Deception

I greet Desh with a groan. “Is that ever going to be less painful?”

His four eyes pierce my soul as he stares at me. His black tail slowly wrapping around him. “Doubtful. Thy bones are breaking apart and shifting after all.”

I groan again and ask the questions I had prepared earlier today. Since I’m the werewolf, Desh said that I should be fine sieging Karvithia alone. He also gave me some actual insight to lording over a city. Apparently most of my money comes from trade and tax. He also told me some very general information on lordship like proper conduct amidst other leaders and what the people suspect. Once he’s given me as much information as he can he speaks his mind. “Thou art being deceived.”

“I’m sure. There’s no way Alister wouldn’t be hiding something.”

“Yes, the King is rather obvious, but I am referring to the Witch.”

“Aroura? No, I made sure. You saw what I did right? I’ve only seen eyes as desperate as her’s once.”

He takes one long breath before laying down to be on my eye level. “Allow me to enlighten thee, of royalty. They spare, not a single moment, for anything other than their own gain.”
He blinks slowly as though remembering something. “While ‘tis true, her eyes were desperate; I ask this. To what end?”

I think about that for a moment before shaking my head. “What do you mean?”

He sits up, regaining his height over me. “Why, Kar? Why was she so desperate? Why so desperate for thy forgiveness; for thine acceptance?”

That’s… A good question. I watch the shadows circle me for a long while before finally admitting, “I don’t know.”

“She is attempting to manipulate thee. She, her brothers, and her father only differ in terms of method. Zachary, the brute, would attempt to manipulate thee through pure power. Either by physical strength or bribery. Killian is as subtle as a venomous serpent. He would attempt to manipulate thee through others. He would turn thine allies against thee with silver words before influencing thee directly.”
He lays back down and stares at me with patient eyes. “Alister and the Witch are the most alike and dangerous, as they would both manipulate thee through thee. Alister uses thine ignorance and his position to bend thee around his finger. The Witch on the other hand.”
He closes his eyes and lightly bumps my chest with his nose. “Plays thy heart. Wielding her tears and thine affection, she may acquire whatever she may desire.”

Although what he’s saying makes sense… She was in asleep until this morning. She would have no reason to manipulate me. “Wait, she was asleep until this morning. She had no reason to manipulate me since to her I was just another solider.”

“Do you remember how you ended up there?”
I shake my head. “I have to imagine we were carried by her. ‘Twould be a simple task for a mage to transport the unconscious where they desire.”
Her words pass through my head. ‘…knowing that you spent the whole night by my side.’

I’ve been a fool. Even now, I can feel my face contorting in rage and my temperature rise. “What is she after?”

“Any number of things. Perhaps something as simple as power. A position among thy court or perhaps a fearsome protector. As horrific as it may be, I’ve seen witches bare children from individuals of great power for the sole purpose of rituals.”

Children of… She wants to use my kids to? “Rituals for what?”

He squints his eyes in disgust and his voices mimics his eyes. “Demons. The most malevolent and powerful of spirits from another world, offer their strength for those who provide them a feast. The soul of a newborn possessing a potent spirit is their favourite meal.”

I have to resist the urge to puke. “Who would do that!? To their own kid!?”

“I can not comprehend it myself. My werewolves have often had to hunt down covens and their summoned demons, less they wreak havoc upon mortal civilization. ’Twas the most disturbing of our tasks.”

I can’t believe what he’s saying right now. I… I have a hard time seeing Aroura doing something like that but… The problem is that I can see it. But, I can’t just take his words as truth can I? “What about you? How would you manipulate me?”

He smiles. “A sound inquiry. I would manipulate thee through truth. Not all forms of manipulation and deceit are done in ill-will. Though I may have fallen, I would never stoop so low as to lie in the face of a mortal.”

“What of the other captains? Are they after power as well?”

He begins circling around me. “I understand thy frustration, however thou must not turn the blame upon those who deserve thy trust. They have been open and honest with thee and have no reason to betray thee. Thou must learn to focus and hone thine anger for it may be a powerful tool against thine enemies. Unbridled however, ‘tis a force most detrimental. Allow me to train thee. Sit. Meditate.”
He spends the rest of the night teaching me a method of breathing and thinking used to focus energy to one point. Apparently it can also be used to focus mana and use spells without tearing apart my hands.

My hands are cold. I pull them back and large clumps of dirt fall to the holes where I had dug last night. What am I going to do? I invited Aroura into my court yesterday and if that’s all she’s after then fine. I do actually need her advice on magic. But if she’s after a ritual… I’ll figure that out later. For now, I have to get back. We should reach deep into Karvithian territory by the end of today.

When I reach the encampment, most of the army is already in formation and mobilized. Squires must work rather fast. A minuet later, and I would’ve been late. I figure Alister wants me back up with him and his children, so I make my way to the front of the formation. All four of them smile at me as I approach, with Aroura’s being the brightest. It would be a truly warming sight on a gloomy day like this. Normally.

Alister lets me know that we should be encountering Karvithian towns and civilization as we march towards them. He wants me to speak with them to get a feel for it before we continue. A few hours of marching pass before we encounter the first village. A hamlet really. There’s a central hall with a belfry surrounded by a few farmhouses and shacks. Once they see our approaching army, they ring the town hall’s belfry and all the villagers rush back to the town hall. Alister smiles at me. “Looks like you’re up. See what you can do.”

So as not to frighten the villagers, I hand my weapons to one of the squires behind me. As I approach the hamlet, a water droplet pats my head. Then a few more barely tap the ground around me. I don’t make it far before a circle of purple light begins drawing itself in front of me. A mere second later and thunder rips itself from the sky with a boom and strikes the circle. A skeletal hand sends the dirt around it flying. Muscle and black skin form around it as it pulls itself from the Earth.
Am I glad to have given my weapons away.

I beckon the squire for my weapons as I watch this undead form in front of me. I think its an orc. Black skin surrounds the muscles of a dwarf while being almost as tall as me. Its mouth is a row of spikes representing teeth and tusks. Horns decorate his head alongside his elvish ears. Surrounded by ashen and cracked skin lies two black pits where his eyes should be. He carries a sword bigger than him of some evil design with one hand as though it were a normal longsword.

“My court! To me!” As the creature was rising, the other captains walked up preparing their weapons.

Alister laughed as he said, “Oooo, he has a court! He did learn something.”

Ignoring him, I ask the Naz, “Naz, do you think you can catch his weapon?”

“With mi shield, aye.”

“Good. Here’s the plan. When Naz catches his sword, Wal immobilize his sword arm while the rest of us slice him up.”
I look to the others who all give me a reassuring nod. “Good. Slay the beast!”

I rush straight forward at the orc while the others circle around him. He groans and charges me with his sword arm raised. He’s not slow, but I can see his attack coming with ease. He brings his sword down like a hammer causing the dirt path to split. Without a moment’s rest, he swings at me again and again. This brute is mindless! It takes almost no effort to duck under or step over the sweeping blade.

With a tired groan he pulls his arm all the way back and, unexpectedly, swings forward! A loud metal clash stings the air, as Wal jumps on his arm and locks into place. An arrow flies into the side of his head, twin swords tear up his back, and my blade opens his gut. As I yell through my teeth, I raise my sword and plunge it through his chest to his lower back. He doesn’t even flinch.

He throws his elbow back into Maheed and then his fist into my chest! I’m sent back dragging my boots through the mud, but I haven’t lost my grip on my sword. The punch ripped open his entire chest where my sword was once buried. He still hasn’t flinched. Okay. Let’s try removing his head.
Naz and Wal jumped away.

The orc groaned again as it charged at me its sword arm raised once more. I dropped my shield and began gathering power in my hand. Pale white light began burning from my arm as power rumbled in my core. With my own sword arm pulled back, I wait. His groans and my growls match one another as he tries to crush me with his sword.
The world goes silent as the power in my hand violently erupts forth, sending a silent wave of pale force towards the orc! As the wave passes over him, it steals the light, surrounding him in darkness! He throws up his free arm in a desperate attempt to save his head, but my sword merely tears his forearm in half! His head soars through the air and my blade cuts slightly into his other arm. His skin slowly begins to turn to flakes before drifting away like ashes from a fire.

Instead of going limp like his arm should have, it continued to move! His arm threw itself at me! I ducked under it and backed away, but he continued to swing again and again at nothing. His sword ripped through the air wildly as though enemies surrounded him at every possible angle. He’s not charging, but he’s still dangerous. We can leave him there for now.
As I walk over to the other captains, I notice the pain on my hand. The skin had been torn off from my fingertips to halfway up my arm. Looks like I still need to work on channeling. The other captains surround Maheed as he sits in the grass and rubs his arm. Maheed hisses “What does it take to kill that thing?”

“I think its close. Its skin is burning away slowly, but we can’t just leave it.” With the image of a fairy growing a singular flower, I chant the old language once. Green orbs escape my injured hand and heal Maheed’s arm and my hand.
“I’m going to try one more thing. Toross, can you attract it here with an arrow?”

He nods. I raise my sword above my head with both hands send mana into the blade. It begins to burn with a white flame, so I nod at Toross. An arrow pierces the raging beast’s back and it turns at us. Without a sound, the headless beast runs at us swinging the sword like a maniac.
With one long breath, I shout, “Cresent!”
My power extends from my blade, sending a huge white curved blade tearing through the air and Earth. It passes through the raging corpse, leaving only arms and an oversized sword behind. The arms twitch and attempt to crawl towards us, only to be blown to flakes by the wind.

Cracks run all the way through the length of my weapon. It looks like it’s ready to fall apart at the touch of a breeze. I walk over to where the orc used to be and pick up his sword. It may just be my inhuman strength, but this sword is rather light. I think I’ll take it. Right. Now that that’s dealt with, I can finally talk to these farmers. I hand Toross my new weapon and he almost falls trying to keep it held. He strains to speak, keeping the weapon steady. “How? Did you carry this? With one hand?”

I shrug. “I’m stronger than you? I’d like to keep it, so don’t lose it.”
With that, I march towards the central hall. How should I do this? I shout at the building containing all the villagers. “We are the Solaris army. Don’t worry, we are not here to bring you any harm. My name is Kar’Desh. May I speak with the leader here?”
After a short bit of silence, I take the dagger out of my boot and toss it aside. I raise my arms and shout, “Do you see? I am unarmed. Come on out. I wish to speak to your leader.”
Sure enough, someone comes out of the building and beckons me inside.