《A God's Whim》


 Prologue - To entertain a god

    I am Atos, the god of war, death and revenge. I''ve been ruling over this little world of Gor for a little over a year now, in god time it''s not much I know. But, it''s been a most entertaining year, the different races have been coming up with different ways to massacre and murder each other, such creative little minds they have. My favorite would have to be forced cannibalism, the thoughts that go through their heads as they pit their captives against each other and then force them to eat the remains. Most delicious.


    But now, there''s been less and less wars happening recently. It''s been frankly...very disappointing. The entertainment value of this planet has gone to the gutter, I truly do not comprehend why they stopped their fighting but it would seem as if they have simply decided to...fear one another. Ugh, a dastardly feeling, i perish the thought of me ever having to associate myself with that.


    The more fear they have of each other the harder it would be for them to fight each other, so I''ve decided to intervene. Yes, it''s against the code of godhood but listen, I don''t follow the rules... I make them.


    For now though, let''s throw them a bone shall we? I will give this world a little bit of my power, not so large as to make them incredibly strong, but enough for them to adapt the power to their own desires. I will give you a little bit...of my blood, how about that? That''s enough for you all to...enjoy.


    Atos, who had been seated comfortably on his throne of gold and fire, stood up and gripped within his left hand a sword, curved and with uneven edges, named the Blood Oath and slit his wrists, allowing the blood to freely flow from him and began to speak.


    "These are the words of Atos, this blood will rain upon the land for a fortnight and once it has ended, let my seals of power rise in each of the different races. They will grant whomever has great desire the power they wish to have and ultimately, they will bring this world... to war..."


    Meanwhile within the human village of West Rook on a regular sunny day.


    "Big bro! Big bro! Look at what I''ve found!" In Moray''s little hands there was a beautiful rainbow stone, shining brightly in the summer sun like a gem as he was trying to show off to his big brother, Ray. "Good for you! Mother will be very happy when you give it to her as a present." As a big brother, Ray could only smile and rub his brother''s head gently, oh how he cherished him.


    Ray was not tall or short, at a height of 180 centimeters, he was considered of average height for his age at 21. He was quite strong as he had been helping his mother out from young with the farm and hours of helping her plow the fields have given him large muscles. His clothing were simple, just a regular sewn up hemp shirt and hemp pants, since hemp was the cheapest material in the human kingdom and his hair was short and clean to keep it simple but still it didn''t stop ladies from eyeing him.


    Moray was almost a split image of Ray only shorter to around Ray''s hip and he was 8 years old. However, he hasn''t seen any mention of war or dispute while Ray has seen it all, from the large armies to the small border patrols, the horrors that Ray would never allow Moray to witness in his life if he could help it. "He he he! I bet I can find more of them!" the little boy smiled as he ran off towards the nearby river, leaving Ray with a smile and a hoe. There''s always work to be done.


    As Ray returned back to his work he felt what he thought to be raindrops fall but then as he looked up he could only awe at what he saw was blood. Torrents of it across the entire land and that moment he and the whole world would bear witness to this phenomenon. "What the hell? Is this...blood?" Cupping his hands together, he collected a few drops and looked at it closely, it was most definitely blood.


    "Big brother! There''s something growing here!" Ray quickly turned to his younger brother and saw it, a blood red statue of a shield rising from the dirt and growing ever larger as the rain kept pouring down. It soon began to pull up the earth around it forming large cracks and pulling up chunks of the ground from underneath it.


    One of those chunks happened to be the one where Ray and Moray were standing upon and they were swallowed up by the earth. "Woah!" Both of them yelled as they fell in only to hit the ground almost instantly, they had fallen down only a few feet and bore witness to the base of the statue where a person literally made of blood was seated on a throne of stone and dirt.


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    Many thoughts ran through Ray''s head, what''s happening, what is that thing and I need to get Moray out of here but he could not move at the presence of the strange creature in front of him. "Moray, can you move?" Ray looked to his little brother who was lying on the floor, trembling in utter fear. Ray sighed and braced himself, even if he dies at least he''ll get his brother out of here, it''s the only thing that came to his mind as adrenaline was running through his veins.


    "Oh. I guess I''m lucky, immediately finding a suitable host right off the bat. So boy, how about y-" Before the creature could finish, Ray leapt at the creature and attempted to hold it down but in the most awkward moment, he sort of passed through and was soaked in blood as he fell to the ground in a painful hard thud. "Ho ho ho, you have the guts to try to attack me? You really are a good find aren''t you."


    Ray tried to get up but as the creature approached him, he could only feel a crushing weight hold him down. It''s presence was just too strong and he did not have the strength to even stand against him. "You''re pretty funny kid, tell me boy. What in this world could make you dive into the jaws of death just like that?" The creature didn''t have any eyes, just blood but the way the faceless one just looked at you, it would send the worst shivers through your very soul. But it wasn''t aimed at Ray, he was looking at Moray and slowly approaching him with arms wide open.


    "Ah, brotherly love. A powerful feeling indeed, I never liked my siblings to be honest but it seems you love your little brother very much. Perhaps, he is your key..." Ray, from the ground, only watched from his helpless position as it approached his brother. "No...don''t hurt him..." With great struggle, Ray fought against it''s presence and attempted to get up but fell to his knees, copious amounts of sweat trailing down his face.


    "Ha ha boy, do you want to know why what I am? I am a child of Atos, born of blood and I obey his will. Your brother will merely be a means to the end." The creature grasped Moray by the throat and lifted him high. The boy struggled and desperately attempted to push himself away from the creatures arms but he was not even able to touch it. "B...big brother....help meee...." Ray could only watch as his brother''s arms slowly lost their strength and his face turned pale, his life slowly being taken away.


    Ray had many thoughts running through his head, why is this happening to us, where did this thing come from, what was he talking about. But above all else, we''re going to die and...I want to save my brother. In his pain filled vision, the statue seemed to be glowing brightly and a hooded figure, black fire surrounding it and began floating towards him while reaching out with it''s bony arm.


    "What do you desire most." Ray looked up at it, now another of those strange creatures had come out. What is going on...? "I..." Ray managed to murmur as he looked to his brother who had long stopped moving and whose arms and legs had begun to hang lifelessly. "I...want revenge..." Both creatures looked at him and even though they had no faces, Ray knew that they were smiling menacingly at him but he couldn''t care less.


    "Very good. Atos is pleased. You will be his symbol...of vengeance." Ray roared out in extreme pain as he felt both creatures walk towards him and grabbed his arms, burning the letter A into his left and right wrists and at the end he had passed out. Both creatures then turned towards the younger brother''s corpse and moved next to it, kneeling down and holding both of his arms before disappearing.


    "Down there! There are two people at the bottom of the crater! Get me some rope!" Villagers had arrived to see what the commotion was about and immediately noticed the two brothers below. As the blood rain continued, Atos continued to watch in eager expectancy. "1 down... 7 to go."


    Prologue End.


    Authors Note: Hope someone can tell me how to remove the p''s from the chapter description. Not used to the new Royal Road functions. Also if you guys don''t see the p''s let me know too. Also proofread this. ALSO suggestions always wanted. ALSO, I''m focusing on this story for now. Thanks for reading.

 Chapter 1 - Bound with power

    Ray looked at the ground and saw himself, writhing in pain as his younger brother, whom was seated on top of him, strangled him with his small hands and yet Ray could not move. He could only watch as he slowly choked, struggled and ultimately stopped moving and in the quietness of his death, his brother looked up and smiled. "Just...like...me."


    Gasp! He awoke from his nightmare and found himself alone in an empty wooden house, he''s back in the village....was it all a dream then? But as he looked down he noticed that the burn marks were still there, Ray could only let loose a few tears as he remembered what had happened at the statue. His brother was dead. "I wish it were all a dream..."


    As he attempted to get out of bed, he noticed that under the blanket his legs had been chained with steel to the sides of the bed. The hell? But just as Ray was about to call out for someone, the door conveniently opened and revealed a man dressed like someone of the higher nobility along with a few heavily armored knights armored in what Ray recognized to be the High Guard, people sworn to protect the nobility and his Highness until death.


    There only appeared to be four High Guards but they were swiftly dismissed from the room by the person who Ray assumed to be a nobleman, then he turned towards him and...smiled. "Hello there young man, how''re you feeling?" Ray felt his head thump softly as he looked at the man and heard incomprehensible soft whispers that began to drown out his surroundings.


    "Ugh....I have this...horrible headache, what happened to me?" As he looked up, he could see shadowy figures behind the man. The figures were all in the shape of dead people, there was one who had a rope tied to his neck and another who held his head in his arm, chopped off. Ray yelled out and fell off the side of the bed, much to the shock of the man. "Hey! You alright?!"


    Ray could only reply with a loud groan as he looked back up, now the shadows are gone, the hell were they? "I''m sorry, I saw something strange but now it''s...gone." Ray quickly glanced around the room, they were just gone, no trace was left behind the wooden room then he heard the cough.


    "Ahem...illusions aside, there are more important things to worry about. My name is Cael, son to the Count of West Rook and your lord. He''s sent me here to investigate more about the um...phenomenon that has occurred." Ray knew what he was referring to, the shield statue which now shadowed the entire village with it''s enormous size was not a subtle sight.


    "I..remember the earth opening up and swallowing us up... then there was a demon and the only thought that came to me was my brother. But then...the demon killed him and... and..." Ray gritted his teeth and clenched the bed sheets within his fists as he recalled.


    Cael raised his brow as he looked to Ray, scratching his head in bewilderment. "But your brother is alive isn''t he? He''s been waiting outside with your mother since yesterday." Cael couldn''t decide whether Ray was telling the truth or if he was just another village nut, but either way he would have to report this to his father.


    Time froze for Ray as he made a dash for the window and looked down, Moray was outside running around in the dirt playfully ignorant as Ray sighed in great relief. "He''s alive...I..can''t believe..-" Cael interrupted his train of thought with another cough. "Ahem...listen um..peasant I need more details, describe me the demon you spoke of, how did it look like, what did it say."


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    As Ray was bombarded by question after question, he could only reply in vague details that didn''t fully satisfy Cael''s curiousity. "Like I said...it was a demon made out of blood and another demon covered in a dark cloak, I had to get my brother to safety and so my mind sort of... went blank." Ray however, did not tell him about the deal he had made since attempting to say anything related to it would cause some incredibly painful headaches.


    "I see...very well, take care of your headaches and I''ll be off, my father wants a report by this sundown." As Cael and his men left, Ray slowly clambered down the stairs some subtle pain in his back and legs but nothing too serious as he exited the house and into the arms of his family members.


    "Big bro! You''re ok!"


    "Thank the gods you''re alive."


    "I''m fine, just a few bruises here and there. Moray do you remember anything?"


    "No, I just remember big bro being super cool!" Ray let out a little sigh, thank the gods. Last thing he wanted was traumatizing him, if these memories were his alone, that would be great. "Alright, enough waiting around. Let''s head back to the house."


    Their house was located on the outskirts, or well what was left of it as the event had now destroyed a significant part of the land and their house lay in ruins. It seemed the damage had spread quite a bit, where are we supposed to stay now?


    In the end, it seemed that the family of three had to sleep under the stars for now. Laying down on bales of straw and looking up into the night sky, Ray couldn''t sleep. "Ever since this morning, I''ve been feeling strange. It''s like everything isn''t real anymore..."


    The silence was broken as another headache came to Ray and he heard whispers, louder than this morning. "Come to me...You belong to me now...Come to me...." In intense pain, Ray gripped his head and began tossing and turning. The markings on his wrists began glowing red and the pain grew stronger, while he was distracted with the pain he felt movement around him and found himself being pulled towards the statue.


    The closer he got, the less painful it felt and soon he was walking by himself willingly. In the dark stillness of the night, Ray once again stood face to face with the statue and to Ray''s surprise, Moray. "Moray? What''re you doing here?! Weren''t you sleeping?"


    "Ah...boy, we meet again, I must admit that this boy''s body is quite comfortable." A voice, rough and deep, that wasn''t Moray''s responded and Ray felt a cold chill run through his body. It''s the same voice. The bloody monster. "Who''re you! What have you done with my brother!"


    In a light chuckle his possessed brother responded, "I am Galathor, an entity created from the god of this world, Atos and you have been chosen to be his human champion. You should be proud, not many get to call themselves a god''s champion." What was he saying? Champion? Champion of what?


    "You must have many questions and they will be answered in due time, today I just wanted to tell you this. In three days time, there will be a rebellion in the south. You must go there and meet a man named Cael, I''m sure you two have met already. After that...it''s all up to you." With that last order Moray fell forwards into Ray''s outstretched arms, leaving him both confused and...worried.


    ...


    And in three days, the order came.

 Chapter 2 - Of Beasts and Men

    Beastmen aren''t naturally born they are an artifically created race...by humans. Cross-breeding through forceful procreation between beast and women would normally never work but then again the combination of money and magic have their... persuasive ways of making things work. Originally created as a destructive force of disposable slaves became a thorn in the human''s side when they betrayed them.


    Now they live south of us with their own nation that the humans have taken to calling the Dark Lands, for those that dare venture in there will end up as meat and bone, stuffed into sacks and used to form a wall, The Wall Of Flesh. All except the women, who are gathered into breeding pits and well, the name speaks for itself doesn''t it? He he he, it is a most entertaining experience if I may say so myself, a very...primal way to show dominance and power and all know that fear and brute strength are powerful tools for war.


    It would seem fitting that I let the world know that the little peace that they now enjoy will now be shattered, starting with the humans and their former creations. A most fitting spark to light up this world in glorious passion and death, I am Atos, and my will be done.


    A dozen voices at once, unanimously spoke with great passion to their Lord. "Thy will be done." Then there was silence as Atos watched the Aspect of revenge in great expectancy...upon his fiery throne.


    ...


    It was as the demon? Monster? Maybe even a god? I''m not entirely sure anymore... but he was right...


    News came of a rebellion, the count of Erihill a land notorious for disappearing women had been discovered to have been selling the women to the beastmen for certain...benefits. Now he leads an army of pigmen, centaurs, minotaurs and more of those gruesome monstrosities against his own kind, leaving a path of death and fire as he marched them towards the capital.


    Now a regional draft has occurred, all lands close to the enemy army''s path of attack must muster their forces and delay them as long as possible while the main army moves in from the capital at the center. "Sounds like the king wants us to be his little meat shields eh Ray?"


    In silence Ray could only look at the royal order in fear, how did it know and what is Ray getting himself into. But Ray wasn''t allowed to think any further as he felt a hard slap on the back, practically coughing out his lungs as the more rugged man began laughing loudly. "Hahaha! Getting scared boy?!"


    The man was an old war veteran named Roland, he was rumored to have been in every major campaign the human kingdom has ever launched to expand this far but was demoted due to gross negligence and bad behavior. He certainly acted the part though. "Well...maybe a little, the Count''s warpath doesn''t actually come close to our village but still, it''s...a war that no one expected."


    There was a short moment of silence between the two men before Roland burst out laughing and once again giving Ray a hard slap on the back. Now Ray was hunched over and practically throwing up his breakfast if it weren''t for pure willpower. "Still a youngling as ever boy! Don''t worry your pretty head so much, after all, we just have to stay alive eh?! Wahahahaha!"


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    Ray couldn''t answer, he was still coughing furiously. But Roland had a pretty convincing argument and also a mean arm, survive and things will figure themselves out...hopefully. "Big bro, mom wants us home! Let''s go!" Moray was tugging on Ray''s shirt, having been running around playfullyfor a while now.


    Nothing about him has changed ever since Galathor possession, in fact he''s been more energetic than before. Moray smiled and hugged Ray for a short moment before running towards the house. "Good little brother you got there Ray, you best survive and return to him." Ray could only silently nod as he looked at the little figure running along the dirt path. "I plan to."


    That night, Ray couldn''t sleep as more horrific visions appeared before him, the beastmen trampling his allies down one by one in showers of gore and bone and small little rat creatures running around devouring those that could not resist. Their screams filled the air and then his mother appeared before him but she held her own decapitated head in her arms, blood splatters all over her cheap clothes and black hair. Lifting her head up to his face, she whispered to him. "Wake...Up...Ray"


    Ray''s eyes burst open as he awoke in a sweaty panic, his breath heavy as he looked around and saw his family sleeping right next to him...safe and alive. These nightmares, what did they mean, what did the-. "ARGHHHHHHHH!" It was like a thousand banshees shrieking into his ear, a sharp piercing pain followed by more softer voices and one which was familiar to Ray. "Come boy...do not make me ask again..."


    Ray was once again led by the pain, as he came closer to the statue the pain lessened until it completely dissipated and all that was left was Galathor in his bloody form and Ray. "I trust you had sweet dreams little boy?" Galathor chuckled as he sat upon the base of the statue, his blank face staring at Ray''s. "Why do you torture me so demon?! Why me!"


    "It''s still too early for you to know the ways of my master boy...but! I can tell you about your nightmares." Ray was angry, angry at himself and the demon. The demon was too strong and he...too weak to do anything about it. "How do I stop these visions...they...they feel so real, it''s...like I''m really there."


    In a chuckle Galathor began pacing around the statue, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints that seemed to instantly evaporate. "It''s very simple boy, that is the curse of power. Those that become my master''s chosen will have to act as deserving of such power...give my master a beautiful show in the coming war and he ''may'' show you mercy."


    "What kind of master do you serve...and what am I to do with these nightmares until I am able to do this...''show?!" In his anger Ray attempted to move forward but he felt a powerful force hold him back, if he moved forward any further...he would die. "Hmm...well then, give my master a worthy sacrifice...perhaps...your family? Hahaha! You won''t boy!"


    This demon was playing with him and enjoying every moment of it, Ray could only clench his fist and grit his teeth as the demon''s laughter faded and all that was left was Ray...and the silence of the night...

 Chapter 3 - March from West Rook

    "Wake up you lazy fucks! The commander wants you all at the camp center now! Move it!" The foot soldier then made a hasty exit while the trumpets blasted in the background, not a very pleasant way to wake up but then again Ray never did go to sleep. It was as Galathor said, the nightmares kept coming, gruesome, horrific and...real.


    In a tired stumble, Ray crawled out of his tent and began wearing his clothes. Now he was a soldier, drafted into the West Rook army along with many others from the village and they were on their way to the city of Lalic, one of the larger cities in the southern region of the human kingdom to try to stall the invasion.


    They were all equipped poorly, some had no weapons or armor and there were some that were even missing limbs. It seemed like a desperate draft and recently they''ve even begun to march during the night to get there faster. All these signs made Ray nervous... "Hahaha! Ray, you look like you haven''t even gotten a wink of sleep! What, the nerves getting to you?!"


    Roland was wearing some old-looking formal armor with faded out colors with a fully-covered helmet in his left hand, compared to others he definitely was looking like a real soldier. "Just some...nightmares, kept me from falling asleep." Now wearing his slightly torn linen clothes, Ray proceeded to the meeting point with Roland in tow.


    "He hides his past under that smile."


    "The path ahead is dangerous."


    "We''re watching you."


    Ever since Ray had entered the army, the whispers had become more frequent and he began hearing them in the morning and afternoon. But they were not Galathor''s whispers, they were from a different source but for now Ray simply ignored them, he had enough of curse and would rather keep it out of his thoughts.


    Most of the army had already gathered at the point and several commanders were organizing them into an orderly...rabble. But then atop the wooden stage that had already been set up with several banners bearing the symbol of West Rook, the symbol of a grey castle with two silver knights standing at the gates of the castle, a large man stood donned in purple robes with several golden rings, waiting.


    As the men quieted down, the nobleman began to speak. "Soldiers, my name is Calder, count of West Rook and your lord. I have received grim news, the city of Lalic is under siege and the invasion army has split up their forces to raid the nearby villages." There was a grim silence as everyone heard the news, the original plan was to head to the city and hold up inside while buying time but now...we were quite helpless.


    Most of the men had begun murmuring, many spoke of the stories of the beast men and their heinous acts causing much fear to arise. "Our plan is the same, we shall continue marching towards Lalic and meet up with the other count''s and delay their forces with hit and runs."


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    At this, many of the men began yelling their thoughts out in anger. "Are we supposed to fight with sticks and stones?! We don''t even have proper equipment!" "The beastmen will slaughter us!" "You''re sending us to our deaths!"


    It looked like things were going out of control as the men began picking up rocks while the commanders drew their swords but then a recognizable figure decided to show his face. It was Cael, dressed up in colorful plate armor with helmet in hand, a lot like Roland''s attire actually. "Men please! Of course we don''t expect you to fight with your current equipment. For now, please go speak to my quartermaster and take some of the equipment there."


    "Isn''t he one of the High Guard?" "Is he really just giving us such good stuff?" "High Guard armor is awesome, I heard that not even a beast man could smash it!" In a myriad of whispers, the situation was defused and the soldiers left in an orderly manner. Before the two men could leave, Cael called to them, specifically wanting to speak with Roland." Roland I need to speak with you, bring the boy with you too. I have a job I need done."


    Inside Cael''s own personal tent, the three of them sat around a table with many maps, charts and an inkwell. Cael sighed and leaned on his hands whilst looking at the map. "I''ve gotten myself into a real pickle here...and I need your help..." Ray suddenly remembered what Galathor spoke of, find Cael and the rest of the way will be shown. If anything, this should be what the demon wanted him to do.


    Surprisingly, Roland spoke up first. "I''m guessing it''s that your father does not approve of you giving away such precious weapons and armor." It made sense, High Guards are some of the finest soldiers in the kingdom only allowing those that pass specific high level tests of combat and knowledge, their armor is specially forged to be light weight and durable but the time it takes to craft makes it so that only a select few can even think of wearing it.


    "...My father is furious and demands I find replacement equipment while the quartermaster attempts to delay the distribution of the armor. He doesn''t understand the intricate details of managing an army and he almost caused a mutiny today!" Cael slammed the table hard and began pacing around the room.


    With a heavy sigh, he looked back to us. "My scouts have reported that the enemy''s split up forces have been patrolling the woods near the city, I want you to gather up some men and get me their equipment, by whatever means necessary. Can I trust you Roland?"


    Ray couldn''t even speak a word as Roland smiled and began laughing heartily. "A piece of cake! Leave it to me!" With that, the meeting was concluded and from here on, I was about to witness my nightmares come to life...

 Chapter 4 - A mission begun

    Ray was in a forest, tranquil and clean were it not for the sounds of battle and screams of the slain. Bodies littered the field, painting the green grass in the various colors of body fluids but most noticeably, on the ground in front of him. Ray saw himself, chest smashed in by a hard impact and his face filled with small spikes of metal and wood. "I''m...dead."


    ...


    "It''s time to wake up Ray. It is not your time."


    A sweet, gentle, female voice, coaxing Ray from his nightmarish slumber as he looked up and saw the bright blue sky overhead, along with the fumes from the doused campfire. "Morning Ray, how''re you doing?" A man in his mid-30''s with a short beard, pieces of bark covering his body overlooked Ray. "Morning Gurt, where''s the others?"


    Looking around, the campsite was completely empty except for the two of them along with the supplies that Cael gave them. It honestly wasn''t much, just food and water along with some poor quality swords. Since it was a fast draft it would be expected that there would not be a lot of supplies but how were they to fight with these weapons.


    "Commander Roland said they were going to scout out the place, we probably aren''t going to win a head-on fight so we''re going to use the forest to our advantage." It made sense, against the beastmen we probably didn''t want to go against their brute strength head-to-head especially with these...weapons. "He ordered us to take care of the supplies in the meantime. So...wide awake yet!?"


    "I''m awake...but what''s with the tree bark all over your body?" On Gurt''s hide clothes there were large pieces of tree bark attached by leather straps, it looked very uncomfortable. "Ah these? It''s my makeshift armor, since we weren''t exactly given any armor to work with. I decided to make my own, how is it?" Gurt is a nice fellow, though he certainly lacked something in the brain department.


    "Say Ray, have you been in battles before? What''re they like?" Ray looked at him, Gurt was even younger than him at 14, barely even a man. His face was pale and his body was trembling slightly, his nervousness easily seen. "I have, but only against fellow humans. They were...unpleasant to say the least."


    There was a brief silence between the two of them, their heads facing the ground. "Will we survive Ray...I don''t want to die...I have a family, friends and..guh." The boy was tearing up now, Ray felt it was better if he left him alone to work it out by himself. After all, his words struck home with Ray. Death was not an option.


    A short while later, Gurt had calmed down and the two of them silently walked around the campsite when Roland and the rest of the group returned. "Ahoy lads! We''re back and guess what, we found us a nice little pick me up!" Behind Roland two soldiers were holding a live deer, hung by it''s legs and bound with rope to a large wooden stick.


    The supplies given were mostly grain and fruits so a little meat definitely helped us forget about the grim nature of our mission and the probable death we faced. Sitting around the campfire, we ate and chatted about life back back, many of the men had families back home and also had joined the wars of human unification albeit earlier and some were even part of the surrendered soldiers.


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    Then someone spoke out a most intriguing question. "Commander Roland, what makes you so special that the count''s High Guard son personally asked you to lead this mission." With a sharp glare, Roland looked at the man who asked with a sharp movement causing everyone to flinch a little but his glare was quickly followed with a sigh as he took another bite of the venison.


    It was unlike Roland to act like that, what happened to make him detest the thought of talking about his past. "I''m sorry, you all deserve to know but please give me some more time to prepare myself." With that, the men silently ate and as night came so did sleep all except for Ray who offered to take the first watch.


    In the quiet stillness of the night, only the sound of the fire kept Ray company as he dreaded to fall back to sleep. What nightmares would come to him this night, will another loved one die or will he be witness to more gruesome acts. The demon''s curse would drive him insane, he could feel it. All he could do was do what he was told and pray for a miracle.


    "The boy is alone."


    "All alone in the dark."


    "Pity pity pity..."


    Whispers deep within the forest, growing increasing louder shocked Ray and he turned around to look but saw nothing. Yet the whispers continued, growing louder as time went on, soon there was a large group of twenty surrounding him.


    "A hatchling, new to the way of the world."


    "I remember when I was his age."


    "Hah, he thinks he''s fought in ''wars''!"


    As Ray''s watch continued, the whispers became more like a conversation as the shadows began talking to one another. They even attempted to coax Ray to speak but he chose not to. There was an even larger variety of the shadows than before, now there were different species. The shadows had ears, tails, pincers and other appendages the like of which Ray had never seen before. Who are they...?


    Then there was a sudden stillness and the shadows slowly faded away whilst a larger shadow manifested above the campfire, a giant of a man with two battle hammers. Ray felt a great power radiate from it, a power...similar to Galathors, it seemed to be observing Ray curiously by the gestures the creature did with it''s fingers.


    It continued this way until it was time for the second watch, the shadow nodded in acceptance and faded back into the darkness leaving Ray many more questions to be answered. Were those shadows the same as the ones before, were they servants to Galathor to keep watch on him, only time would tell but for now...his dreams beckon.

 Chapter 5 - Wrath Of The Beastmen

    Cold...so..cold...around me there is...only ice. Armor, weapons, bodies, frozen in bloody ice. The battle over, many dead and dying. I can''t even feel my body...numb to it all. The cold even feels...nice, my friends dead and I''m all alone but I shall soon join them. I can hear their voices coaxing me to come... I go now to a better place.


    ...


    Ray awoke in a gasp, goosebumps popping all over his body as he hugged himself tight. He felt it, the cold, the pain all of it. He felt the chilling grip of death almost silence him and drag him into an eternal slumber but was it just a feeling or was it a very real danger... Either way, the nightmares were getting wors- "Ray! Wake up! We have work to do!"


    "Yes commander!" Ever since yesterday, Roland has become more strict ordering us around a lot more and keeping us busy. He apparently has made a lot of preparations just for today and would not afford anyone screwing up. As I walked by the tents, I could hear the chanting and prayers of every single one of them, begging for the gods to protect them.


    A hint of crying mixed into the prayers, there are no soldiers here, just fearful men fighting for their lives and to get back to their regular lives. All these only sought to motivate Ray, he was one of them and he sure as hell was not about to die here.


    "Men we''re moving out!"


    We marched through the forest, cutting down small branches and weeds that blocked our path with Roland leading the way. "The beast men have been pillaging the nearby villages for food and gold and I suspect they''ll be crossing a certain path through the forest to get to their next objective. What they won''t expect, is us! Wahahaha!"


    A confident speech to rouse us from our depressing morning, it certainly helped morale to know what the plan was as well as having a good leader. Immediately, I heard several sighs of relief and a look of determination as we approached the clearing. Surrounding the clearing, there were several wooden platforms constructed above the trees as well as ladders attached to each one.


    "I want two men per platform, until the beasts arrive you are to gather as many stones, spears, sticks or any other heavy objects and prepare to ambush them. Do not reveal yourselves." I was paired with Gurt and he seemed to have been affected by Roland''s leadership, a small sliver of confidence showed on his face.


    While Roland and another soldier kept watch, the rest of us gathered up as many heavy objects as possible to prepare for the ambush, Roland estimated we would have two hours before a small section of the raid party came through here. We would be able to ambush them and steal their equipment and none of the beastmen would be even aware that we were here.


    "Gurt sharpen these for me would you?" For now, we sharpened the sticks with our swords to form makeshift spears, it may not kill a beastmen but disabling an arm or a leg would be a great boon to us. Especially when they were in a small raid party of less than 10 men, one down is less dead for us.


    "Yeah sure...hey Ray, yesterday I was thinking over it and...I''m going to survive. I''ll kill the invaders and get lots of gold and then...and then I''ll return home to my mom and take care of her..." Amidst the bits of croaking in his voice and tears falling from his cheeks, the message did come through. If Ray could, he would try to help him get his wish and get out of here safely.


    An hour into preparations we heard the signal. "Beastmen! Everyone to their stations and not a peep until I give the word!" We were now in full battle mode, each pair went to their own platforms where they laid low and hid within the vegetation. As a surprise to everyone, Roland himself was positioned in the center of the clearing, a shield with a silver cross painted onto it in his left and a long sword in his right.


    Then we heard the sounds, the sounds of hooves and marching. Horse drawn carts with boxes of loot and armor came into view, carts of men, women and children bound in chains and covered with wounds. A caravan worthy of a rich lord, if not for the disgusting creatures that followed them closely behind.


    There were a group of three of them, as well as various soldiers bearing the crest of Erihill armed to the teeth in green-painted armor. Looks like the count had prepared his soldiers well with equipment, don''t think a wooden spear would do much damage to that. The beastmen on the other hand were armed with maces and tree trunks the size of a large man.


    Two were simply oversized pigs with dirt and pus covering their bodies, wearing what seemed to be leather to cover up their privates and a helmet covering the topside of their head but leaving their mouths open. While the third was a giant, standing about an adult male taller than the soldiers accompanying it, horns covered in metal and a muzzle around it''s mouth. It seemed like a captured beast but the way it led the caravan said otherwise.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "A minotaur...I only heard about them in the stories, considered one of the stronger beasts and usually leads a small group of beasts with it. It takes about a hundred coordinated men to bring them down. What are we going to d-!" Ray quickly muffled Gurt with his arm, now wasn''t the time to freak out, all our lives are at stake here...all we can do now is trust in Roland''s plan.


    But as Ray glanced over to where Roland should have been standing, he wasn''t there anymore. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen, some of the men had begun taking notice and were showing clear signs of fear in their trembling and sweat. Our leader''s nowhere to be seen and the raiding caravan was about to pass through.


    A sort of silent agreement came upon us as we stayed quiet, swallowing our worries deep within as they began walking through the clearing. The beastmen''s breath was heavy as they walked through, it was thick and the stench smelled of meat and rot, Ray felt something wet on his arm and realized it was Gurt''s spit and vomit.


    But then we heard it, Roland''s signature proud voice giving us the signal. "Now! Aim for the ugly ones first!" Everyone was temporarily stunned as the enemy turned towards the direction of the voice but we regrouped and let loose. Spears and rocks fell upon them and the beastmen without much armor took the brunt of the blow, now their attention was on us.


    The enemy soldiers began panicking and sought shelter behind the carts and under their thick armor, but unfortunately for them a certain someone was charging right at them, cleaving through two of them with a strong swing of his sword. "Come at me you traitorous dog! I''ll slaughter you all by myself! Wahahaha!"


    Roland''s sword, now caked in blood, continued to cleave down the soldiers. But with the shock of the ambush slowly dwindling away, the soldiers began to fight back. Now the time it took Roland to kill one soldier had increased and as more rushed towards him, it was about to get significantly more dangerous.


    Ray chucked one of the spears and with a bit of luck managed to land it directly into a soldier''s neck, with a bloody cough he fell. His confidence soared, we''re going to win, no one is going to die. A thought short-lived as the minotaur roared, a beastly roar that cause some of our own men to flinch. But even worse, the minotaur with one hand grabbed an empty cart and literally threw it at the platform directly next to us.


    Crash! Splat! Organs and blood sprayed directly onto us, two men dead instantly. But it didn''t stop there, with the use of the tree trunks they began bashing at the platforms. They were out of reach however, the tremors caused made a lot of soldiers fall, breaking limbs or just outright killing them. Ray was no exception, grabbing onto a branch for dear life as the others continued to peck at the beasts with projectiles.


    "RAHHHHHHHHHHH!" A blood soaked Roland rushed towards one of the pigs and plunged his sword deep into their back, now he had their attention. While the beastmen moved to engage Roland, whoever was still alive quickly grabbed their swords and slid down the ladders. "Help the commander! Kill them!"


    The yells drew the attention of the minotaur whom after witnessing his entire raiding party get wiped out was furious. With a great bestial roar he rushed at us, his hooves causing tremors with each step. In an adrenaline rushed stupor some soldiers charged straight into it''s first swing. Crack! Splat! Crushed by brute force, their bodies smashed into the trees or sent tumbling onto the ground.


    The swing didn''t stop there and Ray forced Gurt to hit the deck as the tree trunk smacked right into another man who tried to block with his sword, instead the sword got smashed into his body and he was sent flying, blood splattering everywhere. "Gurt! Pay some fucking attention!"


    A bloodcurdling roar of victory from the minotaur, many of our comrades lay dead or broken with only 4 of us left. Roland was busy holding his own against two of the pigs and this minotaur was still on us, we were doomed... "Fuck this! Let''s run for it!" The two soldiers threw down their weapons and ran for their lives only to be struck by a thrown trunk, pinning them under it.


    "ARGH! MY FUCKING LEGS! NOOOO, FUCK!"


    The screams of a broken man brought Ray to reality, it was kill or be killed, there was no more running for him. "R-r-ray...what''re you...doing?" Picking up his sword and a rock in his free hand, Ray stood and smiled at Gurt. "Run. At least you''ll survive." With that last sentence, he turned to face the beast, his confidence slowly leaving him.


    Sorry mother, brother... I don''t think I''ll be coming back after all...