Khan Dorgar bled profusely all over his body. Not a single piece of his lower body was not matted with blood, not all of it his, along with the dirt kicked up by their furious movements. The Khan held his spear close to his body as yet another challenger attempted to usurp the title. The corpses littering the ground should have been more than sufficient deterrence, but each attacker thought they would be the one to finally bring down the exhausted Khan.

“You too?” Khan Dorgar spat out a mouthful of blood. “You little whelp, you certainly waited until I was tired before you dared to make your move!”

Guchugur shuffled, his hooves tapping at the brown dusty ground. He did not understand the feelings welling in his chest, only that the challengers were completely in the wrong.

“Working with the humans?!”

The challenger, a large but ultimately stupid Centaur, reared up before slamming his front legs down in an attempt at intimidation. Dorgar did not even flinch.

“We never should have followed you!”

“If you want to take my herd you’ll have to take my head!”

The challenger slowly advanced, never averting his eyes from Dorgar’s. “First, you let that Mycean scum into our camp, to whisper his words into your ears. Then you return with more human lies and nonsense?! What are we to possibly think of that?”

Guchugur winced as he looked to the Qaiviel wall, stretching the full span on the border between the two mountain ranges. If Guchugur had an inkling they could finish it in such a short amount of time he would have never agreed to deliver Dorgar’s message.

He couldn’t have known that. Dorgar’s smarter than that. He would have marched the Warherds the moment he could, not try and gather his strength.

Regardless of Guchugur’s personal feelings, the challenger spoke true. The moment the possibility of an agreement with the humans left his lips his forces were undone. Nearly half the subordinate clan leaders immediately rebelled, the rest quickly scattered when it became clear there would be bloodshed. And watching them were the humans, safe behind their walls, watching the mightiest war-herd ever assembled tear itself apart because of a few words.

Maybe they have a point. They would never fight each other over something so trivial as words.

The challenger, unable to find any opening in Dorgar’s stance, and with the other gathered Centaurs quickly losing patience after his bravado, charged.

“They’re going to kill him.” A soft voice whimpered at Guchugur’s side.

Tears streamed down Togene’s face, even though she should have none left. She held her hands close to her chest, her fingers white and her skin pale, as she watched the battles unfold. Guchugur was a little glad that she had chosen to stand beside him; a pregnant Khan’s wife was a potentially lucrative prize, especially when he had become so hated. She could hardly flee. Her stomach was so large she had trouble standing, let alone how difficult the journey had been on her.

“There’s nothing we can do.” Guchugur replied softly.

Togene yanked on his arm, hard. “But he’s the Khan. They can’t kill him!”

Togene received many dubious looks, many more filled with hate.

“Not to them.” Guchugur checked his own weapons were within easy reach. “And these are official challenges to the leadership.”

Guchugur nodded to a small cluster of elderly Centaurs.

“If the Shamans say they can, they can.” Guchugur bit his lip. “And I think they’re bending the rules already. He shouldn’t have an endless stream of-”

The challenger's roar stopped Guchugur. He ran towards Dorgar with his spear tucked underneath his arm, with every intention of ending their battle with one strike. Dorgar sneered but remained still. He waited until the last moment and threw his body to one side, slicing the challenger’s guts open with a blade from a broken spear. The challenger skidded across the bloodied dirt, screaming as his entrails caught on a stone and pulled themselves out. Dorgar picked up his own spear and thrust it through the challenger’s throat before he could manage any last desperate plea.

Though he was defeated the elders merely waved the next challenger forth, another large Centaur. Dorgar put up a brave front but Guchugur knew that he was barely standing. He looked to the elders as they desperately held back their smiles.

Those old bastards think that they’ll rule the Warherd through whichever idiot finally kills Dorgar. I’m surprised that they didn’t try to get me to do it...Would have I?

Togene whimpered. How she was still standing was a mystery.

No...No I don’t think I would. Something about this doesn’t feel right.

“Come on then.” Dorgar slammed his front hoof into the ground. “Let’s get this over with.”

“We should have never listened to you.” An Elder grumbled. “You are an outsider to us, tainted by the whispers of humans-”

Dorgar mustered what little strength remained and threw his spear at the elder. It punctured through his lower abdomen and through his horse body. Despite the Elder’s age he screamed like a little girl, his body writing back and forth as his gnarled hands clawed at the blood stained spear. The other Elders back away, unable to help, as the latest challenger continued to approach. Guchugur knew of this Centaur. He was a true brute, unbelievably stupid and strong. If Dorgar was still in his prime he could defeat this challenger with barely any effort. But his prime lay scattered in the dirt and matted into his coat.

“Me kill you!” The latest challenger roared. “You stupid and weak! Me take your mate when me kill you!”

Dorgar’s anger reached new levels. Despite his unimaginable anger he managed to retain a semblance of sanity. He looked for a weapon but there were none lying on the ground, none were willing to give him one.

“You’re little more than muscle.” Dorgar licked away the blood from his mouth. “Maybe I’ll trade your meat with the humans. They look like they could use a good feed.”

The Centaur was too stupid to understand. He looked to the surviving Elders, they gently ushered him forward, completely ignoring the dying Elder.

This is all wrong...Fuck it. I’m going to spend the rest of my life fighting other Centaurs and being attacked by the Humans if Dorgar dies and those decrepit Elders get their way. That isn’t going to happen.

Guchugur lent close to Togene. “When I move, you run to Dorgar. If you don’t they’ll capture you and use you as a hostage. Don’t hesitate. Just run through the pain.”

Togene grit her teeth and gripped her fists tight. Guchugur was surprised that she was listening without asking what he was going to do.

I’ve only got one chance at this. Shame...Rutting my way across the Conflagration isn’t a bad thing. But I do want to feel grass underneath my hooves.

Guchugur took a deep breath, the Centaurs near him were too focused on the fight to notice his hands twitch in readiness. As the Challenger approached, Guchugur ripped a javelin from his back and ran as fast as he could. Togene followed, much slower than him considering her swollen belly, much to Guchugur’s relief.

Dorgar stomped his hoof onto the challengers head. He no longer had the strength to crush his skull but a satisfying crunch rang throughout the air. The javelin sticking out his back certainly didn't help things for him.

"Are you all insane?" Guchugur yelled. Togene ran to Dorgar's side and held him tight, sobbing as she tried to stem the flow of blood. "Have you all forgotten who your Khan is?"

"He's in league-"

Guchugur mentally snapped again. He threw another javelin at the Elder who had just spoken. It struck him square in the chest, he did not utter a single word before collapsing dead.

"I've still got more if you decrepit creatures want to keep going!"

Now the Elders were hesitant to send any challengers forward. Guchugur was not weak and they knew all too well just how accurate his throws were.

"I'm fine." Dorgar held Togene's hand, if only to stop her sobbing. "It's not as bad as it looks. Honestly."

It doesn't look great. A few more hits and you'd be dead.

Togene did not believe him either.

The circle of Centaurs all watched Guchugur now. None spoke, only the whistling wind of the Conflagration.

Well, this is where we die. I've had a decent...What am I even thinking?

"Is this what you do to your Khan when things get difficult?!" Guchugur waited for someone to shout back but nothing came. "Turn on him like a pack of little runts?"

"He was working with the humans!" A Centaur, too cowardly to be at the front, yelled from the safety of the crowd.

"No! He! Wasn't!" Guchugur stomped his front hooves with every word. He felt like a foal throwing a tantrum, he was in a sense, but still no one interrupted. "Khan Dorgar only wanted what is best for our kind. If he had to stoop so low as to TALK to the humans then that is what he had to do. Are you all fucking idiots or what?"

He pointed a javelin towards the wall, towards the fluttering white and green flags of Qaiviel. "Look at how far we've come. All of the herds, bar one, rode towards Qaiviel and they throw up one wall, just one, and everything falls apart. They're laughing at us! Can't you hear it?!"

Everything fell perfectly silent and the wind dropped. He could hear the echoing laughter of the Qaiviel soldiers on the wall. They were pointing and laughing, shaking their heads and slowly lost their attentiveness.

"They don't consider us a threat anymore. And I agree with them. If I were up there I would be rolling and struggling to breath at how stupid we are!"

He pointed towards the scattering Centaur herds, retreating back to the Conflagration. "They were so weak that a few words from a human king sent them scattering to the winds. Maybe they are right. Maybe we are weak."

What the fuck am I even saying anymore?

"None of you could have brought the herds together. No one has ever done that. Except for him!" Guchugur pointed at Dorgar. Though wounded he regained some of his strength. "Who else could have done it apart from him? Under his leadership there was no war, no senseless killings, everyone had food and we were prospering. And you all have the nerve, the fucking nerve, to turn on him the moment that things don't go exactly the way you want?!"

Guchugur stomped his front hoof again. "If that's how you treat someone who wanted the best for our kind, go and charge at the wall. Let the Qaiviel arrows rip your body apart and save me the effort."

Guchugur was not surprised when no one moved. Individually Centaurs could be extremely brave, even reckless, but once in a group things changed. No one was willing to move first. And the Centaur that did would become a leader.

A large Centaur stepped forward. He looked nearly identical to the stupid Centaur Dorgar had just felled.

"What do we do now?" He spoke a little faster and more eloquently than his dead twin.

Guchugur immediately turned to Dorgar. In no way did he want anyone to think he was the new Khan, especially Dorgar. It was too much effort, especially when he could enjoy just about whatever he wanted with Dorgar still as Khan.

Dorgar held Togene's shoulders and looked towards the Conflagration. "We need to return to our camp. Take stock of what we have left and plan our next move once we're recovering."

"Surely the other herds would have gone through there." A wiry female said. "They'll have taken everything."

"Possibly." Dorgar nodded. "But they won't stay there. It's too close to that thing."

Dorgar pointed to the Qaiviel wall. Guchugur was honestly shocked to see fresh stones being laid on the outside. Qaiviel was settling in for a long war.

"So they'll head further West. I think it will be safe there, for now at least."

"I just hope they didn't take all the food." The wiry female said. "We didn't strip the plants bare, as you ordered, but there isn't much left."

Dorgar silently looked at Guchugur. He had yet to tell him of his altered orders.

"We'll forage whatever we can on the way." Dorgar patted Togene's shoulders. "We will get to the green lands beyond and we will no longer be stuck in the forsaken place."

The Centaurs mumbled, many still looked unconvinced but were willing to follow as there was little alternative offered.

Guchugur stomped his front hoof. "If any of you don't agree and want to clear your own path, leave now. If you stay, you're following Dorgar to the other side of that wall."

"Wait!" An Elder said loudly. "Are you not running back to your human-"

"Kill him." Dorgar spoke without emotion.

The large Centaur shrugged, leant back and punched underneath his head. The Elder's head clicked back and his body fell down limp.

"Three of you dead in one day." Dorgar shrugged. "Not a bad start. As for the rest of you..."

Dorgar began to cough violently. No blood left his lips, Togene looked like she was about to have a complete breakdown, but Guchugur saw something leave his lips. A faint wisp of purple smoke. It disappeared only a few hair widths away but Guchugur knew what he saw. He decided to say nothing, for the moment, in case it ruined the fragile unity they had managed.

"As for the rest of you." Dorgar thumped his chest with his fist, signalling the end of his coughing. "You Elders are banished from my herd. You were too weak and cowardly to overthrow me yourself so you sent good Centaurs to their deaths." Dorgar smirked. "Sounds exactly like a human ruler. I've never met one in battle before and I've never heard of a Khan or any Centaur that has. They're always hiding behind their stone castles and walls, letting the others die first rather than having the courage to face us!"

The Elders tried to stand their ground but their trembling legs betrayed them. Guchugur wondered when they had last tasted the thrill of battle. Evidently too long.

The large Centaur nodded. Guchugur doubted if he actually understood but was likely just nodding to act like he did.

Guchugur raised his spear over his head. “You heard the Khan. Everyone that doesn’t want to stay, leave now. Follow your wretched old Elders and watch as we cross that wall and reach the other side, a land of bountiful food and safety. It. Is. Your. Choice.”

The Centaurs murmured. Guchugur wasn’t surprised when many at the rear began to disperse. The Large Centaur roared.

“You stay. All you stay!” He pointed to Dorgar. “Khan give orders. You listen.”

If it works…

Many still chose to flee, breaking into smaller groups, despite his words. The Large Centaur grumbled as he watched them go.

“You did your best.” The wry Centaur said. “Better not to have them slow us down.”

The youngest Elder spat on the ground. “You’ll regret this, Khan Dorgar. Too much of that human has rubbed off on you.”

Before Dorgar could respond the Elders retreated through the herd. Despite their age Guchugur was impressed by their speed. Dorgar held Togene and scrunched his eyes tight as the Centaurs dispersed.

“How many?” Dorgar rubbed his brow. “How many decided to leave?”

“About half.” Guchugur softly replied. “I honestly thought it would be almost everyone.”

Dorgar scoffed. He winced and rubbed a particularly bloody patch on his chest. Togene whimpered and tried to rub it, which probably only made things worse.

“I thought they would have all gone.” Dorgar took a deep breath. “Everyone. We’re returning to the camp. We can’t risk staying here with Qaiviel so close. They could try and attack at any moment. And since that mage is still there-”

Guchugur felt the heat wash over him once again, the screams ringing in his ears.

“-We must retreat. Now, Guchugur. I want you to explain something to me while we move.”

Here we go. What’s he going to say when he realises I disobeyed his order when he was still in command of all of the Warherds?

“Of course.”

Guchugur waited until the rest of the herd started moving before walking alongside Dorgar and Togene. The large and wry Centaurs Dorgar assigned as commanders, for lack of better choices at the moment, leaving just them at the rear.

“You…” Dorgar held his stomach. “Why did you not try and become Khan? You...You could have easily killed me.”

“Are you honestly saying that?” Guchugur glanced at a worried Togene. “Honestly? Because I have absolutely no idea what I would be doing. And I think you’re doing a pretty good job. And...And it wouldn’t have been right to beat you when you’re down and wounded like that. That’s what got me to act in the first place...It wasn’t right.”

“I see…” Dorgar took a deep breath. “So...Why did you change my order? I believe that I ordered you to have all of the plants harvested, not most.”

“You did not.” Guchugur clenched his fists. “I do not like Gustavo or what he had to say. It always felt like he was pushing for you do to something. Pushing for you to attack Qaiviel...Sooner or later than you should...I don’t know. But I know that harvesting every plant, after you’d spent so long to try and cultivate them, was very, very strange. So...I changed it.”

“I see.” Dorgar shook his head. “When we return to the camp we’ll have a chat with him.”

“You don’t actually mean to get his advice?”

“Gustavo seems like a good human.” Togene rubbed her back and side, towards the bloated stomach swaying between her legs. “He always had an interesting story to tell of the world beyond the Conflagration.”

Guchugur scoffed. “I think he might have been lying. Anything to stay close to the Khan.”

Dorgar raised his hand. “Regardless, we will need to find him and see what he has to say.”

“Did...Before you exiled the Elders.” Guchugur pursed his lips. “Did you feel anything strange?”

“It felt like some of my fatigue left me.” Dorgar clenched his fist. “Probably to when I killed the fifth challenger.”

Togene held his hand. “I’m so glad that I didn’t lose you. I don’t want to raise our child without you. I wouldn’t want to try and raise them without such a magnificent father.”

They shared a kiss, both ignored the blood covering Dorgar’s face as he pulled a faux disgusted face.

“But,” Dorgar lightly kissed Togene again. “I did feel better just before I exiled the Elders.”

“A swear I saw a purple smoke leave your lips.” Guchugur said softly. “Just like that wine he had.”

“I only had some from time to time…” Dorgar frowned. “We’ll find the truth when we arrive at the camp.

---[]---

The camp was an utter ruin. Everything had been overturned, burned or just simply destroyed. Guchugur was not surprised when he saw even the Khan’s tent had been destroyed. Togene whimpered at the sight. Though the Centaurs never had much to their name the small trinkets and artefacts they collected were precious.

“They even smashed the golden necklace.” Togene shakily leant down and picked up what remained of the necklace. “They didn’t take it...They just destroyed it.”

“They really hated Khan Dorgar.” Guchugur said softly.

“Can you really blame them?” The wiry Centaur female rested both of her hands on her head. “They thought that human was controlling him.”

“And what about you?” Guchugur became consciously aware of where the javelins were on his back.

She shrugged and lightly kicked at a ruined piece of cloth. “Doesn't matter to me. I don’t like Humans but Dorgar was able to keep us all fed. That’s more than enough for me.”

Guchugur accepted the answer and looked across the camp. The Centaurs that had decided to follow Khan Dorgar despondently mulled through the remains, trying to gather anything of value. He was surprised they had already managed to collect a small amount of food and miscellaneous goods. It wasn’t much but it would keep them going for a few days at least. Only a few Centaurs had remained while they marched on the wall, those too young, sick or old to properly ride with the Warherd. They had run away when the other Centaurs had come through. Thankfully only a few had died but they were shaken. None left when they discovered what happened, though Guchugur was sure it was only because they were too slow and weak to carve their own path.

“Khan!” The large, and somewhat stupid Centaur, shouted loudly at the edge of the camp. “I found the human.”

Gustavo had not been found in the Khan’s tent, nor did any of the surviving Centaurs know what happened to him. Judging by the way the large Centaur spoke it did not look good for the human.

Dorgar slowly trotted to the large Centaur, along with several of the other warrior Centaurs. Having the Large Centaur working for Dorgar was more than enough to confirm their allegiance. Dorgar stopped before the Large Centaur and sighed.

Gustavo lay dead, clearly having been trampled and crushed. His body was mangled and was missing both of his arms. Guchugur didn’t like the human but still felt that he didn’t deserve such a fate.

“No sign of who did this?” Dorgar asked.

“No.” The Large Centaur replied. “Was like this when I found him.”

“The blood is cold and dry.” Guchugur said softly. “He’s been dead for a while. Probably when the first Centaurs came through here. Probably one of the first things they did when they reached the camp.”

Dorgar knelt down to Gustavo. Though he was clearly dead Dorgar still placed his hand on his chest.

“You were a great help.” Dorgar said softly. “I will never forget that you took me in, fed me, and taught me the ways of true war and conquest, not petty raiding...What’s this?”

Dorgar began to rummage through Gustavo’s shirt. He reached deep underneath his shirt and produced a small talisman. It was not made from stone or metal, like those Guchugur expected the humans would wear, but from teeth, bone and small feathers and even pieces of skin.

“What is that?” Togene asked.

“I don’t know...But I’ve never seen it before.” Dorgar held it high. “It appears to be just an amulet, nothing more.”

“Something…” Guchugur frowned. “Something feels off about that. Like there’s something coming from it.”

“Really?” Togene tilted her head. “Looks like a normal...Thing.”

“We should ask Witch Doctor.” The Large Centaur said gruffly. “She would know what it means. If there’s any bad magic.”

“Any idea where one might be?” Dorgar asked. “We are quite close to the border with Qaiviel.”

“No…”

“I do!” The wiry Centaur said proudly. “Probably half a day’s ride along the mountain. She lives in a cave but I think she should still be alive. She is pretty old.”

“There is an old campsite near there.” Dorgar said softly. “I believe that it’s relatively safe too. That will be our destination.” He turned to the Large Centaur. “Get everyone ready to leave. Take everything of value but only what will not slow us. If another warherd decides to attack us we won’t last long.”

“I can’t move that fast either.” Togene rubbed her stomach. “I’m starting to feel unwell…” She grimaced in pain as her upper half fell forward. “It’s...It won’t be long now.”

Guchugur was certain he could see movement in her stomach. She would probably be giving birth within a few days at the very latest, quite possibly later that day.

“Guchugur.” Dorgar passed him the strange amulet. “Take this and Jiguur. Find the Witch Doctor and what she has to say...Wait.”

He knelt down and took the small flask that Gustavo always wore around his belt.

“Take this as well. I don’t know why but you said...I don’t know but check if this has anything wrong with it.”

“As you wish.” Jiguur said. “You ready to go, Guchugur?”

“You don’t order me around.” He replied. “I was the one to save the Khan.”

Jiguur scoffed. “And the one that ran from that Qaiviel Mage.”

“You…” Guchugur felt the heat from the mage’s magic. “You did not see what he did to us.”

“Do not bicker.” Dorgar said gruffly. “I need you two to find out what those are. If they are nothing then at the very least we know it’s nothing...Regardless, meet us at the old campsite when you’re done.”

Guchugur placed the fetish in a bag. Jiguur smiled, keeping her hands on her head as she bumped his side.

“How fast do you think you can run anyway?”

What the hell’s wrong with this one?

---[]---

Jiguur pointed to the cavern in the side of the mountain wall. Two large Lightning Stones floated above the entrance but were surprisingly dormant and dull, despite the others flickering bright red. A small trail of smoke emanated out but he could not see anything further in.

“Here we go.” Jiguur smiled. “She does a lot with healing and ailments.”

“Good…” Guchugur shook his head. “How much do you actually talk?”

“Why? You have a problem with a female Centaur being a warrior?”

“No.” Guchugur began to slowly walk towards the entrance, keeping an eye towards the red Lightning Stones. “But it’s just you that’s annoying me.”

Jiguur scoffed. “We’ll have a bout later. See if you’re anything more than a whimpering mess when I’m done with you.”

Guchugur stopped and looked at her. She was quite lithe, even for a female Centaur, but what little she had was surprisingly strong. During their run she had not stopped nor even began to breathe hard. Endurance running was clearly her strong point but not outright strength. She coyly shied away from his gaze.

“What sort of bout are you thinking?” Jiguur laughed. “Maybe the one where you’re on top of me? You’ll definitely lose that-”

Guchugur stopped and covered her mouth. Jiguur frowned but did not speak. He grabbed her by the hand and dragged her to one side, down a small crevasse where dozens of large fruit baring plants lay. Both were very careful not to stand on any, Dorgar’s decree on their importance was not lost on them.

“What’s happening?” Jiguur quietly asked. “I don’t think that you’re about to try and rape me...Right?”

Guchugur clicked his tongue and pointed along the pathway they had followed. A small group of Centaurs slowly trudged up the path. Though neither he nor Jiguur were tired from their run these were. Five male Centaurs breathed deep breaths, their faces red, as they climbed.

“Which warherd are they from?” Jiguur lent around his shoulder, uncaring that she put most of her weight onto him. “Unlike...Unlike those Humans from Qaiviel we don’t really wear too much. Not much to tell us apart.”

Guchugur agreed, though he felt dirty for agreeing with the Humans, in a sense. However they were not from Khan Dorgar’s new warherd. They did have a small green band of cloth wrapped around their right arm. It wasn’t much but Guchugur reasoned that he wasn’t wearing anything either.

“No idea.” Guchugur replied. “But...We are not friends with anyone but our own warherd.”

“Attack?” Jiguur readied her javelins. “They don’t know we’re here. Surely we could take out at least four before they realised where we are. And if it’s one against both of us...You could take on one easily.”

Normally I would have attacked. Screaming and charging but...Something’s different. After that Mage...The dammed heat and screams won’t go away...But I’ve become more cautious. To think, that if it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have saved Dorgar.

“We should see what they want.” Guchugur still readied his javelins. “We want to know what these things are. If they want to get something, like a concoction or a potion, then we should just let them.”

“Unless they find the campsite.” Jiguur grumbled. “If they do then there could be a big attack against us. And Dorgar’s not ready. Most of the Warherds are still in one piece. It’s just ours.”

“I know…” Guchugur readied his javelin. “If I give the word we attack. Understood?”

Jiguur only returned a nod as she readied her own javelins. Despite her previous frivolity Guchugur was more than a little relieved that she knew when to act serious.

The centre Centaur raised his hand. Guchugur readied to attack.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” The centre Centaur said gruffly. “Get her and bring her back to the Khan. And don’t hurt her. She’s old and we don’t want to kill her.”

“Unless you want Khan Yesunemur to strangle you.”

“Yesunemur?” Jiguur asked.

“One of the Centaurs that Dorgar beat early on. Stupid and strong...They seem to go together more often than not. But his herd was pretty small. What could they possibly want with her?”

“The plan?”

“Wait until they’re alongside…” Guchugur clicked his tongue. “I don’t know. If we kill them and the Witch Doctor finds out she might not help us.”

“Right…”

The five Centaurs grew closer. They had not seen their hiding position, not even when they passed them completely and neared the cavern entrance.

“Go away!” A croaky voice called out. “I can smell violence and anger on your breath. Begone. I will not help you.”

What would she say when she meets me? I’ve forced myself on quite a few Centaurs before…

“We just need your help, venerable Elder.” The centre Centaur said loudly. “Our Khan needs a potion of invigoration. I-”

“If he needs help getting his cock up you should just shove your fist up his arse.” The Witch Doctor cackled. “Get out of here already. I have things that I need doing today. If the omens are right I’ll be helping a Centaur give birth this afternoon.”

“We’ll drag you to him if you don’t help us.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be happening.”

Guchugur nudged Jiguur. “Get ready.”

“Why is that?” The centre Centaur folded his arms. “Five against one?”

“Three against five.” The Witch Doctor laughed. “If you didn’t see them then there’s no hope for your Khan.”

A light deep within the cavern moved. “You two! Hurry up if you want my help. I’m old, so I’ll probably die from their rough hands.”

I’ll hit that bitch if we survive this.

Guchugur nudged Jiguur’s side. Both rose at once and threw their Javelins. They found their mark, one striking a Centaur in the chest, the other deep into his rump.

“Attack!” The Centre Centaur yelled. He had yet to draw any weapon even as the others charged.

A javelin struck the rock near Guchugur’s head, throwing up a scattering of stone and dust, but it bounced away harmlessly. They threw another, Guchugur’s aim was slightly off this time, and felled all but the Centre Centaur. He panicked and began to flee, towards a dimmed Lightning Stone. The dull red crystals flashed bright and the Centaur flashed red. He screamed as his body fell apart, all charred and burning.

Clapping emerged from the cavern, followed by cackling laughter. “That was very interesting. Well, come in. I don’t have all day. You need something from me. Yes?”

Guchugur didn’t know how to deal with such a forward woman. He and Jiguur shared a glance, shrugged and approached the cavern. One they neared the cavern became visible, like a veil had been removed from their eyes. An elderly female Centaur sat in the centre of the cavern on a thick blanket. Her wizened hands worked a mortar and pestle, grinding an orange and red stone together. Unlike Jiguur and most of the female Centaurs she wore actual clothes. It was nothing like what humans wore, rather a thick cloth like a crude shirt.

“I almost have it ready.” The Witch Doctor waved them closer. “That one’s birth is going to be long and painful, if she doesn’t have this.”

She tapped the stone pestle.

“And that is?” Jiguur frowned.

“It numbs pain and will loosen her, allowing the foal to come out easier.” The Witch Doctor smiled wickedly. “Unless you want to try it and see if it does.”

Jiguur scoffed.

“How did you know we were there-”

The Witch Doctor raised her hand. “I do not know much, only what I have been taught by my teachers, but…” She coughed lightly. “But few Centaurs come to me now, once your Dorgar became Khan.”

The Witch Doctor shrugged. “I suppose it’s a good thing that I’m no longer seeing dying baby Centaurs. But I no longer see so anyone.” She smiled at Jiguur. “When you have your first foal I would like for him to become my apprentice.”

“What are you saying?” Jiguur stomped her front hoof nervously. “I...I’m not pregnant.”

“Well, not now. But soon.” The Witch Doctor sighed. “Give me a few more moments and it’ll be ready.”

“While Khan Dorgar will appreciate you helping his wife.” Guchugur retrieved the amulet and empty wine skin. “He actually wanted you to see these. See if there’s anything wrong with them.”

“I thought that you said you could feel something wrong with them?” Jiguur frowned, pushing away the Witch Doctor’s words.

“It was just a feeling.”

The Witch Doctor clapped her hands and took them from him. She frowned as she brought it close to her old eyes. “You have good intuition then. This amulet…” She clicked her tongue. “Some very nasty magic. Very nasty. But not the way you’d think.”

“I’m sorry but I don’t understand.” Guchugur sat next to the Witch Doctor. “Could you please-”

She smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s harmless. It merely allows you to…How to say it correctly. It allows one to move unseen amongst certain creatures. And control them. But...The Conflagration has nothing from the Ancient Realm. Everything was created much, much later.”

“I’m sorry.” Guchugur’s ears dropped slightly. “But I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I.” The Witch Doctor smiled softly. “But it’s harmless to us and the Humans. Now, let’s have a look at this other thing.”

She dropped the amulet onto the ground and took the wine skin. The moment that she took it into her hands she recoiled.

“Where did you find this?” She sniffed at the edge of the skin. “Where did you find something so disgusting? So vile?”

“Gustavo.” Jiguur knelt next to Guchugur. “A human that advised Dorgar. He was killed when the Warherd disintegrated.”

“Oh…” The Witch Doctor frowned. “I thought it would have worked.” She shrugged. “This has a very dangerous powder in it. Causes a rot in the mind.”

“Oh no…” Jiguur whispered.

“Dorgar had some of this?”

“A few times…”

The Witch Doctor shook her head. “You said this Gustavo is dead?”

“Trampled to death. Very badly.”

“Then it’s fine then.” The Witch Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s a type of...pseudo magic. Very old, almost forgotten, but clearly not.”

She shakily rose to her legs. Guchugur offered to help her but she swatted his hands away.

“I’m not that old just yet.”

She slowly trotted to the far side of the cavern. A bookshelf lay in the darkness, with dozens of old, large books. She tapped her old fingers on the spines until she retrieved a book in reasonably good condition.

“This.” She sat down with a mighty thud. “This was written far before the time the Centaurs roamed free.”

She brushed away the dust of the book. Guchugur could not read but he could see the emblem on the front above the letters; a sword resting vertically on a circular shield.

“This holds records of some very old and dangerous plants and concoctions.” She opened the book and flicked through the old, dusty papers. “Ah. Here it is. Sidreadish. A very dangerous thing.”

She pointed to a picture of fruit, a blue strawberry with green seeds.

“Nasty things.” The Witch Doctor shook her head. “If the seeds are collected from a mature seed, heated until back and ground it produced a fine purple powder.” She looked closer to the page and ran her finger underneath the words. “If two people ingest the powder from the same fruit, the one that ingests the most powder exerts a subtle mental control upon the subject.”

“Is that what it says?” Jiguur raised a brow. “Sounds…”

“Pretentious.” Guchugur frowned. “Like Gustavo.”

“Worse.” The Witch Doctor continued. “The effects last until one of the two has died.”

“That’s what that fucker was doing drinking that wine. Making sure he had enough of that powder to control Dorgar.”

“But he wanted…” Jiguur rubbed her temples hard. “He wanted to get the Centaurs to the lands beyond the Qaiviel wall. Was that the Human too?”

“No.” The Witch Doctor placed her finger hard on the page. “It says it is only a vague suggestion. It cannot be used to control someone’s mind. It says here...It says here...That it could only be grown in the lands of...Administration Zone...What?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Guchugur placed both into his bag. “He won’t be influencing him anymore. I saw some sort of purple smoke leave his mouth, probably when Gustavo died.”

“It says that here too.” The Witch Doctor slammed the book shut. “But it’s time to go. I think your Khan’s wife is about to be in some serious trouble.”

“How can you tell?”

She smiled and began to place the ground powder into a small hessian bag. “You give me an apprentice, and I’ll tell you my secrets.”

---[]---

Togene’s legs kicked wildly as she screamed in unimaginable pain. Unlike most Centaurs she did not stand as she gave birth, her legs had collapsed and she lay helpless on her side. Sweat poured from her face as her whole body shuddered and spasmed. Dorgar lay by her side, holding her hand tight as she began to scream again.

“Stop screaming!” The Witch Doctor yelled at Togene. “It’s not helping.”

She knelt behind Togene and applied the ground orange and red powder between her rear legs.

“There. That should-”

Togene’s rear leg shot out at The Witch Doctor. She caught it and held it, even as Togene tried to pull it back.

“You!” She pointed to an older female Centaur. “Hold this leg. She’ll kick my head off the moment I let it go.”

“It’s because you’re making it worse.” The female Centaur said. “She should be standing-”

“If you’re honestly that stupid then you should just leave.” The Witch doctor glared at Guchugur. “If you’re not going to help you need to leave.”

“I-”

“This is woman’s work now.” She waved Jiguur forward. “Put a wad of cloth into her mouth and hold her hand. She’s going to be in a lot more pain before we’re done.” She raised Togene’s rear leg and clicked her tongue. “Poor girl’s trying to push three boulders out at once.”

“What can I do?” Dorgar, still covered in old blood, looked utterly terrified. Guchugur had never seen him in such a state.

“You…” The Witch Doctor waited until the wad of cloth had been placed into Togene’s mouth. She resisted but eventually it was forced in. “You can go out and speak with your friend. I think you two need to have a chat. I will make sure your foals are born healthy, but you two need to discuss something that affects the entire Centaur race.”

“I-”

“Go!” The Witch Doctor waved angrily. “Before I throw you out myself.”

Dorgar only let Togene’s hand go when Jiguur took his place. Togene did not notice as she continued to scream into the wad of cloth. The Witch Doctor waved other women to help her as he and Dorgar slowly exited the tent.

Dorgar, Khan Dorgar’s camp had grown considerably. Nearly everyone that had fled the destruction of the original camp had re-joined. The sick and wounded were being tended to while the warriors they had stood behind short, cut stones. The old Centaur campsite was surprisingly large and held defences more suited to humans and similar creatures. Also a significant patch of fruit bearing fruit lay behind the campsite, out of sight in a small valley. None had been touched in some time and the fruits were numerous and plentiful.

Dorgar led them to a slightly raised area away from his personal tent. “I don’t know what to do.”

Dorgar waited until Togene’s screams were faint before speaking. The Large Centaur stood below their camp and instructed the other Centaurs. Instructed was too kind a word. He shouted at them until they did what they were told. It wasn’t great but following orders was an important part of Dorgar’s vision of warfare.

“Start again I suppose.” Guchugur folded his arms. “At one stage you didn’t have anything. And then you did. So just do that again.”

“You…” Dorgar smiled. “When you say it like that it sounds so simple.”

“Isn’t it? You beat the other Khans into submission. Just…” Guchugur scratched his front right hoof on the dry red soil. “Just do that again. Simple...I only joined after you’d defeated a few Khans. And Gustavo was already with you.”

“Yes.” Dorgar seemed pleased to be speaking about anything other than Togene’s distant screams. “Yes he was. Did she find anything strange about the things? Anything strange?”

“Well…”

Guchugur did his best to explain exactly what the Witch Doctor had said. Dorgar listened in perfect silence, but his face began to fall the longer Guchugur went on.

“And that was it. Then we came here, as fast as she could move, and we could already hear Togene screaming.”

Dorgar looked to the west. Already the setting sun had obscured much of the Conflagration. As the evening began to creep every closer the Lightning Pods began to discharge their lightning onto the red desolate landscape. None hit anywhere near the camp, no Lightning Pods floated anywhere near. There was something in this campsite that kept them far away.

“I…” Dorgar softly sighed. “I thought he was my friend.”

“I’m sorry that I had to tell you this, Khan Dorgar. But you needed to know...How did you meet him?”

Dorgar folded his arms. “Where to begin. I was abandoned near the mountain border with Mycea. I was young, and a little bit stupid, so I tried to kill him and several of his friends. They were mining something in the mountains, this...Liquid silver. Anyway, it was me against twenty armoured Mycean soldiers. I still managed to beat eight but they overwhelmed me.”

“Eight armoured soldiers?”

“Not dead. But it took a long time for them to start moving again.” Dorgar smiled. “Anyway, he gave me food and medicine, didn’t bring me any closer to Mycea, but he and his soldiers looked after me while they mined in the mountains. He taught me a lot of what I know. How to conduct war, more than raids, to rule with force...Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Maybe I wasn’t supposed to last.” Dorgar frowned. “He...He said to properly incorporate the Warherds their entire way of life would need to be destroyed, everything that united them would need to be obliterated in blood. And yet he only wanted me to beat the Khans and that would be enough...I think we saw what was supposed to happen. The Warherds disintegrated, but we were supposed to be past the border when it happened.”

“Probably when we fought against the full army of Qaiviel.” Guchugur folded his arms. “Thousands of Knights, tens of thousands of normal soldiers and mages...But we would have killed so many of the humans though…”

“Qaiviel would have been ruined for generations.” Dorgar slowly shook his head. “Ruined. They might have recovered eventually when the tribes fought against one another, after I died-”

“Just like that Mage said.”

“Do you think I should take him up on his offer?”

“That didn’t work well last time.” Guchugur softly replied.

“No. But...What do we have to lose now?”

“I think we should have more Centaurs than this.” Guchugur waved over the campsite. “King Leo could easily wipe us out if we just turned up to the wall as we are. None of the other Khans have the strength or intelligence to ride against Qaiviel. They’ll keep making walls and fortresses deeper and deeper into the Conflagration.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to lead?” Dorgar asked. “I don’t know another Centaur that would say the things that you are.”

Guchugur scoffed, he held a hand to his chest. “Some of the stuff you say has finally rubbed off on me. But, seriously. Who...Who would want Qaiviel dead? Apart from us?”

“We only want their land.” Dorgar’s eyes narrowed. “Whomever Gustavo worked for wanted them gone.”

Guchugur passed him the amulet.

“This...What even is this?” Dorgar’s shoulders dropped. “I used to be so confident. Now I know nothing.”

“So the plan?”

Dorgar took a while before he responded. “We will gather the Warherds once more. We don’t have time to get everyone but we will return to Qaiviel and discuss the agreement with King Leo. See if that Mage of his is willing to talk.”

“He seemed to have the King’s ear. Do you think he was controlling him?”

“Possibly.” Dorgar’s face softened. “But he didn’t want to kill us. That makes him the first human from Qaiviel that didn’t.”

“True…”

Togene’s distant screams stopped. Dorgar turned back in panic but Jiguur waved them in.

Inside Togene lay still, panting heavily but smiling faintly. “Dorgar. I did it. Three baby foals! I knew I could do it.”

The Witch Doctor held one three small Centaurs, swaddled in cloth. “Three baby boys. They look very healthy and of a good weight too. The only problem was they all tried to come out at once. And no Centaur can do that.”

“My entire body hurts.” Togene laughed weakly. “But...I have them.”

Dorgar moved to her side. The Witch Doctor passed the three towards them. Immediately they began to cry. She pointed to Togene’s breasts. She removed the cloth band and the closest two immediately began to suckle. The third continued to cry.

“Someone find a wet-nurse.” The Witch Doctor said. “They’re very hungry and Togene only has so much milk to give.”

“Not my fault that I’m so scrawny.” Togene gently stroked the wispy brown hair on their human heads. “It’s just the way I was born.”

“I think we should wait a few days before we do anything.” Guchugur said. “I think...Wait. One of the Warherds never submitted to you. Why not try them?”

Dorgar scoffed. He saw another young female Centaur enter the tent. Unlike Togene she had some decent curves. The Witch Doctor whispered what was wanted of her, she was not surprised, sat next to Togene and offered her breasts to the third baby. It didn’t care it wasn’t her mother and suckled happily.

“I will try my best not to listen.” The wet nurse smiled faintly.

“They were too elusive.” Dorgar gently stroked Togene’s hair. “And when we did meet them they easily defeated us. No. We need to take on the nearest Warherds and start from there.”

“Khan Yesunemur-”

“Khan Yesunemur?” Dorgar shook his head. “Then the Centaurs are doomed...But we will deal with him later. I want to spend some time with my new family.”

“Of course.”

Dorgar’s face hardened. “We’ll gather the Warherds once more, find this Mage and save us from obliteration from Qaiviel.”

“I wonder if he knows something about what Gustavo was doing?”

“Just another reason to rebuild the warherd once more.” Dorgar continued to stroke Togene’s head as she quickly fell asleep, the exhaustion from a quick and painful birth had taken its toll. “I understand why Qaiviel wants us gone...But who wants Qaiviel gone? Who wants The Shattered Kingdom to be ravaged by the Centaurs? Who? Who did Gustavo work for? And-”

One of the baby foals began to cry, cutting off any such thoughts. Dorgar quickly came to the child’s rescue and began to rock it back and forth.

Maybe the Centaurs will survive, but only underneath Dorgar’s leadership. But we need to find out who Gustavo worked for and his motives. Perhaps I should go to the Qaiviel wall and ask for the Mage? At the very least they know me.

An idiotic plan began to form in Guchugur’s head as he watched the fearsome Khan Dorgar tenderly stroke the head of Togene and one of his new children. Though Guchugur knew this would not last he wanted Dorgar to enjoy this moment. After everything Dorgar had endured he had earned it.