Orcs of the Red Blade

Sweat dropped from his chin as he made his decent to the ground. Hot air and dust crept upwards, making breathing difficult. His fingers ached under the weight he carried down with him. The slain raptor on his shoulders would have normally not been such a pain in the arse. But this climb down into the molten depths of the barrens brought him to his limits... Which in turn brought a smile on his face.

Surely the Elements of fire would take notice of his suicidal attempts of making contact with them. Sooner or later they just had to. After a quick look down, he released his grip on the rocky wall and dropped down on a little island of rock, surrounded by lava. He flexed his fingers and exhaled in relief, befor he flung the raptor over his shoulder on the ground and unsheathes his knife, starting to prepare the offering he was about to make. It was a fresh kill and as soon, as he had cut open the raptor chest, blood started to flow down into the molten stone befor him, evaporating soundly on contact. He took out the organs, that weren't needed and placed the raptor on its back, facing towards the lava.

With closed eyes he sat down, folding his hands together and began to focus on the heat and fire around him. He had done this plenty of times by now. The smell of burned blood entered his nose and sweat kept flowing over his body.

Inhale... One... Two... Three... Four... Exhale... One... Two... Three... Four... Inhale...one... Two... Three... Four... Exhale... One... Two... Three... Four... Inhale...

His breath began to steady, his heartbeat slowed down, the only thing he could hear was the random bursting of lava-bubbles.

„Fire! Head my call! I seek your assistance, your guidance, your strength! I have brought an offering to show my good will and my honourable intentions!“

Images started to form in his head. Of him sitting around the fire among his tribesmen, sharing the warmth; his mate in his lap and his son in his arms, cosy, peaceful.

„Don't try to fool me...“

His eyes opened in surprise. He looked around the molten canyon, expecting to see something, but nothing had changed He narrowed his eyes wary and closed them finally trying to focus back to the campfire again.

Two hours passed and nothing had happened. This was the last time he would be able to come here in a long while and he wouldn't leave without some progress. His impatience began to leave a mark on his thoughts.

The campfire started grow in his head. The tribe around him, his mate and his son where gone and he wasn't sitting anymore. Eventually the fire sprang towards him and he could feel a breeze. He was flying on a scaled red beast, setting houses on fire, burning flesh from bones, leaving men as smouldering piles of ashes. Suddenly he fell into the flames himself and the scenery changed. The fire departed and a jungle sprang forth from the ashes around him. He heard shouting. gunshots, the clashing of sword and axe, warcrys. He was there, hurling a grenade towards a dwarfen rifle squad. The blast ripping through their bodies, setting their own explosives off and immolating the foxhole they sat in. The fire caused by the explosion started to leash toward the bushes around him. He ran, avoiding to get trapped in unnaturally fast spreading inferno, but the flames sticked to his heals. Catching up to him, reaching for him, spreading further and further as he ran faster and faster. Suddenly he tripped over something and fell.

He awoke in a ill lighted cave. Not knowing where he was, he stumbled around in the darkness. Minutes passed without anything happening, when he heard a noise.
„Head my call“ he whispered in the dark. Nothing happened. „Blasted elements“ he cursed. Mustering his courage he journeyed forward to the source of the sound. With every step it came closer and it dawned to him what is was. Hasty chewing. Only broken now and then from a ripping sound and the occasional loud crack of something that got broken.

As the noise was just a few meters away from him, he tripped and fell hard on the ground. Something cut into his hand deeply, but instead of blood, flames came dripping from the wound, starting to illuminate his surroundings. Nograx attention on his burning hand was finally disturbed as the chewing sounds around him got replaced by hollow growls. He held his burning hand up like a torch and his jaw dropped terrified as he saw the hundred of undead around him, feasting on the corpses of orcs. But closest to him, where the orcs of the tribe. Heads cracked open, limbs ripped off, skin torn from the bodies.

„How did it come to this?“ he hissed and looked around, not believing what he saw, until he spotted his mate, dead eyed and her stomach carved open. Above her stood a female undead and a little leg was dangling from her mouth.

Realisation struck Nograx as hard as an amored kodo, but befor he could roar out in grief and anger the undead where upon him, starting to rip off his jaw, gauging out his eyes and pulling out his entrails. With each wound fire came forth until it engulfed him completely and the only thing he could feel was an immense heat. Burning everything around him, he finally stood alone, burning amongst ashes and bones.

„So that is what you want.You think you can use me for your own little agenda? Such arrogance.“

Nograx eyes opened and he gazed around. The lava had risen and his island had shrunk as a result of it. He could barely sit on it and the cliffs where out off reach.

Trapped.

A low growl escaped him as he got aware of his situation.

„You are not worthy to wield the flame. You'll pay for this insolence, little Dragonmaw.“ With these words the lava in front of him began to tremble violently and the bones of the raptor he just offered came forth, filled with molten stone and a fire burning in its sockets.

„All I want is asking for your ai-..“ Before he could finish the elemental flung a fireball towards him. Trying to avoid the flames, he ducked to the right but couldn't completely get out off the way, due to his unadventurous position.

„Groms blood! You damned piece of filth!“ he snarled as his left shoulder got seared by the flames. He reached for a grenade and hurled it towards the elemental, which erupted upon contact instantly, knocking it back into the lava.

„Don't you think I'll go down that easily!“ With these words he unsheathes his adamntite knife and turned around, weapon raised, looking from where the next strike may come. But instead the lava around him crept closer.

„If you try to kill me, show atleast some guts and do it face to face!“

„As you wish...“

As soon as the lava started to tremble again befor him, he leaped towards it, landing on the back of the fiery skeleton, which started to flay around in hope to get rid off him. Immediately Nograx, who has found a satisfying grip on the skeletal shoulders, started to thrust his knife into the skull, causing the elemental to howl in anger.

„What kind of orc are you?!“

„The one that does whatever it takes!“ And with these words the elemental suddenly became still and the lava began to creep back into the depths, where it came from, until they stood on solid ground again.

A hearty but twisted laughter escaped the elementals fiery mouth.

„What is so funny?“

„Maybe you are worth something. Next time you call out for me, I want to see exactly what you are made off. Bring an offering that is worthy.“

Confused Nograx opened his mouth to form an answer, but his words died in his throat as he hit the ground and the scorched bones of the raptor fell on him.

"Something worthy?"

Crossroads

Bending his knee he dropped the branches on the ground and started to arrange them to a little wooden tent, inside the stonecircle befor him. The little protodrake-whelp on his shoulder eyed the building of the campfire suspiciously, tilting his head from left to right and back again. Finally finished, Nograx, who wore nothing more then his pants, sat down, sitting in the middle of four small unlit campfires, aligned to the four cardinal directions.

His little ritual site was outside the camp of poachers, the tribe stayed at. It seemed to him as if he could hear the cracking of branches every second. The sound of leaves in the wind, the roars and screeches of exotic beasts in the jungle all around him. Some distantand some close. And he was all alone here with a drake infant. He could have asked someorc to come with him, but seeing how things are no one would care to accompany him anyway. The others where afraid of him and distrusted him more, then some warlock's. He was on outcast. A ticking timebomb to them.

Skriiioonk!

Nograx turned his head to the Protodrake on his shoulder and smiled.

„You are right. I shouldn't bother myself with this now.“ Nograx said and tickled the whelps chin. „Let's see if ye got this by now. Light them.“ He said as he pointed at the campfires around them. Not really sure what to do, the drake looked at the campfire, tilting his head more then so often from left to right.

„Right. Here. Do as I repeat.“ Leaned towards the campfire which pointed to the north. Closing his eyes he inhaled the thick jungle air through his nostrils and exhaled it with his mouth. As soon as the air left his mouth it ignited in a small stream of fire. Hitting the campfire it was set aflame as soon as the stream hit. Sitting himself in an upright position again, he looked at the Whelp, which looked marvelled at the campfire.

„Got it? Now light the others for me.“ And as he said it, the whelp did so, emoting the same movements, his masters did. Once it was done it screeched and looked up at Nograx expectantly.

„Good boy.“ Reaching in his satchel, Nograx took out a rather large piece of meat and offered it to the whelp, which screeched in joy, starting to feast upon the slap of flesh.

Now then. Focus. Putting his fists against one another at the height of his chest, he straightened his back and closed his eyes.

In a few seconds he had blocked out everything outside out of his little ritual side. Only the crackling of the devouring fire and the feasting of his whelp drang into his ears. In his mind he could hear the words of the of the fortune teller, and the future he laid out befor him. As he thought about this grim path, the visions he had for weeks now, came back into his head.

You see little dragonmaw? You cant change what is to come. Your people will fall. You wont see a prosperous future for the orcs. And there is nothing you can do about it. You powerless maggot.

Nograx eyes flinched as the imagery of tattered banners and broken orcs hushed through his mind.

„You are just trying to tempt me. I wont give in to your words. My future isn't set into stone. I am in control.“

Are you now? Your tribesorcs seem to think otherwise. They are afraid of you. They don't trust you. They hate you and your ways. You stand alone in the flame. Boiling with anger, which you cant control.

„No. Gashuk... And Grulda... They understand me. They'll help me.“

A dark guttural laugh rang in his head. Grulda? That ex-mate of yours? Which refused to listen to you, to accept your help? Who on every turn tried to force her will on you? And that... Warlock. You think he is truly on your side? Don't you see, that he is closer to the other orcs in the tribe then to you? When it comes down to it. Who will he stand with? The lone angry orc, or the tribe?

Nograx growled lowly as the words pierced his mind. His breath starting to grow unsteady, which in turn started to startle flames in the campfire around him. Making them grow and burn uncontrolled.

Be quiet, Fire!

Another voice came into his mind. Something familiar. A bit distorted, but familiar.

Don't listen to the flame.

„Who are you?“ He said and the imagery in his mind changed. Instead of the horrors of his future, the rocky and barren, yet beautiful plains of his past. A tall and strong built she-orc stood befor him, with dark-grey skin and all to familiar tattoos.

One that wasn't there for you, for a long time. But I am here now and I will help you.

Nograx could feel his guts twisting inside into a knot and a hot tear running down his cheek.

„Mo-... Mother?“ He always thought it was her, that appeared sometimes in his dreams. But to be finally sure, was something that he couldn't quite wrap his mind around.

The she-orc smiled and with that the knot was released.

You have dedicated your life for a long time now to our people. You have suffered. You where betrayed time and time again. Your heart is full with grief, anger, hatred. You have been fighting so long for a cause, that you have gone blind to the reality around you.

Let go my son. There is nothing but more misery if you stay on your path.

„But my people?“

You have done already enough for your people.

And with that the imagery faded. Neither the tempting, snarling voice of the Fire, nor the comforting voice of his mother could be heard. Slowly the sounds of the forest came back to his ears and he opened his eyes. The fires had burned out and the whelp was snoring in his lap.