Hasharr, Plains of gold

2 hours later, late afternoon

The moon was high up in the sky gleaming down on the golden fields of flat grassland, tall strong stalks of grass that reached a human’s waist line reflecting the moonlight and causing the entire plains to glow a golden hue. A gentle wind blew through the fields as several thousand green-skinned warriors marched within, trampling the grass as they went and causing an echo of footsteps.

With Vernus and Vee at the lead, followed by a contingent each. The Horde of Orcish warriors and Goblin rogues travelled in a single marching army. The Orcs walked, strong and restless warriors bred for battle. While the Goblins hitched rides, from nine to even twenty at once groups of Goblins rid over massive boar-like creatures.

The boars -or WarHogs as they called them- were a massive average of thirty feet tall, forty feet long and twenty feet wide. Their pelt was thick and a dark grey while their fur was as golden as the grass that surrounded them, although tangled up together was as hard and tough as hard-leather. Their eyes were small and covered up by the fur, giving them extremely low visibility but their ears were large and flappy while their nostrils took over most of their face giving them excellent senses of hearing and smell.

The WarHogs had a short leathery tail of no use, thick wide hooves with long claw-like fronts and long strong legs giving them the ability to even climb trees or walls if allowed to. Yet what mostly stood out of the lumbering beasts was their several feet long, thick and spread out tusks. Like a contingent of spearmen each WarHog had at least five sets of tusks protruding out of their jawline, entangling with each other at first the tusks then dangerously protruded forwards like spears.

But it did not end there as every single one of the dozens of WarHogs the Goblins had tamed and bred wore leather strapped armor plating made of hammered iron. Over the armor and strapped over it were platform-like constructions where the Goblins would sit and shoot arrows from or where two to three Goblins operated a ballista, catapult or dangerously explosive magical construct of maniacal design.

The Orcs were warriors through and through, yet the Goblins of Hasharr were several things including pyromaniacs, psychopaths and excellent recyclers…Nobody fucked with them.

Vernus and the other Orcs were used to the Goblin’s antics by now, ignoring their chattering as they marched towards their objective. It was already within sight, a large city of tall red walls of stone with graphite roofs. The city of the red giants, the Oni city of Akai bara, The Red Rose Fortress.

Like a ruby it gleamed under the moonlight, its tall dark red walls of painted stone, its slanted roofs overhanging the walls under which guards patrolled. Akai Bara was located at the very heart of Hasharr, touching no sea but a river cutting through the south-west and north-east of Hasharr. Akai Bara was built on the riverside opposite of the Orcish lands standing as a first defense against an invasion from the south with a natural turbulent moat.

A turbulence the Orcs were all too used to crossing, having spent several times raiding the Orge’s countryside villages that also lay on the other side of the river. The WarHogs were also native to Hasharr, they were born to deal with its terrain and perils. Somewhat fast waters didn’t stop the Horde.

As they approached the river, the Goblin’s chatter quieted down, the Orc’s almost random cries of glory silenced as the thrill of the hunt sank into their bones. Prowling like predators they approached the rushing water, as directly on the other side of the river rose the tall red walls.

The Orcs crouched as they prowled through the tall grass, the Goblins pulled up sheets of entangled grass over themselves and their constructs that lay over the golden furred WarHogs. Impossibly stealthily the horde reached the riverside. The water was turbulent but not very deep, not for an Orc or giant pig. Yet the river was wide, it would take them several seconds of charging to get through even at a full run.

All the while the Horde expected the Oni’s alarm to ring, they expected crossbows to rain hell down upon them. But they did not care, as they heaved chunks of makeshift metal and wood up onto their heads as shields each grinned madly as they awaited Vernus’s warcry.

And a cry roared out, but it wasn’t Vernus causing confusion to run through both the random Orcs from Moss Village, the Goblin tribe and Vernus’s own tribe.

The Horde slowly turned to face the ever rising cries, roars and straight up shouts that came from behind them. Slowly rising from the grass to see several dozen meters behind them, the rest of the Horde had followed.

The Tribe of blades and the Tribe of spears had chased after them, Tellin and Throk standing at the lead as their warriors roared out. A known Orcish warcry, not for raids, not for invasions or just any battle. It was one for duels, spread out through an entire tribe it was a challenge against another tribe.

Vernus and the rest of the Horde recognized it well, turning to them, ignoring the alarmed guards on the other side of the river, ignoring the waking fortress city as they rose from the grass to face their challengers. Vernus pushed through his ranks, rushing through his men until he stood again at the head.

The newly titled Warlord growled at the sound “You dare challenge the Tribe of the Axe?!” he exclaimed viciously “Spear! Blades! Who shall it be!? Who’s blood will run through the river tonight!?”

Vernus watched in surprise, as Jeyd and several other Shamans stepped through the second Horde’s ranks and to the front. Jeyd spoke out in response right after revealing herself “This is not a challenge from tribe to tribe, Vernus. You insult me, you insult our laws and way of life. Rushing to battle, gathering these traitors for you to lead. I am Chieftain! And this will not stand.”

Vernus growled in annoyance “You speak to much, Chief. Too much talk, no action.” His men grumbled in agreement, Vernus suddenly raised his voice in exclamation “You speak empty promises, slyly spreading lies and fear all to keep your neck over your shoulders. You are no Chieftain! You are only…A cowardly shrimp.” He grinned widely at his own intelligence, having found the perfect insult in his mind.

Jeyd’s eyes widened as Vee face-palmed beside him “Stupid gorilla.” The Hobgoblin mumbled out with a sigh.

The Chieftain’s hands clenched around her staff as her eyes filled with rage “Sh-Shr-Shri…WHO YOU DARE CALL A SHRIMP!?” the wooden base of the staff creaked dangerously under her grip as mana sparked in a frenzy within her eyes. Both the two Warlords and her fellow Shamans stepped away as the grass surrounding Jeyd suddenly dried up, her rage given magical form as it expelled itself on her vicinity.

“Relax, Chieftain.” Suddenly echoed out a chilling voice as a blueish bird descended down onto Jeyd’s shoulder, its feathers white-blue afire, its eyes, feet and beak pearly white. The voice came from the bird-Golem, lowering the temperature all around as it spoke in a calm and emotionless tone “Simply do as I told, you will get your chance.”

Jeyd chuckled “Yes…Yes that’s right.” She took a deep breath, seemingly calming down before glaring back at Vernus “After tonight, nobody will question me again.” She glanced over at the bird, a wicked grin on her face “Thank you mercenary, this will be swift.”

Vernus heard nothing of what they said, being too far to hear their un-mana bound voices but he noticed as Jeyd calmed down and he noticed as she turned to glare back at him. Yet this time she wasn’t angered, Jeyd was only amused.

Jeyd chuckled, loud enough for even Vernus to hear now as she gestured for her four Shamans, each moving across the front line of Orcish warriors and standing at an average length away from each other. ”Tell me Vernus, you call me a coward and a liar. Yet what will you say when you face this?!” Jeyd suddenly exclaimed as she threw aside her staff and raised her arms up into the sky.

Each Shaman did the same “Begin the ritual! Do just and say just as I!” she ordered them and they did, every movement of her hands, every step she took, they copied to the T. It was nothing practiced, no such thing as hard work but the system going into play as mana flowed in, through and out of each Shaman as they connected with each other down to the soul.

The Shamans moved as one, a slow and brutal dance as the drums of war behind them beat to their movements. Every step, every sudden movement was like a warrior and their blade, like a monk and their fists, like a hunter and their spear.

As they quickly performed the movements of the ritual, in tandem with the movements they spoke as one “His men and women rush forward without armour! As mad as dogs or wolves, bite your shields and unleash the strength of bears or wild oxen! Kill at a blow but let neither fire or iron tell upon you!”

As the Shamans danced and chanted thick tendrils of misty red mana flowed through their surroundings, like serpents moving with sudden patterns joined with slow slithering. The tendrils flowed around the Orc’s feet behind the Shamans who summoned them, slowly entangling around each one as the Orcs anxiously glanced about themselves.

The chanting continued at a higher note “Through his one eye he watches upon you, solemnly awaiting to see your fall of glory. So go, herd into the All Father’s embrace my warriors! For like beasts you fight now, for predators you are now!”

Jeyd now spoke alone as the dance savagely ended back where it started, as the mist of mana rose higher and higher till it reached over the Orcs covering them “Wield your shields and spears! Destroy their frontlines my Ulfheoinn! Hamask!” suddenly to her left the mist thinned out as Throk and each of his western warriors took a deep breath, breathing in the ritual.

In unison they howled as a wolvine aura engulfed their bodies.

Jeyd continued her solo chant “With thundering fists and weapons of all sorts lead the charge! My Svinfylking! Hamask!” To her right the rest of the mist dissipated away as Tellin and her northern barbarians breathed in the rest.

And again in unison, they roared out as a boar-like aura engulfed their bodies.

Jeyd spread her arms forward “Go my warriors, go my True Ber serkrs!” a crazed smile from ear to ear.

Author: BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj2vU2nr5Jw

The earth trembled, the air blew like a sudden wind and the grass parted aside as the Horde of crazed Berserkers charged forwards. The Northern Orcs lead the way with their lighter equipment and much faster legs, charging head-on into awe-struck front lines before suddenly leaping over them and frenzying into the frey. The Western Orcs followed closely behind, spears raised and shields ready they clashed into the unprepared Horde.

Blood spew out, heads toppled and limbs flew as the frenzied Orcs cut through the opposing Horde. Relentless, with speed and strength surpassing their past own they cut down a warrior with every strike. Blood filling their eyes, saliva foaming at their mouths and animalistic sounds sneaking through as the Berserkers shred their enemy apart.

The battlefield spread out as the traitorous Horde moved away from one another, unable to tell friend from foe they distanced themselves from both. Yet the maddened warriors cared not for who was who, even hacking and lunging at each other if one made a wrong turn. Slow to realise they had stabbed their spear into their brother’s shield.

Screams of horror filled the plains turned red, whines of WarHogs as they were cut down shorter at the legs causing the massive beasts to fall like an avalanche onto anything in their path before the Goblins riding them were massacred like pests.

Vernus was nowhere to be seen, either the first to be cut down or lost in the madness of battle.

But Vee was clear to see for all as he swiftly leaped from WarHog to WarHog loosing his bow and with each arrow hitting their targets. Vee was no marksman but even if he hit them in the shoulders the Berserkers only shrugged it off, in the legs they kept moving on, in the arms they kept fighting on. Only the rare case of hitting them in the head they would stop dead, while in the chest or heart it would only slow them down.

“YOU COWARD!!” Bellowed Vernus as he pushed through the back of the Berserker Horde, splattered with wounds of blades, spears and trampling alike the Orc barely stood on his feet as he glared furiously at Jeyd “FACE ME!”.

Jeyd smirked, amused by his will power and stupidity “As you wish, Warlord.” She raised her hands forth and closed her eyes as mana sparked all over her body “Blood Valkyrie.” She chanted out.

The air thinned out as suddenly every drop of blood on the battlefield rose up into the sky before forming up into a single funnel of deathly crimson. The Blood arched and then abruptly descended down, changing form, almost humanoid as arms wielding dozens of blades formed to the side. The bloody form fell upon the broken Vernus, each arm twisting and turning, each blade spinning into a slash felling the Orc into several slices of leather, metal, flesh and bone drowned in blood.

Akai Bara

Thorn Palace

High above, on top of the tallest palace-tower.

Kyle watched from his perch high up on the tower’s roof, having a nice view of the entire battlefield. He watched it all unfold, the mixed Northern Orcs leaping over the enemy’s frontlines and crashing into their midst like crazed boars. He watched as the Western Orcs charged into the now confused and broken frontlines, rushing through the cracks and felling enemies as they went like a pack of wolves racing through a herd of sheep.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Kyle asked to his uninvited guests moments after they appeared behind him, having fully expected them to.

Nix snorted as he glared down at the Spirit Beast, sitting at the edge of the roof with his back to them. Kyle didn’t need to look back, he knew exactly how many and who was behind him. Each of the Champions stood on the roof with him and with them stood Karnage, coldly staring at his back.

Kyle sighed at the silence “So you’ve finally put your mind to it, Mindy.” He decided to thaw the frost himself.

“Come quietly Kyle, you’ve messed things up enough.” She told him with a bitter tone.

Silence briefly fell yet again, only to be broken as Kyle laughed at her words “Come…quietly? You mean to tell me you aren’t here to kill me? Hah!” he laughed some more before standing up and turning to face them “Pitiful fools the lot of you, then again…” he sighed prolongingly “That is what I saw in you in the first place.” Before shrugging “Oh well, can’t say it wasn’t fun though.”

Nix was quickly losing his patience, he had vowed not to slay Kyle on the spot if Mellandy, if Karnage took them to him. He raised his staff aimed at the Fox “Surrender Spirit demon, you’re outnumbered and outmatched. Try to escape and I will kill you where you stand.”

Kyle smirked “No you won’t, you still need me after all. Or are you so stupid as to think you can fix the tears in your beloved empire?” Nix flinched at his words, even he knew better than thinking he can repair the horrors he was tricked into creating.

Kyle’s smirk grew wider “Of course you don’t.” he then glanced at one of the other Champions, the sword wielder was staring in shocked awe at the crazed Berserkers below. Kyle chuckled in amusement “Incredible aren’t they? A racial magic that was lost in time, not forgotten but beaten out of their history. A history your kind shrouded.”

The sword Champion looked up from the battlefield and at Kyle who smiled at him in amusement “You lie…”

Kyle bellowed with laughter “Oh yes, I lie quite a lot but…that is fact.”

“You did this…” murmured Karnage as she also stared off at the battle, horrified by the scene.

“Me?” exclaimed Kyle, gesturing at himself as he dramatically looked hurt “I only gave them the tools!” before his expression suddenly turned back to plain and cold “They used them to spill blood.”

Karnage turned to glare into his cold, hollow eyes “You’re sick, you’re a sick person Kyle.”

Kyle looked at her with a raised brow, momentarily after breaking out into a laugh “Sick? Oh…Oh you’ve barely begun to explain what I am there missy.”

“Drop the fucking act.” Karnage hissed at him, stomping forwards at which Nix defensively stepped forwards with her. Kyle raised a brow at her demeanour, as if unamused. It only angered her further “Is this really what you want!?” she gestured at the carnage below “Death and despair? Is this the plague you want to bring to this world? Is this what you fight for? Is this what…Is this what you’ve become!?”

Kyle smirked, not in amusement but a cold, bitter smirk “With every step, with every damn step corruption, selfishness and greed stood in my way. With every turn, I found conflict, hatred and anger buried so deep in shit you can barely see what is going on.” His gaze fell “We shovelled and shovelled away but they just keep shitting away, a never ending bad day. So what’s wrong with this?” he suddenly looked up, eyes cold and bitter “What is wrong with me saying enough? Why should I care for those who care not for others? Why should I care for the greedy and selfish bastards that rule?”

The air thinned out as the temperature began to drastically drop “Enough is enough, I’ve gone through most of my life ignoring my surroundings, biting down on something as I willed through the fucking pain. I was weak, powerless before my puppeteer. That Kyle is no more, that weak pup died the moment he announced liberty from his captor.”

Kyle grinned wickedly as he raised his arms open and wide “I am not weak, not anymore. I have power beyond your damn imagination, all it takes…is style.” Kyle bowed as he shifted his weight and fell back then off the roof.

Nix rushed to grab him only to find empty space where he thought the Spirit Beast would still be falling, stopping himself as the rift closed right in front of him. “Cursed creature!” exclaimed Nix as he slammed his staff on the roof with frustration “He…got away.”

Karnage clenched her hands on the bottom of her shirt “No…We can still follow.” She announced, anger clear in her tone “He’s not getting away, not this time! Not after this!” she exclaimed angrily, staring down at the blood bath before her “We will stop him! Before any…before any more of this!”.

She straightened herself and closed her eyes, focusing on her magic as suddenly lines of mana formed at her feet. The blue lines of glowing energy expanded suddenly into several patterns all forming within a single circle that spread out over the roof. Karnage took a deep breath then chanted “Spatial Warp!”

The patterned circle of mana that lay at their feet began to rise, dissipating their bodies as it did until nothing but itself remained before it also faded away.

Karnage opened her eyes to find herself inside a vast hall of ice, frost and snow. From the walls, floor and ceiling down to the pillars, paintings and décor. Everything was made of either ice, frost or snow.

“What is…this place?” asked Nix as he glanced around the cool room.

A wicked laughter caught their attention, turning each of their gazes onto Kyle as he stood at the very centre of the hall with arms spread wide “Welcome, Champions of Durga. Welcome, Hero.” The room began to quake...

“Welcome to my Lair.”