Here we go folks, the end of the siege and the beginning of future plans while Rage and his Pride remain within Tridant for a time.

I've been watching the polls, it'll end shortly I believe. Set it for a day, goodness. You all wanna see Envy and Hate get some love instead of the cold shoulder haha! I love how many want Hellen to have her ass smacked as well. It'll be fun to write that when the poll ends fully. Remember, the top three choices each get implemented as a special treat because the last chapter took so long to release for you all. So go bonkers while you can. ^.^

When/if this story hits the 200 mark, another special chapter will be released. Depending on how far along we are in this volume it will be rather amazing. Hopefully.

Rage

I woke up with a very uncomfortable feeling in my side, it was a strange sensation. Soft, moved a bit when a pushed against it lightly. Then I heard a soft 'mm' sounding groan, looking down at my side I saw my pet had worked her way up from my feet and was currently curled in a ball nestled against my side.

What on earth was she doing there? More importantly why had I not woken up when she was moving? Frowning down at her I poked her in the rib with a claw, causing her to wake with a start before realizing the sharp pain was my claw digging into her leather shirt.

She saw me frowning, and hurried to move back to the foot of the bed, her face seemed a little red and she didn't look at me. I growled faintly at her before getting up, and grabbing her chain. "Come, you're going back to the greeting hall."

It was still somewhat dark out, but you could see the sun slowly rising in the North. I'd overslept a great deal.

Saphiria followed me like a good pet should, though she still refused to look at me. Embarrassment? Was that what she smelled like? I couldn't place it. It didn't matter. When I reached the greeting hall through one of the side corridors I was met with a large argument that seemed to be taking place.

Curious, I walked in, Saphiria looking ahead a bit, forgetting whatever had caused her to not raise her head and gasped a little at the sight of Hellen currently bitch slapping her husband, Fredrick upside his head with a candle stick.

It was...rather amusing to see. When I got where people could see me, I heard a bit of Fredricks words as he tried to dodge the strikes of the frightening beauty.

"I'll...go...d...woman" I raised an eyebrow and began to grow to get there attention, I hated speaking around them. It was an annoyance.

Hellen stopped her strike mid way and Fredrick, after a moment, peaked out from behind his hands and coughed lightly. 'pathetic'

"Y..Yes Rage?" he asked with a stuttering murmur while his wife regarded me with outright contempt. "Master, we need to end this today" I said without preamble. It was sadly true, we didn't have the numbers to withstand another day of this. We'd decimated a good thousand or so of the beast men but they had the numbers to spare. We defenders did not. Of the six hundred that we had left, roughly two hundred were dead or useless. A full third of the forces available, and I knew that at least five of my weakest Pride members were out of commission, there bodies would still be torn, and worn beyond repair from the lengthy fighting yesterday in there lion form.

It made today all the worse. I saw Fredrick tighten his eyes a moment before responding, taking a step away from his wife who just glared at him, and myself. "Yes, yes I agree. I'll be with you today.." I cut him off by waving my hand. "You are not to be harmed, stay here." I saw him frown, gaining a stubborn glint. I imagine he was going to speak again when Hate burst into the chambers at a rush calling for me. I heard the echo of steel clashing. Shit...The fight had started.

Dropping the chain attached to Saphiria I rushed out, hate turning on her heel to follow in my wake. To soon, I underestimated them. Growling I rushed out, the cat soldiers waking and rushing to help my very pressed Pride as they threw, or otherwise cut down the dozens of enemies that were reaching the walls.

How had they gotten up so quickly before the alarm was raised? It didn't matter. Roaring for Forge to join me, I rushed into the thickest where a large group was attempting to open the gates and let there numbers pour into the area and bury us in the weight of their numbers.

Reaching them, ripping the spear thrust at my gut from the hands of the male in front of me, I turned it around and jammed it into the skull of another, while my free hand was used to pierce the attackers chest. From there it was a blur of bodies and blood for a time before the knot at the gate was nothing but the dead, myself, Hate, and Forge.

Panting a moment as I regained a bit of breath I turned to Forge, the cat warriors finally joining en mass to aid my Pride and told him it was time for our present. He nodded, before moving to just in front of the gate.

I followed him, and barely knocked a thrown javelin that would have taken him in his chest to the side. Growling I took his shield from him, and hefted it onto the tip of the gate between our bodies and the oncoming projectiles. My muscles were bulging under the strain of it's weight, veins popping up all along my arms, my blackened skin growing red with the effort. 'what the hell was this thing made of?' I thought absently as it was struck over and over.

"Hurry up!" I screamed back at him. He just grunted at me, and placed both hands on the metal portion of the wall; concentrating with enough focus sweat broke out on his brow. 'come one, come on' I thought over and over. I refused to die to these weaklings relying on numbers when we could help turn the tide at last.

After three minutes, the shield growing heavier and heavier in my arms I heard Forge gasp as a seemingly great strain was removed from him. Then the air was filled with screaming as hundred upon hundred of the beast men below died.

The entire mass below, at least five ranks deep, were dead or dying, or trying to crawl away when Each and every single spike that had adorned the steal cover of the wall shot outward into there ranks.

Several thousand had died or been taken from the fight in seconds as so many spikes struck them. Still, they had there numbers, even if they had just lost all over three thousand. The steel wall now had holes all through it revealing the wood beneath. The spikes wouldn't win the siege, but it was a massive moral blow, and would induce fear.

I nodded to Forge as he took his shield, thankfully, and my body groaned in protest for a moment as the strain on it was taken away. I'll never know how he can use it like a sword.

Shaking myself lightly, I struck home the fear by standing on the largest protrusion above the gate, a small square; where I then took a deep breath, letting the air build not in my lungs but my chest, and threw my entire body into a roar that vibrated the air for a few inches in front of me.

It was echoed up and down the wall by answering roars from each member of my Pride, followed by a combined shout from the surviving cat solders as the shock at the sight of such a scene below wore off. The weaklings had regained there sense of hope. Now they would fight harder.

The numbers were still to much. I could only growl at the calculations I ran in my head and the inevitable outcome of our deaths. To large a numerical difference, even with each of my Pride entering a full Berserk rage we would eventually be worn down by the weight of thousands left. Regardless of the numbers we took with us. I had to cut the head off the snake, and end it. But how...

For Prideligns it was simple, we challenged enemies within our people and fought to the death. Winner take all. I knew from the studies no other species did this, they used guile, lies, and trickery to bite you when you cut off the head.

But without there leader, these beast men would become a mob. I had to find a way to end this. I was lost in my thoughts looking as the remaining horde below hesitantly began moving forward, before a hole opened in there center ranks. There I had the pleasure of seeing the undiluted hatred in the Halberd wielding enemy General, Cruelty had gathered a lot of information the night before.

Judging by his expression, he could not fathom so many dead on such a scale. He'd shown himself.

Looking to Forge, and Anvil who had joined us I smiled, baring my fangs. "Get the others, tell the cats to fire what arrows they have left, the come with me. No restraints. End it." When I finished speaking, there faces were confused before they bared there fangs, there eyes gaining a red tint before hurrying to fulfill my orders, as I dropped to the ground below, a good ten foot drop. I rolled a moment, avoiding the spikes below, barely, one had skimmed along my rib cage, when I landed, I used the overall momentum to roll and launch myself forward into a sprint. I would not die on a fucking wall, if I died, it would be in battle.

Roaring, I charge the lines of the enemy, arrows began to rain down on the shocked forces before me, not enough. Only fifty bows remained after all. Following that came javelins pried from the dead on top of the walls, those we had plenty of.

I saw the enemies general raise his halberd and rush out to meet my own charge, I could hear a few of my Pride falling to the ground not far behind me, and moving as quickly as they could, there sanity long gone as they let the rage overcome them. All we had were our weapons, and bodies, and essence to use.

My single goal, the entirety of my rage, was focused on a single figure in golden red armor. When we met in the middle of a field of the dead his halberd came down, and I moved forward into the strike. Using my right arm, the black and red gauntlets covering them, to block the struck just below the blade on the metal shaft. The force that he hit me with broke my arm. I ignored it, long since lost to my own rage. My left arm struck out, claws straight, and jabbed it into his side.

He spun around me, avoiding the strike, and pushed me forward with the rear of his halberd. I fell forward, landing on my let hand, and spinning around; only to have to roll to to the left as his Halberd came down onto me. I growled at him, he was speaking. Meaningless. This was war, this was a fight. Wasted energy. I knew the rest of my Pride had engaged the mass of enemies, some of them had charged at the ones behind me. I didn't know who, and were fighting an increasing number that was trying to reach there General.

I growled again, before grabbed the body of one of the fallen beside me, and throwing it at my enemy. He cut it in two with his Halberd, and had readied a strike for me thinking I'd jump on him. I had rushed forward on all fours however, and struck his left leg with my hand, piercing the armor, I felt each finger break under the force of the hit itself, I didn't care. When I ripped the hand out, I took a portion of the armor, and his leg with me, only to be struck in my rips by the Halberds staff.

I heard him yell in pain, even as I roared out as a rib punctured my lung, and I was flung a good foot to the side. I had to shake my head, coughing up blood and slowly stood. I knew vaguely I could use the Void aura and take in all the dead around me slowly, as well have taken his leg with that strike....But some part of me refused that, my beastial nature. This was a skilled enemy, a strong enemy. I would kill him like I killed the Grummel, through tenacity, and sheer will. Or die trying, it was that simple.

Spreading my legs a bit, my broken arm held in close to my stomach, and grasping my shattered ribs I growled at him, a deep reverberating growl that hurt like hell. My rage was slowly lifting. Fuck, that meant a long time had passed, what had been a blur of motions had been about ten minutes. To my kind, it was to short. It showed me how weak I was still.

No, anger, anger. Get more angry. I forced myself into another frenzy to ignore the pain as long as I could. There, their general stood, leaning on his halberd, his leg bleeding profusely, I had somehow torn his femoral artery. He'd die eventually, but I saw a small grin on his face and he readied his halberd, and charged at me again. I roared in acceptance, and moved o meet him. Forcing my shattered fingers in my left hand to stay straight.

I felt his Halberd pierce my right shoulder, sliding through bone and tendon. He'd stumbled on a body causing what was meant to decapitate me, to go lower. His reach would have ensured my death, were it not for sheer, stupid luck, and a field filled with bodies. I forced the weapon deeper as I moved forward, his weight falling, and rammed my hand into his mouth, open from the shock of stumbling, and out the back.

I flexed, and forced my arm to bend, ripping the head and a portion of the spinal cord free from the body. Blood spurted outward, and fell from the skull as I lifted it skyward; coating me in it.

I roared my triumph, the beast men that were closest had stopped, one about to actually kill one of my Pride, a female. The name escaped me, before being blown to the side by Forge who stood over her panting. Slowly, they all stopped fighting as they noticed something wrong.

A few tried to charge forward in anger, they were cut down, or smashed to pieces by Anvil and Hate respectively. Seemed those three were the wall between my fight and the rest. Each sported wounds all over there bodies, along with four others that had joined them.

One by one, the others fell to there knees, there will to fight gone. They had just watched thousands of there brothers die to the ungodly spike barrage that had hit them, an now they saw a gore covered me holding there Generals head high and roaring in victory. They still had thousand left, but no one thought to use there numbers, they were a gutted, and dying foe. Oddly, the Cats that had not been firing bows into the enemy, three hundred and fifty or so were in the field as well. Fighting in the melee. The gate long open.

Idiots, if not for them losing there will, it would have been the end of them all without even a fight.

I took the my hand out of the Generals mouth, and held it by it's hair with my fangs. My arms were useless, and I felt the pain in my ribs. Wincing at the throbbing a bit, I growled, and motioned with my hands at Forge. Basically speaking with my body and growl to begin gathering what survivors of the enemy there were, and tying them up to sit in the field of there dead. It would grow larger by the days end.

An hour, it took me an hour to hobble my way to the third gate, and half an hour to make it to the keep. Each step was an agony. I heard a few cheers from the cats, what appeared to be captains moving to come near, I just growled at them with a very deliberate glare.

When I reached the doors to the keep, and opened them inward with my shoulders; I regarded the assembled mass of citizens and nobles before hobbling my way toward Fredrick who was seated in his chair. Falling to my knees, walking and standing no longer an option, and spit the head out at his feet. Half the day, the siege had lasted, half a day of fighting in total. It felt that way anyway, in reality it was more like five hours.

Taking a deep breath, growling at the pain, I told my current Master that the siege was broken, before falling face first onto the stone, and passing out. My last thought was simply 'not again'

Saphiria

Once again I found myself beside Hellen who was gently stroked my hair, telling m it'd be fine. Why did adults lie? The only one who didn't was Rage, he had told me he would keep me alive, that he would harm me every day, and make my life a living hell. He'd done all but the last. It was nothing like hell for me, instead it gave me a home that wouldn't end with me being used as someones sexual toy.

I was worried for my Master, more so when I knew I had upset him this morning. I had crawled closer in my sleep wanting warmth and comfort. I had not wanted that for so long...I could not make that mistake again, he wouldn't kill me, but he may let others use me like my old Master did. I did not want that, death was release, that was hell.

When he came in, covered in blood, his arms hanging useless at his sides, I saw him stumble, the normal grace he seemed to move with long gone. Exhaustion, and pain were evident all over him. But his eyes, those amber orbs, showed he was happy. In his mouth, the head of my former Master.

I smiled grimly, he'd been killed by my current Master. Hellen had to of assumed the smile was one of regret that I would still be his pet, and pulled me close to hold me. I let her do it, and watched as my Master told Fredrick the siege was lifted, then fell face first onto the ground.

I did struggle then, and ran toward him only to be stopped by both the chains weight, and Hellen who kept me next to her. Everyone in the room was regarding him with open hostility, and I didn't like a few that were moving forward. Fredrick was talking, but I couldn't hear it all. Blood was thundering in my ears as I watched a few move closer.

I wanted to scream, but couldn't talk. Hellen had clamped her hand over my mouth, a worried look on her face. I tried biting her fingers, she only winced and kept her hand where it was.

No! Master! I screamed as loud as I could, muffled escaping only.

When the first of the three that moved forward reached him, Fredrick unable to move, a fourth had a dagger to his neck, the first fell to the side, an odd ax embedded in his neck, and another fell with it's twin. I heard a roar echo through the greeting hall, and looked with my eyes toward the doors. The beautiful one, Envy, was in the doorway, with the red haired female that had been healing outside beside her, her hand on her side like she hurt, her skin pale looking; but her strange sword bared at the room. I heard screaming, and yelling from the two still alive. The one that had a dagger at Fredricks neck fell backward, a small piece of metal, like a needle, sticking out of his forehead. Hellens arm was extended, and the last fell too his knees groveling. He was beheaded by Fredrick with one of the axes that had been thrown.

The stress and relieve was to much when combined, and I eventually feinted, Hellens hand on my mouth had not helped that. I just hoped Master would be fine.

Here you go folks! The end of the siege, and a minor cliff hanger on what happens to all those soldiers outside, you can guess what happens haha. But I can't write anymore tonight. My brains doing a brain fart on me. I hope you enjoy the fight between Rage and the General, Saphiria' and her odd masochistic pet like attachment to Rage as well.

Thank you to all of you new followers, and favorites. And once again a big thank you to those that have been with me from the beginning. This is for you -begin playing the epic serenading music-

Joking aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the following as I implement the changes you all voted on. I'll add more poles every 10 chapters or so for you all as well I think.

Rate, follow, favorite, and most of all enjoy my story. You all make it worth while. Much love, and goodnight.