Walking into a prototypical torture cell in every way except for the lack of implements designed to cause pain, Trftdrwx saw Obbst sitting chained to the bare steel table that dominated the centre of the rough stone walled cell.

The Minotaur looked up at him with calm eyes and said, “About time, a certain person assured me you would be here ‘soon’ and I suppose for some definitions of soon this would be. But I promised I would not be annoyed over a mere few weeks in a damp and boring cell with only an hour a day outside of it’s four stifling walls in the fresh air. I promised my guest I would not, so I am not annoyed… really I’m not.”

“It looks like your time was not wasted though, the Obbst I first met would never have been able to inject that level of venom into such innocuous phrases. The Fae Chanar’s tutelage is paying off greatly it seems.”

The Bulls muzzle crinkled into a grin and he said, “Veldt bet me you would only pick up on the passive aggressiveness not the actual venom. Hah! Thank you, wins are hard to come by in this arena for me. Just give me a face to punch any day over this thin substance-less posturing and bullshit.”

“That ‘thin substance-less posturing and bullshit’ will get you a badly distracted Folscach in just over a week. I have managed to arrange for his Chancellorship and his Primacy to be challenged on the same day, the ripple on effects of that should create a significant amount of chaos in all of his underlings actions as he runs frightened, scurrying to move his minions to cover his vulnerabilities. If a violent and nasty creature of rage and destruction say broke out of their cell and rampaged throughout the headquarters of the CEF, well he may not have any people close enough to stop them. Just saying.”

Obbst’s small bestial eyes glittered and his massive muscular frame tensed making the chains holding him creak, “Oh that would be terrible wouldn’t it? Of course it would never happen, I am too well guarded.”

“We are unobserved. You can speak freely, not only would that seriously contravene the laws regarding prisonerdvocate interactions… I have several items built into this frame that when activated give me perfect privacy unless observed by someone much stronger.”

Irritably Obbst said, “Yes, yes, I missed the cues you ghostly harpy. You could have told me! Fine… I will watch for them from now on.”

Trftdrwx, amused, said, “Your guest?”

Obbst said, “Yes, and a pain of immense proportions. Perhaps if I’d known how much of a perfectionist she was I would not have agreed so quickly to her teaching, hmmmrmph I would have assumed a being so steeped in Chaos would have made an easier teacher not a stricter one than even myself. That is another thing I have learned, Chaos does not mean freedom as I always assumed. It just means random outcomes from any actions you may take, frankly it makes my skin crawl.”

“It would. We don’t have much longer and I must be a stickler for the rules as I’m using them to my advantage. I will have Hd sneak in and inform you of exactly when we will start and who among the CEF staff here are Folscach’s supporters. I assume you can break the lock on your magic?”

“Veldt says yes.”

“Excellent.” He paused for a moment then chuckled and said, “When you do, Create Chaos!”

Obbst’s eyes narrowed and he growled at Trftdrwx who laughed out loud.

Obbst shook his head and said, “That laugh is still utterly horrifying and needs work.”

“Noted. Now I believe we are done so I will cut this short and leave you to it. I won’t see you before but keep yourself safe, I enjoy your company and found your absence confronting. Your guest was just not the same, though she was not too disagreeable.”

“A good thing. During our discussions we have discovered we are stuck with each other, not a particularly pleasant outcome for either of us but it is what it is.”

*******

Obbst jerked in his sleep and his tail swatted at some small biting insect that had stung his rump, a complaint rumble deep in his barrel and he twitched fitfully but he didn’t wake. Outside the barred window Hd lined him up with the tiny crossbow in one of it’s forward graspers and shot him again. Another twitch of the tail and a rumbling complaint… Hd grumbled quietly as well but then realised Obbst had moved slightly and it now had a much better, more effective target. If it could smile it would have, nastily.

There was a faint twang followed by an almighty bellow as Obbst surged to his feet.

Hd tossed the small message cylinder in and scuttled off into the darkness as it’s camouflage activated… it was definitely not hanging around after shooting him square in the nuts.

*******

Disorientated Obbst looked around for whatever had smacked him in the balls finding nothing, he blurred assuming his two legged form and kept looking around. Spotting the small silvery message container on the floor he leaned down and picked it up wondering when it had arrived.

Cracking the top open he quickly read the message and said to Veldt, “Break the hold on my magic when dawn arrives, we attack then.”

For some reason Veldt felt extremely amused as she replied, “Sure, any plan or just free forming it?”

“I always found free forming combat better than trying to hold that chaos to a rigid shape, too much is happening at once and too fast for rigid plans.”

“Odd for such an orderly being to thrive in the chaos of battle.”

“Ah, but you see my preparation for battle is extremely ordered and regimented so when the the chaos runs rampant my response is set in order.”

“Hmmph, you could admit that chaos is just as natural as order.”

“I have always known it is but I reduce it as much as possible for myself, you are telling a bull how to fuck.”

“Colourful… and very crude but fair enough. Dawn will be here soon.”

“Good I’ll meditate and set my mind in order. I don’t expect anyone here to be too dangerous but maybe there will be and better to be over prepared than under.”

Veldt’s voice was petulant as she said, “You know just what to say to hurt me worst don’t you?”

“Hmmph, the chaos of the life you’ve told me about. How can anyone live like that?”

“Easily, but it was a very different time.”

“Keep watch and let me know when it is time.”

He settled himself down, kneeling on the hard stone floor without any discomfort as he ran through meditations he’d been taught a long time ago as a fresh warrior.

It seemed as if he’d barely started when he felt a pinch and Veldt said, “Time, and you’re unblocked. Whoever did that was pathetic, truly pathetic. Better hurry though… it was monitored.”

“Arrrgh, you could have told me that first!”

There was no sound but he could feel Veldt’s amused laughter.

Snorting he erupted in golden tipped flames and shifted to his bull form, the cell was tiny barely more than an arm-span wide and maybe twice as long but that didn’t matter. He hurled his bulk at the wall, not the exterior one, the interior. He didn’t really want to escape, because his targets would be deeper inside.

With a clattering crash the thick stone wall exploded, hurling rubble across the narrow corridor and into the other wall with cracks like rifleshots.

He assumed his two legged form and ran toward the stairs, a berserker’s grin stretching his muzzle out of shape and exposing his sharp canines.

Taking hold of the wrist thick bars of the door at the base of the stairs he wrenched it out of the frame with a scream of tortured metal.

It clanged to he floor behind him as he tossed it away.

Snorting and with the flames of his magic lighting the darkened stairwell with flickering golden light he stalked up the stairs.

Halfway up he heard a clattering of hooves on stone at the top of the spiralling rock walled staircase and he felt the first twinges of an old old friend, the sweet burn of battle rage.

The metal stairs clanged under his hooves as he started to run, reddened eyes wide, nostrils flaring.

One of his ex-trainees appeared on the stairs just above him after he heard the rattle of the door at the top being unlocked. The other Minotaur held a pair of large gleaming knives.

Obbst grinned at the fear on the other Minotaur’s face.

Time to teach his former student another lesson.

Accelerating Obbst sped up, slapping the knives aside he crashed into the other Minotaur who’s breath wheezed from his chest painfully as he was driven into the stone wall.

He dropped to the stairs as Obbst stepped back.

With a grunt of effort he stomped on his chest and as the metal stairs rang his corpse slid down them bonelessly, eyes vacant.

Obbst couldn’t even remember his name, snorting he kept moving. The guard was no loss he’d always been a shit student anyway.

Hooves clattering, breath huffing in his huge chest, eyes wild, he kept climbing the stairs.

He got to the top and the barred door was shut tight with half a dozen guards waiting on the other side of it.

A blurred shift and his bull form smashed through the barred door tearing it out of the stonework and driving the guards back.

Shifting back he struck out around him, dodging the guard’s swings. They were so slow, well trained but no threat at all.

One guard fell, choking with a crushed larynx, then another his thigh torn open by his own smashed thigh bone. Blood spurted to the ceiling painting it and the wall dark red.

Another dropped to the floor, his muzzle flattened by an elbow as hard as iron.

In seconds he’d dropped half of the guards, painted by their blood he grinned at the remaining guards who were slowly backing away, stinking of their fear.

He saw when their courage failed, they broke and ran as he chuckled darkly.

Shaking out his shoulders and arms he threw his head back and roared.

It was time to hunt.

There were Drivvas who he knew were here. Drivvas who were open supporters of Folscach. Drivvas who needed to die.

Unconcerned that any of the guards might return he sauntered along toward the main barracks on the other side of the compound, that’d do as a starting place to look for the soon to be dead Drivvas.

He heard a pair of rifle shots right after he felt a hard push against his chest. He winced, that’d leave a bruise.

Head snapping around he saw a couple of beastmen guards lining him up again from a guard tower. Dishonourable curs, they should come and fight him face to face.

He broke into a sprint zigzagging as he ran to throw their aim off, shots kicked up dirt to his left and his right as he dodged.

Shimmering into his bull form on the run he smashed through the wall of the guard tower.

The door was too small for him or any Minotaur in this form, he’d done them a favour.

Inside he was almost instantly under fire from the guards who’d come inside and were shooting straight down onto him. As the bullets cracked and left smears of lead on him, the floor and the walls he quickly pulled back into the partial cover of the smashed masonry. The shots weren’t too dangerous but he was only flesh and blood, all it would take was one hitting him somewhere delicate, like an eye or his ear.

Veldt said, “I know it is against your religion, but a fireball would take care of them quite quickly and do you really care about honour with beastmen?”

“Hrrm normally I’d have my own riflemen levies to provide cover, I suppose… you could serve in that role? Maybe?”

“Managed to convince yourself yet?”

“Hrrmph fine, do it.”

Once more he felt himself shoved aside as Veldt took over but this time he watched carefully as she manipulated strands of Fire realm energy to form a complex and intricate construct deep within his self, then she fed pure Fire Realm energy through it and hurled a hissing ball of fire to the top of the tower, where it exploded.

As glass, two smoking bodies, and pieces of the tower rained down to the floor she retreated back into the background of his mind giving him control back.

He said, “Interesting I think I may be able to do that myself, with some practice.”

“I don’t see why not, you have the potential.”

“After this is over could you teach me?”

“Sure I’ve got nothing else to do.”

“Thank you. But later. Right now we have some Folscach supporters to kill.”