ones! (in Span.)

[Alwyn]

A brilliant AAR! The quotes from Toke One-Eye are a nice touch! I'm intrigued by your style of writing, with each sentence on a new line, like a poem.

I wonder if you would like to enter this story in the MAARC. Submitting an AAR in the MAARC normally includes writing a short 'teaser' and adding a link, so this acts as an advertisement for your AAR. You could also be welcome to advertise this AAR on the Advertising Board thread, of course.

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

I've been promising myself for ages that I'd read this. I wish I'd got here sooner - it's excellent!

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Fifty One




A human dies a thousand deaths. An Uruk dies but once.
-Dominion proverb


In Demos, agitated crowds took to the streets, demanding to know who ruled them. Fulk's death left a huge gap in the hierarchy which some prominent Uruks were more than eager to fill.

Lives of the Alphas
Ulon the Unworthy


The General was walking the Halls of the Palace alone, despite being warned not to. The Acolytes who tried to stop him were still licking their wounds.
Despite his age, Tiberius Divinus was an imposing brute, the tallest Uruk in Hadea by the time he finished the Academy. His face betrayed a concentration uncommon to youths. He slammed opened the doors to the Treasurer's cabinet.
'Where is he? Where is his body?!'
His roar made all the puny Ly Kan librarians scatter every each way. The cloaked figure behind the massive oaken desk did not move one bit.
'Who is in charge here?!' Divinus roared again, his armor rattling on his massive chest.
'I am.' the hooded man took down his cloak, revealing a face that would've been benevolent if not for the tattoos darkening the icy gaze of those soulless eyes.
The reveal brought Tiberius Divinus' ire down a significant notch.
'Great Shaman!' he exclaimed. ' I... I didn't know you were here!'
The High Priest gave a dignified smile, of one who was too wise to care for such nonsense.
'Governor, what brings you to our humble place of worship?'
The Uruk General swallowed his anger.
' I came to see if all matters were in order. For... for the sake of the Dominion!'
'Naturally.'
The old man's smile revealed a set of serrated teeth.
'And you came all this way, just to see us. We are flattered. Truly we are!'
The General bared his fangs. He could stand it no longer. His ears told him that the Gan Guard was still far away, down the hall.
Miserable old sod! If I draw my sword now I can gut you like a fish before your precious guards get here...
Yet, there was something in the old man's body language that warned the Uruk to stay put. The fossil has something up his sleeve...Who knows what?!
'This... is a Library, not a church!' growled Divinus, in frustration.
'And this is Hadea, not Mancu!' retorted the High Shaman. 'You are quite far from your province, are you not?'
'I told you, I had...'
'Yes, yes, you had to make sure everything was in order. I'm curios, though... at only sixteen summers, could you be... the youngest usurper in Dominion history?'
The High Shaman licked his lips. He noticed the brute's demeanor rapidly changing.
It's like taking sweets from a child! the wizard thought.
Tiberius Divinus did not took lightly to the implied threat.
'How can you accuse me of this?! I built Slaughter Shrines on the bones of defeated enemies! I've turned whole tribes of savages to your fate!'
'Yes, well, I'm afraid Our Goddess cares little for the love a few unwashed nomads profess to her. They, in turn, only respect strength, something you threw away when you deserted your post just so you can come here to climb on a higher chair...'
There was something like sadness in the man's eyes. It was like he almost regretted what was to come.
By that time, the Gans had already arrived and encircled the giant Uruk. They waited for the High Shaman to give the order.
'But still, I suppose you're right. I myself visited the shrines of Mancu, I've counted the skulls of the Lao Che. You do serve Callisto with all your heart. So it would seem.'
Tiberius Divinus lowered his large head.
'I am at your disposal, my lord.'
The old man smiled again.
'Good. For we need a commander like yourself when the fires of revolt reach our shores.'
Hearing this, Divinus looked up.
'You have news of the rebels?'
'More.'
The High Shaman allowed tiny flames to dance around the tips of his fingers.
'There's a storm coming, child. Something these lands have never seen. And you and I are the only ones who can stop it.'



*



'Truly, the most hideous creature I've ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes on!'
Rema.
Holy City, founded by Remus after his brother's death. Home of the Grand Inquisition.
Inside the Great Hall, Cardinal McLeod was giving his report to the Grand Inquisitor, in the most private of settings. There was no one else there, except for them.
'What did the Uruk demand of you?' asked Inquisitor Mercurio, his voice as soft as silk.
'It wanted a marriage. To mix its foul blood into one of our noble families, possibly with Caterina Sforza or some other princess.'
'What did he offer in return?'
'Peace.'
The two men laughed in the empty hall, their laughter breaking apart in countless echoes among the marble statues.
'Everlasting peace with the Uruks...' Inquisitor Mercurio rubbed his pale chin. 'What was said next?'
'I told him that it was in the Inquisition's best interest to maintain peaceful relations with the Dominion but the latest actions of their generals in the conquered territories were deeply troubling to us.'
'Have you told him about the massacres of Christians?'
'Of course.'
'And what did he say?'
'He said all that will change once he's appointed leader of his people.'
The two men laughed again.
'I have to admit, Cardinal McLeod' the Inquisitor wiped the tears from his own eyes 'I haven't been amused by such trivialities in a long time!'
A moment of silence followed.
'Then what happened?'
'He blew up.'
Cardinal McLeod was not joking.
'Do elaborate for us.'
'That infernal machine of his caught fire just as it took flight. Something to do with the engines, I think.'
'Sabotage?'
'Possible, but it was not by our hands. Perhaps the very man that invented the thing decided to give it a short fuse. A Machiavellian named Veonard Linocida. We have no records of him Linocida. We have no records of him.'
'Perhaps he can be ascertained.'
'Slim chances, Your Holiness. By now, as the prime suspect of this murder, he's undoubtedly into Dominion custody.'
The Grand Inquisitor frowned.
'You believe this Fulk character was mad?'
'I wouldn't say mad. Perhaps a mere idealist who paid dearly for his dreams of grandeur.'
'How did his people saw him?'
'By my understanding, he was hated by all. The nobles saw him as lowborn and uncouth, while the common folk believed him to be a tyrant. An upturned pretender, Lord knows they had their share of those for decades!'
'So who's now on the throne?'
'Nobody special. A mercenary who got lucky and now seeks to die. But Fulk wasn't on the throne, Your Holiness. He ruled from the shadows, as a giant spider.'
'They killed him nonetheless.'
'Aye. This leads me to bleive that a civil war is coming soon. Perhaps this is our time to strike.'
'The Greystokes are still out there.'
'They've lost Talaveira. All of their Ibellican possessions now belong to the Uruks. They are no threat anymore.'
Inquisitor Mercury closed his eyes.
'Still, I prefer to wait. Let the Uruks slaughter each other. Once their cities are in ruin, then we shall attack.'
Cardinal McLeod knew this was a sign that his superior wished to rest. He bowed before the Holy Chair.
'Your Holiness.'
The Cardinal's soft shoes gave no sound on the pale marble floor as he left the Great Hall. Once alone, the Inquisitor addressed the shadows.
'We shall have ourselves a real good time.'



*



'Do you think he's really dead?' Wilelda Oddus asked her husband.
They were alone in their own private chambers.
'Your brother?' the brute grunted. 'He looked dead enough to me!'
'No, you ox!' Wilelda slapped his hairy chest. 'I mean Fulk, the Treasurer. Do you think he really died like they said he did?'
Claudius Oddus scratched his diminished forehead.
'I fail to see where you're going with this...'
'What if he staged his own death to flush us out?' his wife continued. ' Then, when we're all out in the open, announcing our intentions to the world, scouring ourselves for a piece of throne, that's when he makes his entrance, to save the Dominion from turmoil and pretenders! He's come to give Demos back to the people!'
Her massive husband snarled, without saying a word. It was his own way of showing exasperation.
'Don't you see? It would be the perfect chance for him to get rid of all the competition!'
Claudius Oddus bared his fangs.
'You think I'm crazy, don't you?!'
Wilelda's eyes were on fire.
'No, I think you have too much time on your hands.'
'That's what I would've done if I was him. Stop laughing! This is serious.'
'Oh yes, the conspiracy of a dead Uruk!'
She smiled and looked into his eyes.
'Has anyone found the body yet?'
To his wife's latest question, Oddus was silent.
'So, there IS a possiblity that I may be right. Oddus, we have to find out what happened to the Treasurer! If he lives, he's going to use this assasination attempt to go after all Hadessa! It will be his only chance for revenge.'
The Uruk General grinned.
'Our interest in the corpse might show the world we had a part to play in his death.'
'He's NOT dead!' Wilelda screamed.
'The children are asleep.'
'To hell with them!'
She jumped on top of him and clasped the sides of her husband's wide face.
'I'm a Hadessa, I'll always be hunted for my blood. I know my children won't sit on the Throne of Demos but it is my duty as a mother to see them reaching adulthood safe! They bear your name but they have my blood. They'll never be safe. Not unless someone named Hades gets the throne!'
'So what would you have me do?'
The look Oddus gave her spoke of nothing but readiness to do battle.
'Find out if Fulk is alive or dead. Go to Demos, see who's running our great nation now! I'll watch over the children.'
'Show me your appreciation first!'
Wilelda giggled, being touched in familiar places all of a sudden.

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Fifty Two





If he attains the virtue of the axe-sword, one Uruk can beat ten Uruks.
Just as one Uruk can beat ten Uruks, so a hundred Uruks can beat a thousand, and a thousand can beat ten thousand.
That is the Way of the Uruk.
-Toke One-Eye of Demos





'You see that peak in the distance?' the living legend asked him.
Ullon strained his eyes to combat the iceberg's glow. He barely noticed the solitary rock, cropped against the blinding sunlight.
'That's Haakon's Lament. That's the place where 800 Greystokes met their doom, fighting the local savages. They won but they were hardly an army afterwards. Their leader, Haakon the Pirate, begged the Serpent God not to allow him to live through such a victory ever again.
They say that in some nights you can still hear his cry in the winds.'
Ullon was petrified.
'Not sure this is the right moment to talk of such matters, my lord.'
Spartacus Hades revealed all his fangs to the poet, in a broad smile.
'Why not? Because we're about to land? Think about it this way : if we die here, that means we were not worthy to conquer Demos! Rejoice, Ullon, you mighty warrior you!'
After these words, his leader jumped off the side of the ship.
Spartacus was the first Uruk to hit the shore. His Norse Bodyguards followed suit. Ullon noticed how nimble the Arctic Uruks were, despite the chainmail and bear furs on their backs. Giant boulders, the size of elephants were falling from the skies. The ground was shaking underneath their feet.
It was as if the island itself was reacting to the presence of the invaders. Huge mountain rocks were obliterating the landing troops.
Soon, everything around Ullon was just sprayed with sand and blood and saltwater.
'Holy Mother, blessed are you among all gods!'
Ullon prayed and zigzagged between explosions. Each time a wave of sand hit his face, the poet thanked Callisto for allowing him to live another minute.
It was a bloodbath, in the truest sense of the word. Uruks were not immune to mountains being crashed on their skulls.
He saw loyal Jotnarr grabbing projectiles from the air and throwing them back, But they too were overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the barrage.
Ullon found cover in a hole in the ground and contemplated his imminent demise. He never thought he would die this way, squashed by a boulder on some beach.
Such heartless fates!
Ullon believed he saw all there was to see on Thera, the Land of Torments, but nothing could have prepared him for what happened next. He saw his leader perched high onto the shoulders of a Jotnarr, riding the giant uphill as he screamed to the heavens:
'Here I am, you bastards! Come to me!'
Soon enough, as if answering his invitation, a herd of gigantic islanders came rumbling down the hill, with tree trunks as swords in their hands. The Jotnarr of Spartacus rushed forth to defend their lord. There was a huge impact of blue muscle and flesh.
The loyal titan carrying Hades found himself swamped inside the clash. Spartacus was slashing and stabbing the faces of enemy giants.
This cannot last, Ullon thought. He will be crushed, there is no doubt about that!
Then, Ullon did something he would normally not do, something out of character, even for him. He ran towards the opposition and screamed to gather their attention.
But the islanders were after a bigger prey. They seemed set to finish off Spartacus and nothing in the world could stop them.
'Now, my braves!' Spartacus roared, from the middle of the melee.
The avalanche swooped from the heights of the island, drowning friend and foe alike. Sycorax scouts, deployed by the Immortal Spartacus in the first moments of the battle, finally achieved their mission's goal. Ullon would have cheered if he wasn't under heavy snow himself.
His mouth was filled with ice and pine cones.
He thought THIS death was reasonable, somehow. Dying in the moment of victory... Every Uruk's dream.
But the fates were not done with him, so it would seem, as a giant's hand poached him out from the snow and brought him to his feet.
Ullon gasped, letting the cold air back into his lungs. He was wet, half-frozen but very much alive.
'Congratulations, poet!'
Spartacus Hades was still on top of his bloody giant, looking more radiant than ever.
'You survived! Which is more than I can say for my army...'
They were surrounded by white, immaculate snow. From place to place, a twitching hand or a leg would erupt from underneath, the only traces of a battle in an otherwise serene scene.
'I believe this is your lament, sire!' Ullon coughed.
'Indeed, you old scoundrel!' Spartacus Hades slapped the back of his servant.
'And if you weren't telling the truth right now, I would've gutted you like a fish!'
The silence between them was a welcomed change from the horrors they went through. The leader's Jotnarr grunted, finally allowing himself to fall on his rear in a moment of much needed rest. He looked like Ullon felt.
'What now, my master?'
'Now?' Spartacus spat blood upon the snow. 'Now we take over the world!'

*



My dear wife,

There are no traces of Fulk in our capital city. Except for his former allies, no one is talking about him anymore.
The Dominion has moved on.
So should you.

Yours truly,
Claudius Oddus



My valiant husband,

Try harder.
Have they found the body yet?

Yours forever,
Wilelda


My dear wife,

The body has been pulverized in the explosion. They did found his hairpin, if that's any consolation.
It was completely charred.
Guess this puts all your theories to rest.

Yours truly,
Claudius Oddus


My brave husband,

Still not convinced.
Have you seen the remains of the airship with thine own eyes?
Maybe they're covering up something.

Yours forever,
Wilelda

My dear wife,

The Treasurer is dead. They've announced it officially. A ceremony has held today, in the main plaza.
The funeral pyre was empty.
No one mourns him here.

Yours truly,
Claudius Oddus


My heroic husband,

Go deeper.
You won't find the answers you seek on the streets. Search the truth elsewhere.
Verify all rumours.
Study the mood of the people.
Enter the slums. But above all: Be Careful!

Yours forever,
Wilelda


My dear wife,

I've come into contact with an underground faction. They call themselves The Sons of Toke.
Rumor has it that they want to overthrow the current Alpha.
Must find out more

Yours truly,
Claudius Oddus


My fearless husband,

Proceed with caution.
I haven't heard of them until now. Gather more details

Yours forever,
Wilelda

My dear wife,

They're akin to a religious cult. They worship a fallen general that went by name of Toke the One-Eyed.
I remember him from way back. Never had the pleasure of serving with him, but he was the best strategy teacher in the entire Demos Martial Academy.
The Sons claim he lives among them still.
Their aim is to get rid of all the halfbreeds, they want a Dominion ruled by Purebloods.
The Grand Shaman has replaced Fulk as High Governor of Demos and a curfew is in effect.
His loyal Gans are already searching the slums for any traces of the rebellion.
So far, no Son of Toke has been captured.
They are as illusive as the spirits.

Yours truly,
Claudius Oddus


My daring husband,

Keep away from them!
They sound like fanatics

Yours forever,
Wilelda
Yours forever, WileldaYours forever, Wilelda

Wilelda Oddus,

We have your idiot husband. Send us axe-swords and dulongs * or else he dines with his mongrel ancestors.

Sons of Toke,

Release my husband or risk the wrath of a true Hadessa!

Wilelda HADES


Wilelda Oddus,

We'll take our chances.
Here's a small memento. Don't worry, he still has one left


Wilelda Oddus screamed once she saw what was in the last envelope.


*Dulongs - Standard Dominion currency

[Lord of the Drunk Penguin]

Chapter Fifty Three



Even when one's head has been cut off, one can still be of some use.
-Odo Hades



The candle on the table flickered with the movement of the waves outside. Inside the cabin, the Uruk and the woman were sharing a moment of silence.
'My master never cared for the pleasures of the flesh' Geru continued 'He spend most of his time alone, despite all the maidens from around the world, flocking to his camp to see him. Towards the end, he was wracked by terrible visions.'
The Blonde Giantess listened attentively, covering herself so as not to distract him anymore.
'He spoke of a time when Demos would burn and that he would not be alive to witness it.'
A shiver passed trough his whole body, cutting off the Uruk's words. Tessa jumped to her feet but Geru refused her aid with a gesture.
'Stay back...'
A river of blood started to flow down from his nose.
'Is this... is this the same illness that Arcadius had?' the harlot inquired.
'No...' Geru whispered through the pangs. ' This is different.'
His muscles were already in spasms and there was nothing that he could do to stop the seizure from happening.
'Get out!' he yelled at the frightened woman. 'And tell that pup guarding the door that I'm trying to escape!'
Tessa did just that. The young, one-eyed Uruk pulled out his short sword and entered the cabin in her place.
'Ha, you will need more than a toothpick to finish off one of the Saint's Chosen!' Geru roared.



Outside, on the ship's deck, Tessa was shivering. The cold sea breeze was giving her goosebumps.
That and the giant hooded figure standing in front of her.
'Careful, woman' the giant whispered. 'My Uruks are always hungry for love.'
It was him, the commander of their expedition, the legendary leader. Tessa was the tallest woman in her brothel, but on the ship, she was a dwarf compared to the monsters.
'Are you really him?'
'All that everyone's ever asked of me.' he grinned. ' You want to know, like all the rest, if I'm really the living legend or simply a fraud.'
His claw touched her breast.
'What does your heart tell you?'
The Moon was their only witness. Tessa's heart kept beating faster and faster but she swallowed her fear and said:
'Nothing. It tells me nothing. I just want to hear your side of the story.'
The brute looked up towards the sky.
'Where do I begin? Shall I tell you of a time when the Valientes thought I was dead? Or of a time when my own people left me for dead? Because you see, my dear, they are one and the same. The only difference is that I can't blame my enemies for thinking they've done their job proper, with all those spears they've left in me...'
She could tell the monster was speaking the truth, from the tone of his voice.
'But it was my men that found me. Humans nursed me back to health. While my Uruks were busy telling tales of my bravery around the campfire, my human mercenaries were cleaning my wounds and putting me back together again.
The deck creaked under their feet. It was so ominous and unexpected that Tessa let out a gasp.
'It's just the sea, woman.'
The monster took her by the throat.
'Are you going to listen to my story or not?'
Tessa shook her head adamantly. Her eyes were filling up with tears. Slowly, the Uruk allowed her to breathe. He continued like nothing had happened.
'See, Uruks cannot deal with other Uruks being badly damaged or incapacitated and so they would much rather know them gone than alive and useless. For a crippled Uruk can hold no sword and is of no use to anyone.'
Tessa was beginning to feel those differences on her own skin. Yet she said nothing.
'Finally, I decided I wasn't going to serve a Dominion that cared so little for its generals. I used my fame from my Academy years to gather some supporters and so, my new army was born from dust. The dust of the arenas, to be exact. I heard tales of false Alphas, greedy pretenders leading our empire to perdition. So I took in the rejects from Academies everywhere, valiant souls all, denied rank and title simply because their parents weren't rich. Truly, a disgraceful way to treat our warriors of the future.'
The brute looked deep into her eyes. She couldn't hear the waves crashing around them anymore.
'They started calling themselves my children and I took to them as a parent would. I taught each and every one of my sons the value of melee combat, the only true Way of the Uruk. For when an Uruk stops fighting, he stops living...'
'Spoken like a true leader...' Tessa added, her voice more raspy and her throat still sore.
'I do not wish to be Alpha, woman.' the cyclops said. 'But I will end any other who isn't worthy of the title...'
'Master!'an underling intervened. 'The old veteran, he... He's gone berserk, sire! He's already killed one of us!'
Finally, Tessa thought bitterly. Give 'em hell, Geru!
Toke the One-Eyed observed her reaction.
'Uruks go mad with time, woman. Laxity is the only mortal danger we ever face. And your friend down below is proof of this...'
He turned to the other Uruk and grabbed his shoulder, with the same care he grabbed Tessa's throat.
'Make sure he's restrained. Don't slay him. Put him in chains with the others.'
The others? Are there more on the ship?
'Yes, woman' the One-Eyed said, as if reading her thoughts.'There are other afflicted warriors here. We keep them chained until the time is right to set them loose.'
His smile was stomach-turning to her.
'I heard a human was Alpha once.' Tessa dared him.
'Aye, Old Heinz was more Uruk than some of our champions today!'
Toke seemed pleased to reminisce.
'He lived and fought by our ways. Never once did he used those pistols he got from Faust against his many pretenders. Always with the axe-sword he was, like a true Uruk. Sometimes you forgot he was human !'
The cyclops brow darkened.
'His only mistake was trying to teach us how to ride horses. All that matters for us is combat and that we die for our Alpha! We need no dumb brutes to carry us into battle upon their backs!'
'No, you got humans for that!'
The giant laughed, with the sea winds howling around him.
'You have spirit, I'll give you that! There was a time when I would've slain anyone who dared talk to me like you did!'
'Times change!' came her reply.
The One-Eyed kept silent, not biting her bait.
'What now, master?' she spoke instead.
'You're a human female on a boat full with Uruk bulls. And now your only protector has gone insane. Your chances of survival are now are pretty slim.'
'And what do you propose?' Tessa crossed her arms against her chest.
Without any words, the monster grabbed her hair and dragged her down below. Tessa's screams echoed in the wind.


Down below, she crawled into a corner as he closed the door behind them.
'I know about the advantages of hiding in plain sight. Back in the day, I encouraged all my followers to pull one of their eyes out so that no Dominion spy could get to me. Hiding in plain sight.'
The Blonde Giantess looked up at her tormentor.
'Why are you telling me these things?'
'Like I said, I'm missing one eye, but I'm not blind. No sane woman prefers the company of monsters. Unless she works for one herself.'
He caressed her cheek with his clawed fingers.
'But if I keep you close by, there is a way I can control what you send towards your Hadessa employers.'
Tessa was not crying anymore.
'Get up!'demanded the Uruk commander.
She did her best not to avoid his gaze.
'What are you going to do to me?'
'Nothing you haven't done before.' the Uruk said, looking straight into her eyes.
'Take off your clothes.'


*

Beyond Toke's fleet, somewhat far but within striking distance, was another ship.
A bigger one, brimming with cannons, its deck painted black like its sails, stalking the high seas, as a giant marine predator. She was far deadlier than all of the Sons of Toke ships put together.
A relic from another era, a time when humans ruled the waves.
'Shall we attack?' one of the pirates asked his commander.
'No, not yet. Let's see where they go first.' answered Lord Eric Blake, Grand Commodore and last Lord of Greystoke.
'At last we will reveal ourselves to the Uruks.' said Ulrich the Squid.
'At last we will have revenge.' .