Ch.23

The hills and plains were flooded by a dense fog, drifting in from the coast. The morning sky was grey with clouds, and the air had a slight chill to it. It smelled of the ocean and mud.

Erik marched with a platoon of his knights into enemy territory. They were each armed with spears, bows, and arrows, while Erik was equipped with his trusted shield and sword, donning the armor he wore in the war.

Among him and his knights, his steed followed with the wagon in tow. Its crates were full of fish that had been caught just that morning, still fresh.

They marched onto the perimeter of the enemy orc's village before they were seen through the fog. One of the men who'd seen them rushed off to inform the rest.

Erik and his people waited, going no further. Eventually, the chieftain and a gathering of men behind him approached with spears in hand.

("I am Chieftain Lyok'to of the Wangha clan. You must be the pale skin, terrorizing our people.")

("Pale skin. How amusing. I am. I suppose you could call me chieftain of my own clan, though I had not thought of a name yet.")

("Why have you come here?!")

("To negotiate. You should have noticed your hunters going missing, and your land being robbed of all food. Your people are starving, infighting must have broken out, and with so many mouths to feed, it must be difficult for you.")

The chieftain grit his teeth. ("How dare you!") He growled. ("You are foolish to come here to taunt us!")

("I am no fool, nor am I taunting. I am here, as I said, to negotiate. I have even brought food for you and your people!")

His men unloaded the crates from the wagon, bringing them up and dropping them in the mud before the chieftain.

The chieftain was at a loss for words, shocked by the sheer amount of fish. He had never seen so much in his life, hundreds of them. He approached the crate, taking one in his hand and smelling it. ("How...?")

("You see, Chieftain Lyok'to, I am a god, and I have come before you to invite you to follow me. Be my worshippers, follow my ways, and you will be granted knowledge, power, sustenance, and a place within my empire.") The chieftain was about to shout something mocking or vengeful, but Erik could tell and raised his voice before he could get a word out. ("Follow! And I promise to take in all of you! I will treat you as my people, as I have with all those who have joined me already. You will not be wronged.")

("A god?!") He laughed mockingly. ("We have our own god, how could you compare?")

At that time, an elderly orc was traversing through the forest. He wore little, other than bones strung together over his chest and waist, that rattled with each step. He approached an open area near the mountain, a giant cavern, an area where deep markings and cuts littered the ground and stone.

He fell to his knees and chanted, raising a small stave-like totem in his open hands. He called upon something, something that moved the earth deep within the cavern, something that responded to his chanting, crawling around, shaking the ground like an earthquake.

Meanwhile, the fish was being distributed amongst the starving orcs while the chieftain and Erik continued to converse.

("What is your answer, Chieftain Lyok'to?")

("Never have I seen so much fish at once, and if you are capable of this, then... I would be willing to negotiate fully, but you are using your ways, rather than ours. How can I trust my people's lives with you when you disrespect so?")

("Very well. I will say that I went out of my way to learn the entirety of your language.")

("And you speak it well.")

("This is but one way, because I did not want to shed blood fruitlessly. I understand your position. I am asking you to change your ways, so I will give in for the sake of bettering our relationship. What do you propose?")

("Our clans have long forgotten battle and we have been content with surviving and exchanging goods. If you are truthful, then prove it by marrying. If you truly respect and accept us, then you will marry my daughter.")

("Very...") He held his tongue abruptly, sensing an incoming danger approaching. He felt the earth shake against his heel. Before long, everyone shared a similar expression of worry and curiosity.

A screech tore across the air, originating from the forest nearby.

They were the sound of wood cracking in the distance, a rumbling that got closer. As Erik looked to the forest, he saw the crowns of trees disappearing. Finally, it emerged, tearing down trees in its path and slithering out from the forest; a creature massive in size, towering over the trees. It was a monster, an insectoid-looking monster.

Erik acted immediately and calmly, cutting loose his frightened steed and slapping it on the thigh. It ran off, as did his men as chaos began to ensue.

The very earth shook as it screeched a violent, ear-piercing cry. Its body slithered like a snake, yet it jerked violently, crawling across the earth and ground, pushing away the fog in waves.

In such a tense moment, Erik stood still, examining the monster in that moment as best he could. It resembled a centipede, a long body with numerous limbs that acted as legs. It had long antennas, and its body seemed as if it was covered in armored plates.

As the creature then set its eyes on his fleeing men, it began its rampant charge, prompting Erik to rush in its direction.

His steel sword and shield would surely be useless against such a massive monstrosity and against its hard exoskeleton, but he was not without a weapon capable of wounding it. From the tips of his fingers, his soul bled. Void of any color, it was as pitch as night, as thick as blood; a liquid that spilled to the ground, but just before touching, it formed in an instant, becoming a spear as lengthy as he was tall.

"Get down you fools!!" He roared to his men, prompting them to dive onto the earth.

Erik pressed his boot against the ground to a stop, pulling back his arm and aiming his spear at the beast. He threw it with as much strength as he could muster, yet it remained in his grip, extending as if a rope had been tied to it. It pierced through the air overhead the monster, and just as it did, Erik yanked at it like a whip, and it fell downward, striking the monster's head and piercing its exoskeleton.

The creature let out another screech. It had stopped in its charge, but it continued to move. His attack did not kill it. Even as Erik pulled back his weapon and took with it a large chunk of the creature, the creature continued in its rampage. Now, its gaze was set on him. It roared in his direction, but he stood firm. It charged once again, its many legs pounding at the earth as it tore across the land.

The fog made it difficult for him to see clearly, and with its jerking movements, being precise was difficult. He set his trap for the monster, using himself as bait to lure it in. His heart pounded in his chest. He waited until it was close to him, enough to the point that with its large movements, it pushed away the fog just enough for him to see its body clearly. He then struck.

The ground was covered in darkness that connected to him at his feet, and from that darkness, arose numerous spikes that jut out of the ground and pierced the monster's body all the way down to its end. It cried out an ear-splitting cry as its body became entrapped, yet it continued to wriggle violently and trash, even as its bile and blood spilled out.

Its resilience surprised him, the refusal to die even as it had been pierced so many times, but he would not toy with the creature, finally putting an end to its life by severing its head with a swift slice of a conjured blade. As it finally fell limp, he recalled all of the shfi'nyl, the body falling with a loud and heavy thud as it was released.

As if he had been holding his breath, he exhaled heavily and began to collect himself. It only took a few moments to steady his breathing before he pressed against his forehead and slicked back his hair.

His head dropped and he turned his neck to the village. The orcs were hiding in their homes, but slowly, they crept out as they began to hear nothing but silence.

The chieftain stood at the front, wondering what had happened. He was surprised to see a figure approach, to see Erik emerge from the lifting fog.

Breathing in through his nostrils and out through his mouth, Erik told the chieftain. ("Allow us to continue our negotiations.")