The two of them walked pass labyrinths of sprawling corridors and squares, through great arch ways and emptied alleys, each less and less magnificent and guarded than the last. Loi hardly has to try to keep up with Lucious, the "Lord Inquisitor", as he's known as, led the tanned boy further and further into the human quarters of the garrisons. Fighting alongside with the elves, valkyries and Anacondrai were human, actual human, but not the tribal warriors from the dozens of refugee columns. They're well trained, better equipped with weapons made of finely crafted metal instead of rocks and haphazardly forged scraps.
- Auxila Janissarius, - Lucious exclaimed, as they moved passed the final gate leading to the outer line of defense, right at the foot of the great wall, where thousands of human have gathered, along with virtually all of the auxiliary forces. - if there's one thing you human are good at, it is this.
Loi didn't reply to the man's belittling remark, his eyes dashing from one group of refugees to another, trying to find those from his tribe, specifically those that have harmed Haru. He could Quetz roaring and unleashing his unequalled powers outside the wall, along with the symphonies of the mighty guns mounted on the wall and the cheering of the garrisons. A total contract to the grim and fearful atmosphere of the human inside the wall, as they huddled together in hastily built tents and layers of barricades. Most of them were huddling behind those barricades, while the rest has swarmed the gates, spears, blades and axes poised to engage anything that would get through.
- Chief you cannot do this!
- I have to!
A familiar voice cut through the murmuring of the crowd, arguing with someone else from the boy's village. Loi ran pass Lucious, not noticing that the inquisitor was simply standing there, his watchful golden eyes followed him as he dashed toward the gathering of familiar faces. Shoving the occasional stranger that was in his path, the tanned boy slowly came closer and closer to his kin, what pathetic left of them. He came to a halt suddenly, just a few feet away from the crowd surrounding the chief, slightly panting from the running as he tried to comprehend what's happening, what has happened to his people. Before Quetz, before everything, they were a strong tribe with more than five hundreds people, but now, they were a fraction of that, killed in the fire, the cold, or otherwise.
Yet even in that chaotic scene where what left of his people were trying to stop the chief from climbing on the mighty horse, arm clutching with a finely crafted spear, the tanned boy noticed them. Haru's bullies, his tormentors, they were still alive, somehow. He gritted his teeth, his hands coiled into fists, so hard that he could feel his fingernails digging into his palms as he looked at them, all of them, not a single one of them have perished as they should while countless others have. They stood there, eyeing the old chief, trying to stop him with what seemed like a token attempt, their pocket filled with scraps they've salvaged from around the camps. Thieves, the tanned boy thought, feeling his feet slowly shifted on the trampled snow, getting closer and closer toward the crowd, toward those…monsters, the sights of them, the memories of what they've done to Haru. Droplets of blood dripped down from his tightly clenched fists, his wounds chilled from the biting frost of the highlands as he rushed toward of the monsters that have tormented his brother.
- YOU BASTARDS!
Loi managed to let out a roar, a manifestation of all the time he had to hold back from beating them, from seeking justice for Haru, his fists now burn with hatred and anger. He leapt through the air, pouncing at his hated enemy, his fist rapidly descended, until the sensation of it colliding against flesh and bones. The tanned boy squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his knuckle exploded with pain, spreading onto this wrist as he pushed more force into the punch. The face gave way, both the attacker and the attacked fell onto the ground, yet the boy came out on top, seeing red as he crawled atop his bigger adversary still shocked and reeling from the sudden assault. He began to pound his face with whatever strength his rage could muster, screaming insults and crying, each flash of memory of Haru being tormented back in the village by those monsters only urged him to punch harder. He didn't feel pain, even when his knuckles became wet with the life blood of the bully mixed with his, he kept on punching and screaming, until even breathing seemed impossible.
- You…bastard… - Loi hissed under his frantic panting, his wet, crimson fist raised high to land another punch into the pulverized face.
- Loi! Stop!
Another hand seized his wrist, preventing him from continuing his onslaught. He tried yanking his limp free, yet the hand persisted, slowly pulling him away from his vengeance, his punishment for this…this monster. The tanned boy roared, trying to resist whoever it was that was holding him back, his freed hand reached out for the pulverized bully, trying to choke him before he was yanked away and brought into the embrace of a large, familiar presence.
- Let…go… - The tanned boy squirmed, trying to break free of the vice-like grips of the large arms holding him in place. - Let go. Let go! LET GO!
- No! You must calm down! Calm yourself! - The voice, that familiar voice urged, squeezing him tighter, as if he was trying to press the anger out of the boy.
- NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! I MUST KILL THAT BASTARD! I MUST KILL ALL OF THEM! - Loi's screams began to shake, trembling with emotions, until it all burst into tears and inaudible wails. - I must kill them…please…let me go…must kill…Haru…
- Haru wouldn't want this, boy. - The old chief spoke softly, stroking the boy's shaggy hair to comfort him. - He wouldn't want you to shed blood for him.
- No? He wouldn't want to?
To Quang's horror, Lucious walked pass him, talons splayed out, digging vicious trenches into the snow, bringing him closer and closer to the barely alive bully. The other bullies tried to flee, meld to the crowd would save them, or so they thought, with a snap of his fingers, the Lord Inquisitor summoned his subordinates to corral them. A dozen of dark elves, four Anacondrai and ten, normal looking human with pale skin and crimson eyes, not unlike those of Jean, all classed in the black of the Inquisition, wrestled the remaining bullies, all five of them, dragging them toward the clearing surrounding the pulverized man. They were brought to their knees, the cold steel of the dark elves' swords at their necks, their heads held up, so that they could see what mercy their executioner would show them.
The Lord Inquisitor walked toward the man still lying in the snow, his golden eyes seemed to glow a baleful aura as he watched the man coughs out blood, his limps shivering, convulsing and waving in thin air as if begging for someone to help him. The black haired Anacondrai could hear faint whimpering coming from the wounded human's mouth, along with the crunching noises of his jaws every time he tried to speak, but instead of words, only gurgling and blood spilled out. He smelled the hypnotizing aroma of the life blood seeping from the human's broken face, so did his entourage, noticing the Anacondrai and the pale human licking their lips, hungrily.
Lucious circled the man, each circle coming closer and closer, until he loomed over the man like the shadow of Death itself. So sad, so wasteful, he thought as he watched the man staring up at him in utter horror, his quickening breaths caused his blood to ooze from his face, garnishing a snarl from one of the Anacondrai aimed toward the pale humans. With a smirk, Lucious lifted his armored foot, slowly positioning it above the quivering man's face, talons splayed out, readied to end his suffering.
- STOP!
The inquisitor jolted at the cry, landing his foot just inches off from its intended target. He snapped his head at the old chief, Quang, who was still holding the tanned boy. He dared? Dared to question Lucious? After all he's done for them, after all his Father has done for them, after all they've done to his Young Lord? The Anacondrai stormed toward the old chief, tail whipping up the snow furiously, until his face was centimeters away from the human, who were still so brave, so confidence, not a hint of hesitance nor fear in his eyes, why?
- Why? - The inquisitor asked under a low, almost animalistic growl.
- Your kind, your father, is indebted to us. - The old chief answered, pushing the tanned boy behind him.
- Heresy!
- Blasphemous!
The Lord Inquisitor whipped his tail to silence his subordinates much like his father did, before slamming his armored tail down, dragging it in the snow, plowing up dirt as he stared at the human in front of him. Veins pulsated on his temple, his eyes slightly shivered as he tried to process the information. His Father? Indebted to these…primitives?
- Lie. - Lucious growled.
- You can deny it all you want, but it is the truth! - Quang spat back, causing the black haired male to back off. - He made a covenant with our first chief, that as long as the line of chiefdom is unbroken, he'll do everything to protect us, he gave us his word.
- And in return of His generosity, what did you do!? - Lucious barked, hand jabbed at the direction where Haru's at. - You…you tormented him! - He shrieked, eyes burning just from thinking about it. - You tortured him! You abused him! YOU VIOLATED HIM!
- AND I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO THE BOY! - The old chief roared, so loud that even Lucious was taken aback. He panted to regain his strength, eyes burning with determination before continuing. - I will take all of it, all of their sins, all of the misdeeds…I will take all of the punishments, so please…don't harm them, let them go.
- And how, may I ask, - Lucious narrowed his eyes, hissing out his words instead of speaking. - do you intend to pay for all of their sins?
- Name your price. - The old chief scoffed. - I will pay the toll, as long as you let them go, and vow not to hunt them down after I'm gone.
His fist shook in anxiety, his eyes glued to the inquisitor as Lucious walked back and fort, conversing with his entourage in their strange tongue. Behind him Loi was still quivering, but more from shock than from anger like before, the boy looked at him with his dark eyes in disbelief, his lips sputtering between each shaky breath as if he was trying to beg him not to do it. The old chief smiled, hand resting on the boy's head, ruffling the dark, messy hair of the small troublemaker in an endearing way, a quiet goodbye, before turning toward Lucious, who's done talking with his kind and was now walking toward him.
- What is your price? - The old chief asked, feeling a strange sense of relief, of ease in his soul as the words came out. He knew what the answer would be before the inquisitor even announces it, and he welcomed it.
Lucious slightly lifted his face, his glance became that of begrudging respect as he uttered the word:
- Death.
To which the old chief replied:
- Then Death it is.
***
- Scream my soldiers! - Quang roared, lifting the blazing spear at the hordes of beast-men ahead as he charged across the barren wasteland before the Maw on mighty a mighty warhorse, feeling so alive like never before. - Scream in ecstasy! For honor! For redemption! FOR DEATH!
At his sides rode more than two hundreds riders, all with spears or bolas, all burning with the baleful fire that's blazing on his weapon. Some were of his tribe, some were from others, while some were of the garrison's human auxiliaries. It made no matter, all of them shared the same goal, the same shame, the same desire for redemption, roaring out their pride as they made a suicidal charge toward their enemies, their Lord's enemies. Despite this, despite the inevitable death that awaited them, they felt neither fear nor regret. A strange sense of relief, of ease engulfed them, blurring out everything, even their Lord's frantic screaming for them to stop.
They're close now, just a few hundreds meters from the hordes and their shimmering field of protection, the field blurred out the shapes of gigantic one-eyed bull-headed beasts as they picked up boulders and giant debris and threw it at the charging regiment of cavalries. A flash of brilliant red and gold exploded before their eyes, turning the incoming projectiles into smaller debris, yet even those took out dozens of riders, theirs and their mounts' broken bodies abandoned in the snow. Still they charged, discharging the first volleys of their own projectiles, blazing fire bolts from the tips of their spears arched through the air, colliding with the force field and exploded into a thick plume of smoke, still it stood. Another volley of boulders and debris, another dozen fell, yet still they kept charging, unleashing another hail of fire bolts as they came closer.
There were only Quang and his outriders now, less than a dozen riders with bolas and spears, charging through the force field and let loose a final volley. Time seemed to slowed as the chief saw the bull-headed beasts lopped their own hail of crushed rocks and woods, a smile bloomed on his lips, he couldn't help but smile, finally seeing the truth in the vision granted to him by Quetz, ages ago when he's first anointed to be the next chieftain. This. This is his destiny. This is the death he saw.
It was quick, painless, honorable, as the chieftain, along with the rest of his riders disappeared in a plume of dust, snow, blood and smoke, it was all but a peaceful passing and he knew Quang would have wanted it this way. Yet Quetz couldn't stop gaping, eyes staring at the dust cloud where the human has disappeared into. He didn't understand, he couldn't comprehend, what could possibly driven Quang to such a radical action?
- Sire! The shield! - The dark elven commander pointed excitedly at the force field.
- It's fading. - Jean mumbled in disbelief. - It's fading!
Exactly as the pale man's said, the force field became unstable, shimmering and slowly fading despite the cheering beast-men, ignorant of their own demise. Yet despite the excited cheering of his guards, of the garrisons on the wall, Quetz remained silent, contemplating the situation. His ancient covenant to the human was broken, he owned them nothing now, he's freed of his debt. Yet why does it feel so…empty?
- Your command, sire? - Jean smiled as he bowed, eagerly waiting for Quetz's order.
- Kill them all. - The words burst from the white haired man's lips in anger, not of joy nor fulfillment, as he raised his sword, pointing at the now panicking hordes of beast-men. - KILL THEM ALL!
- With pleasure. - Jean nodded, a bit confused by his Lord's expression, but still dutifully obeyed.
The pale man slowly walked toward the hordes, dark crimson mist engulfed his form as his arms grew into two giant bat wings. With a great flap, he took off, swirling in a vortex of wings, red mist and claws toward the hordes of beast-men, behind him, the gates of the Maw opened, unleashing their own hordes of elven warriors.