by Xander Jade
The amazon looked into the distance, remembering the battle.
Rionata nodded and continued, “Yes, we did. Until your leader stripped and something oozed out of his chest, then formed into a creature thought to be extinct. If that wasn’t awe inspiring, the human shifted into something we have never seen before. We hadn't believed our sisters when they told us about the mine battle. Care to enlighten us on any of that?"
The circle didn’t say anything. Acace went on, “Those creatures just destroyed the wens like they were insignificant bugs. Now, at this point, like I said, we were observing. The defenders took over when they saw the heavy hitters get taken out, so the orcs fled back towards Azgrag.”
The two females looked over at Gurak before Acace continued, “The enormous hybrid-were shouted at us to stop them. Me being hardheaded and defiant when a male commands me to do anything, I stayed still. That didn’t make him happy at all, the bastard roared and pushed fire out of his paws. ...Now something you should understand is that not many things set fear in a warrior of Amenoa, but that creature did a good job of it. A shifter-mage of his caliber hasn’t been seen since the Dark Wars, so we jumped to it and surrounded them with the help of the centaurs.”
Gurak cleared his throat, “Did he kill them?”
Rionata advised, “Only one. Not sure what transpired on that front, but the lot of them went to their knees and bowed their heads to him. After that is where it gets interesting; the centaurs, barbarians, and werelions introduced themselves. He didn’t care one iota about them, just wanted to talk with the orcs, but the lions took offence at that.”
Val was panting with anger, her eyes changed color, about to let her lioness out. She managed to growl, “What happened?”
The amazons watched the were then looked at each other before nodding.
Acace replied, “The alpha challenged him to combat.”
That set Val off, she growled and was about to shift before Cass, Marie, and Sean held her down.
“Val, what the fuck is wrong with you!?” Cass shouted, trying to put all her weight on the lioness.
“Settle the fuck down!” Marie growled.
It took the three a couple minutes, eventually the lioness settled down.
Acace spoke after they got her to stop. “It didn’t take long before the alpha lay dead at his feet but that set off others to challenge. There was another skirmish between your leader and his group with five lions. Needless to say, it was over in a few minutes. Your leader took out the second in command of the werelions, brutally, I might add.”
The amazons shuddered as they remembered the screams. Val stopped cold, tears flowing down her cheeks. No one knew what was going on, they just let her get out what was needed.
Sasha questioned the females, “What happened after?”
Rionata continued, “Max wasn’t in the mood for any bullshit after that. He asked the remaining leadership if anyone else had issues with him or the orcs. Nobody said anything and he shifted back, then met with the factions represented.”
Acace advised, “We got dismissed and marched back into Amenoa, but I commanded two of my scouts to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. They relayed messages regarding Max meeting with the others to voice his concerns and a tale of impending doom for our planet. Demon hordes to be exact. We don’t know the full story but would like to know how he came to have that knowledge.”
Gordon responded, “We can discuss that after you finish.”
She nodded. “Very well. Our scouts followed his crew at a distance to the Arnterre Mountains before having to stop. His group found a tunnel within the mountain, but only Max went in, the others stayed outside. It wasn’t very long before they heard sounds of battle within. This only lasted for a few minutes. This is another part of the story that baffles me. The scouts said that a couple hours later, loud screams were echoing through the mountains and other very eerie sounds. Another hour went by before his group made any move to help or travel into the tunnel.”
The Inner Circle knew that Max had located who he was looking for. They didn’t know if this needed to be spoken about, though. Nobody was forthcoming with any information.
Acace sighed loudly. “I can see this isn’t surprising to you and you won’t tell us what’s going on. My scouts stayed hidden within the area for five weeks before Max came out. They thought he would go back to Augustia.” She scanned the crowd to see confused looks. She smiled. “It would seem that you thought that as well. No, he took his crew to Azgrag.”
Gasps and murmurs came from the crowd. Cass muttered, “What the fuck is his plan?”
Rionata took a breath. “We’re not sure. We believe he’s found another prison and is going to liberate it. My scouts have pulled off. I didn’t want them to get caught. We do know that the centaurs and barbarians sent for their elders and they are set to meet promptly. The werelions and remaining orcs are waiting for his return.”
The crowd was silent for a couple minutes. Cass questioned the two warriors, “Are they waiting for him to join us here?”
Acace nodded and replied, “At least the lions. We know that for sure. The orcs, since he went into Azgrag, I’m not sure.”
Cass turned to Val. She had just remembered that the lioness was from that area. “Isn’t that where your pride is, Val?”
The lioness still had tear streak stains on her cheeks. She spoke in a low voice, “Yes. He killed the alpha and the second, the pride is his by right. They are waiting for their alpha to return to lead them. I believe they only had fifteen in total.”
Rionata was confused by her remark. “I don’t think you understand. They’re all waiting for him.”
Val looked at her with narrowed eyes. “What do you mean?”
Acace cleared her throat and advised, “Sorry, we should’ve been more specific. His group killed three alphas. The prides asked him to meet to discuss options. From what I gather he didn’t know about the politics, but they all… joined him. All four prides that were represented.”
That stunned the crowd. Val was shocked still, blinking every so often. Cass sighed and grunted, “Where are they waiting at?”
Rionata replied, “They are in the woods near the Tetrand Crossing.”
Sasha glanced over at Cass, Tia, and the others. “I’m assuming since you asked that question, Cass, you’re going to meet them?”
Cass took a breath and replied, “I’m not sure. We need to talk with Val and the others before making that venture. What else needs to come to our attention?”
The two amazon warriors shook their heads.
Acara answered, “Nothing at this moment, we just wanted to share information in the hopes of learning about Max’s quest and the demon hordes coming to our world. We need to make sure it’s not a hoax.”
Gordon spoke up at that statement, “Ladies, thank you for the insightful information you have given us. If you will follow me to the kitchen, we will give you provisions for your journey and talk about the demons. We cannot talk about what Max is doing at the moment, that is his story to tell and I believe the others need to discuss what our next move is.”
They nodded and followed. Cass stood up after the trio left the area and scanned the faces of the Inner Circle before speaking, “It seems our leader is getting people to join his cause faster than we expected and things are about to start happening quicker than we thought, I can feel it. We need to get the main projects done quickly. No more arguing about minor shit, get it done.”
The gathered nodded and Cass turned to look at Val, “Sister, we need to know why you acted like that. I’m assuming it has to do with your old pride?”
Val nodded and answered the crowd, “It was hard living with those people. I’m not going to go into what happened to me, but family is supposed to take care of each other, like we are doing here. When I was with my pride, the alpha and second took what they wanted, including women and such, but never nurtured and developed our members. It was chaos, fighting and bicker
ing all the time. It caught me off guard when the amazon warriors brought it up and I reacted badly, though it sounds like my alpha tore them to pieces. We will have to watch those pride members to make sure they aren’t mentally unstable. As to the other prides, it’s shocking to hear they want to join Max. If they are waiting for him to show back up, then it may be in our best interest to go and make sure the people wanting to join us aren’t going to cause discord.”
Sasha asked, concerned, “Do you think your mother is still alive?”
Val nodded slowly and replied, “From what Misty told me, she is. I suppose we’ll find out when we get there.”
Cass cleared her throat, “Sasha, I need for you to stay here with Gordon, Sean, and the others. Val and I will take Frank, Jacob, Leena, Tia, Soph, Rachel, and some of the weres, Gurak as well. We will leave on the morrow to check things out.”
They nodded and everyone dispersed to get their duties done.
***
Jerald Ackley looked around the city as they came through the gates. His heart was troubled. First, his youngest was missing and now, his oldest was arrested for crimes against the city and residents. His brain hurt from trying to figure out what the boy was thinking. He remembered a conversation. Gordon and Blake were arguing about how Blake would handle being in charge. Gordon had pointed out that his brother wasn’t the right person to stand in when he stepped down. Jerald sighed, What a mess.
He looked over at his wife. She was distraught. Both of her boys had been taken away from her. Karen believed that it was a mistake. Blake wouldn’t do such things. Jerald wasn’t so sure.
The duo heard shouts and their carriage stopped outside of the keep. A guard opened the door and the two stepped out. Both looked up to see Princess Estelle and Lady Shea on the steps with two mages behind them. Sir John and Sir Malcolm were also nearby. The Ackleys went up to meet them.
“Duke and Duchess Ackley. Welcome home,” Estelle stated as she watched her friends come closer. She wondered what was going through their minds and what kind of state they were in.
The Ackleys bowed.
Jerald responded, “Princess Estelle, Lady Shea.”
Lady Shea stepped in. “Let us go to a private setting to speak.”
All agreed and went to the war room. Estelle started the conversation when everyone was settled.
“Sir John, would you go and find Lord Nestor? He was supposed to be here by now.”
The knight bowed and left.
“Now, Jerald and Karen, I have a letter for you from King William.”
She handed over the letter and the parents opened it to read. It stated what was done, why Blake was arrested, and then his sentence. Jerald sighed and looked up.
“Where is he?”
“In his room,” Estelle replied. “Has been since this started.”
“Can we see him?” Karen asked with trepidation.
Estelle nodded. “Yes. But remember, he is not to go out of his room alone. The two guards know their duty.”
The Ackleys nodded and Sir Malcolm led them to their son’s room. The two guards let them in and Blake looked over from the window.
“Father, Mother.”
Karen immediately went over and hugged her son.
“Blake, tell us what happened?”
He sneered, “I thought it was working out fine. These people are blowing everything out of proportion.”
Jerald shook his head, disappointed at his son. “You can’t blame this on others, son. We are aware of the things that you’ve done.”
Blake scoffed, “You act like I had people killed. I ran the city like it’s supposed to be run. These commoners are here to serve us, not the other way around.”
Karen gasped and walked away from him while Jerald sighed. The latter asked, “So, you think you’re not in the wrong? …Putting people in the dungeons and not feeding them builds character? Giving a public lashing in the square? Those are your ideas to better the city?”
Blake smirked. “Yeah.”
Jerald put his hand over his eyes and took a few breaths before responding, “Son, you can’t be the leader of a city if you don’t treat everyone with respect and compassion. Yes, I know sometimes we have to get stern in some cases, but most will abide by the rules. Your outlook on this is concerning and you’re acting idiotic.”
Blake was annoyed now. “That’s your opinion, Father. Now, when can I leave this room? I’m not a prisoner anymore, right? This locking me up nonsense can stop now you’re back.”
Karen was disgusted by her son’s behavior. “Stop acting moronic. Don’t you know how much trouble you’re in? The king wants you in the stocks for at least two weeks, then you will be in the dungeon for another two. After all that is done, you will be at the mines working for another month. You see a pattern here? This is what you did to our residents. He wants you to realize that actions have consequences. You’re lucky it’s not a year or two in the mines. The only reason you aren’t serving that kind of sentence is because of your father.”
His eyes went wide and he stammered out, “Y-Y-You convinced them o-otherwise r-r-right?”
Jerald stared at his oldest son, not understanding how he had become like this. Being ignorant of situations was one thing, but an arrogant buffoon is not what he raised him to be. “No, we cannot and will not go against the king on this. You will serve your sentence and when it is done, we will discuss whether you can stay in the keep or have you move to the countryside with your cousins.”
“What!? That’s so unfair!”
The Duke snorted and shook his head. “Fair has nothing to do with it. Good day, son. Come on, honey.”
The Duke and Duchess walked out without looking back, but they heard Blake shout profanities and throw items in his room. The couple strolled back to the great hall, talking about their son’s sentence and found the others there discussing something. When they entered the conversation stopped.
Duke Ackley asked, “What of the accomplices?”
“They are serving a year sentence in the mines,” Shea replied.
He nodded and said, “We advised Blake of his situation.”
“And we can begin his sentence?” Estelle asked carefully, not wanting to upset the Duke or Duchess.
“Yes.”
“All right, it will start tomorrow,” she said. “Now, Shea and I will help get things back to normal here. We’re to help in any way we can.”
“Thank you.” Karen smiled and bowed.
The group conversed about what had been happening in Oakenshore and what was needed. They came up with a plan and the Ackleys went to their room for much needed rest.
***
After resting outside the village, I got up on Zeus, and we left. Our group made small talk but kept our eyes in each direction, we didn’t want anyone getting the drop on us. The afternoon sun was over us when we arrived at the next village and we found a cluster of dense foliage in the forest to hide within. This particular village was bigger than the last, at least three hundred. More orcs meant more of the evil bastards.
The female orcs were all chatting while working the gardens, the children stayed close while the males were training and repairing some huts and fencing. The wens were skulking about while two overlords were sitting down by one of the huts, talking.
‘I count eight wens and two overlords.’
Reap responded, ‘Yeah, same. We may have to wait until dark for this, get in and cut their throats while they’re asleep.’
Nespea grunted. ‘I agree with that. If we don’t then no telling how many casualties there will be.’
We settled down in the foliage for the day, watching the village carefully. The ratio was still females over males, here it was at least 2:1, but considering most of them were at my place, it would be somewhat equal. The day went by slowly and I used it to meditate while the others kept watch for me. Gurak’s clan worked through the day and kept the peace. No fights broke out and the overlords didn’t rape any females, at
least that day anyway.
Dusk came and then night. We waited two hours after the moon hit its zenith. The torches were out and two wens were stationed in each direction of the village. Orcs were walking around as well. The overlords were inside their hut in the middle. I skirted around with the two elementals until we came upon our destination and stood still and listened for any indication of movement. We heard snoring from within.
Opening the door, I let the two inside while keeping watch. It wasn’t a minute that I heard gurgling and then nothing.
‘The two inside won’t hurt anyone again,’ Nespea advised as she came out of the hut.
‘Okay, we know the plan. We will take four at a time, then hopefully we’ll still have the surprise factor in our favor. Let’s move out.’
Sig went with Reap and Herc, Nespea with me. We made our way to the pukes and went to work on my signal. It didn’t go as planned. They shrieked and the others heard. I hadn’t shifted yet, instead used earth and fire magic with my blades. It took longer but got the job done and the others were running our way, so I stripped fast and shifted. My beast roared and the others followed. I sprinted towards the incoming wens at full speed and bull rushed them, knocking them down.
Grabbing the closet one by the neck, I wrenched it off its shoulders and threw it down, then pulled the heart out. My crew joined me, and we took care of the others in short order. As usual Sig and I lit them on fire, the pile turned to ash minutes later. I turned my attention to our surroundings. The whole village seemed to be awake now. The orcs were all staring at us in shock and fear. I walked towards the orc with the feathered jerkin on and stopped, waiting for him to speak, but he was tongue tied.
“We mean no harm. Just wanted to help with your pest problem.”