Axton shook his head as he looked over another charred and blackened ruin of a former tribal encampment. He had been trying to catch up to the fuckers who were doing this, but they were always on the move and knew the terrain better than he did. Sure, he could catch a few of them here and there, but they held on for longer than he would have liked each time, giving their fellows a chance to run for it and find some other camp to raid for resources and people.

Now, let’s be clear here; he wasn’t angry at the group he was after because of their razing and pillaging of their fellows. No, that wasn’t something that factored into his attitude right now. What he was angry about was the fact that they just kept moving and refused to give him the fight he was looking for.

He had already put the act of hunting their leader on hold at least three times to deal with other overworld mobs and field bosses, but while they all stood and fought, this group refused to do so. However, he was getting better at dealing with this bullshit, though.

And, to make things even more of a turn of fortunes, he could tell that his prey had descended into a canyon. Now, he had already gone around and in that place beforehand, having cleared out all the mobs and field bosses in and around it around a half a week prior.

This meant that he knew that there was one way into the canyon and only one way out. His prey either didn’t know this fact, or were trying to put their backs to the wall on purpose to deny him the ability to flank them.

Either way, he would finally be able to knock one of the quests off of his list. The Bloodmaw Tribe and their leader would find out soon enough just how foolish a choice they had made.

…

“Is the Invader on our heels again?”

“Yes, Great Leader. Our scouts have sent word that it is about to enter the canyon. No doubt it will not stop until either we are dead, or it is.”

“Then it will fall by my hands. Just as all the others have.”

The leader of the Bloodmaw Tribe asked a question of his followers as night fell. They had already moved into the canyon, pursuing the last tribe that had escaped their attempts to unify their people by force.

If their hunter was going to come after them here, they would be trapped between some weaklings deeper in the canyon and the monster that had been predating them for some time now. It was not an ideal place to be, but with enough bodies and resources at the tribe’s disposal, they could possibly put up a decent fight against the Invaders.

The Gods demanded blood, and they demanded submission. Only by offering those things could the Gnolls hope to gain their favor and the power to retake their home for good. Peace had never worked with those demons from the sky, and violence was the only language they understood.

As such, they needed to be killed down to the last, and the Gnolls needed to unite to fight off these monsters. He was the only one who had ever taken down one of these creatures, and the only one to feast on the bone and blood of the weak hearts that lay within the monsters themselves.

He was the only one who had the full favor of the Gods, as he had been given their power and had used it to slay a few of the Invaders, taking the flesh inside to sate his hunger. Their bones adorned his body, and the weapons of the Invaders were at his disposal. He had learned how to make the Thunder Sticks work, but he had also learned that they could only be used so many times and that they needed proper mounting as they would shatter the bones of any who tried to wield them.

He was taking a gamble, but if it paid off then he would rule his people as their undisputed master. Under his leadership, his people would grow, and in time they would go into the sky and destroy the source of the Invaders once and for all.

His train of thought was derailed as the sounds of battle echoed out from up ahead. He smiled as he moved forwards, his Honor Guard parting to allow their massive monster of a tribal leader to take charge.

He undid the binding around a massive piece of metal that just barely fit his paws. He turned it over in the moonlight and admired it. The Invaders certainly had some nice weapons. It would be a shame to have to take inspiration from them, but the Gods decreed that the strength of the defeated will become the strength of the victor, so it was only natural that their possessions would inevitably belong to his people.

He let the massive slab of unknown material rest on his hunchback shoulder and strode forward with the confident swagger of a man consumed by a full-blown messianic, narcissistic, sociopathic, superiority complex.

“Hold the Invader off for a while. I will break the whelps before us and force them to join. If they are smart, then they will bow down and submit. If not, then we will feast well after the Invader has been slain! If you bring it down, bring its screaming heart to me, and I will reward you with females, food, and wealth aplenty! Now, go! Hold firm against the Star-Beast, and know that the Gods are watching!”

…

Axton could smell the smoke and blood from where he was. The cockpit was open, but he closed it up as soon as red dots began to appear in his HUD and War Suit sensors. He was loathe to use his gun just yet, hoping that he could deal with the incoming foes with his blades, but as they turned the bend he realized that he may indeed have to go in guns blazing.

“Did they… did they make a makeshift cannon out of a discarded Mech Rifle?!”