Invasion

[Rhonya]

A little story about something important that happened in Rhonya's past. It was actually all done in RP a long time ago, I just felt like putting it in story-style and making it a bit more dramatic. xD
Hope you all enjoy it!

Invasion

The air was always thick in the Canyon. Filled with the thickness of foul magics, leftovers from a dark time. Demons still roamed the place, drawn there by that same magic that was still lingering the air. In one point of the canyon it was strongest. The thing that happened there in the past had left it’s marks, pieces of a weapon hanging in the air by themselves, held there by some old, dark magic. A weapon that had once held great power but was now broken and shattered, only a shade of what it used to be. On the other side of the Canyon a figure was sitting in one of the small shabby tents that were set up here and there across the clearing. Long black hair framed her yellowish-green skin and troubled blue eyes looked sadly at the glum scenery she could see from inside her tent. A dirty looking robe framed her skinny posture, hanging loosely as if it didn’t fit well anymore.
Rhonya had lost a lot of weight since they had moved to the Demonfall Canyon. Constant worry ate at her being and the lingering magic in this place also had an effect on her that wasn’t cheering her up. She felt alone here, blocked from feeling any connection to the elements. There was no clean earth here, no water, no fresh air and the only fire around was demonic and green. Food was only brought to her on occasion, the clan spending most of their time outside of the Canyon. Except her, of course. Her master had ordered her to stay inside, hidden, surrounded by the demons. For her own safety, he said.

Rhonya did believe this, though she never felt save in any way around the demons. They didn’t harm her, left her alone mostly because her master had ordered them that. Though she could feel the looks they shot her, the mad snickering of some as she passed them by, the hungry eyes set on her back every time she walked through the nasty place…

A soft, foul wind whispered through the Canyon that day. The wind was not a relief, it was mostly just scary, as if many voices could be heard in it as it slithered it’s way around the bare rocks. Rhonya rose to her feet, a shudder running over her spine as the wind blew over her skin like a dark caress. Her saggy robe reached to the floor, the edges dirty and ripped. Slowly she started to walk towards the bend in the rocks, the way out of the Canyon. The last few days, she’d had a visitor. He would stand at the entrance of the Canyon, knowing he could not enter, under order from his Shadowpope. A pact was made between the Orcs of the Blightskull and the Cult of Shadow, after all the trouble they’d caused each other. Her visitor was one of the Cult, a male undead. He’d talk to her, seem sincerely interested in how she was doing and if she was lonely in the Canyon. It was a relief to her, even though she still feared the Cult, to just talk to someone.

As she reached the entrance of the Canyon, she stepped right up to the edge of the rocks, the place she usually stood when meeting with the Forsaken. Today though, he didn’t seem to be there… A deep sigh escaped from between her lips as she eyed the dark green forest that spread out in front of her, large sick trees covered the earth and even here, demons still roamed. She tucked a lock of her ravenblack hair behind her ear as she turned around again with a heavy feeling in her chest, to move back to her hut. However, halfway there, she suddenly felt watched. Without turning her head, she knew who would stand there. Rhonya could feel the power emanating from him, radiating in the air around him. His deep voice spoke in a calm tone, but there was a very dangerous edge to it.

“Rhonya, my dear… “

Rhonya did not turn around at first and an annoyed growl came from behind her. Very wearily she turned then, not wanting to anger him. Her shoulders slumped down, her gaze cast on his feet, not daring to look up to his face. Though she felt perfectly save there, with him. Rhonya jumped as a bright green hand with sharp claws cupped her chin with a gentleness that did not fit the image she saw as he forced her to look up. He was dressed in simple robes, a hood shrouding his features in shadow. He did not look threatening,  but the power could be felt around him, almost seen, as if the very air around him shimmered lightly. His eyes were a deep shade of red, his face set in a kind expression, though there was something in his look that made her worry. Perhaps the stance of his lips, the slight pressure he was holding her chin with, the tips of his claw just pressing on her skin slightly.
“Look at me. You know I don’t like it if you avoid my gaze, dear. “
Rhonya nodded very slightly and he let go of her chin, running his nail across her cheek, as a caress. She shuddered, stepping closer to him, being drawn in by power, not able to resist. He smiled then, dangerously sharp teeth visible, eyes set on her face. With a growl he moved his hand across her neck, grabbing her hair in a tight grip. His other hand moved down over the small of her back, pressing her thin form against him. She could feel his breathing in her neck as he held her, speaking softly in her ear with a tone that made her tremble slightly.

“I’ve watched you the last few days, Rhonya. You’ve been holding out on me… Secret visitors at the entrance, and never you mentioned it that they found us again. The..Cult.” This last word was spoken with a growl, his hand tightening in her hair and the hand on her back clenching as he pressed her even tighter to his chest.
“I’m disappointed in you, love. You know how I hate it if you lie to me or don’t tell me things. I should be able to trust you in here, it’s for your own safety, you know that.”

The hand on her back moved up slightly, the claws running over her skin through the thin fabric of her robe. Rhonya shuddered again, looking at his chest as she was pressed against it, standing as still as she could. She knew he was angry, though he kept his tone calm. Once again, she’d made him mad at her… it was as if she kept displeasing him. His voice continued as she did not answer, his tone darkening and getting lower, a growl appearing in his voice.
“I don’t want to see you again with him again, Rhonya. Stay away from him. If I do see you speaking to him again, you will regret it. You know you will.” And with those words Morkosh his hand moved from her neck back to her face, letting go of her hair but cupping her chin again as he turned her face in his direction. With a snarl he looked down on her and pressed his lips against hers with a  crushing force. Rhonya winced, but this made him even more determined to hold her close, it seemed. She could feel the skin of her lower lip split as he bit down on it with a deep growl, blood starting to ooze from the wound. He pulled back at the taste of it, a dangerous grin on his face. “Don’t disappoint me again.”

And with those words, he just let her go, turned around and walked right out of the Canyon again, leaving her all to herself once more. Rhonya’s legs started to tremble and she just sank down on the floor right there, wiping her hand across her mouth to get rid of the blood. There were no demons around her this time, all knowing to stay clear of Morkosh whenever he appeared. Rhonya didn’t know how long she just sat there, frozen in place. The air started to get darker then and as she finally looked up, she realized it was night time.

With a very deep sigh she pressed herself up to her feet, wiping the dry earth off her knees and hands. Suddenly she felt another presence nearby, one also very well known to her. From around the corner came a shape in robes once more, but this one was not as broad as the first. The robes swirled around the shapes leg as it moved, and Rhonya smiled as she smaller woman reached her. The shape threw her hood back, revealing a face with a too weak bone structure to be fully Orcish. Watery blue eyes looked up at Rhonya’s face and brown hair covered her head, one lock hanging in front of her face.
“Shrika! What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here…he can be back again any moment.” Rhonya stepped closer to put her arms around the smaller female and Shrika returned the gesture, hugging Rhonya a moment before stepping back again and looking her up and down, totally ignoring what she had just said. “You look even thinner than last time. He’s not feeding you enough. Here.” Shrika reached with a slender hand into a bag that was on her hip. She took out a piece of bread, pressing it in Rhonya’s hands. Rhonya looked at the food in her hands a moment before she tore in, she was hungry, actually. Perhaps the hunger in her stomach had just become a feeling she’d gotten a bit used to…
Shrika watched her eat with a grin on her face, she patted Rhonya on her arm a bit. “That’s better. You shouldn’t let yourself be treated like that. You deserve better.” Rhonya stopped eating, peering at Shrika with a frown on her face. “Like what? I’m treated fine, he only keeps me in here for my own safety.”

Shrika rolled her eyes, grunting, knowing she would not win this argument. Rhonya wouldn’t see the truth. Not yet, at least. Reaching out, she grabbed Rhonya’s free hand that was not holding the bread and simply started to tug her along. Rhonya almost lost her balance but walked along. “What are we going to do?”
“You’ll see. We’re going to add some strength to both of us. You’ll need it later.”
Rhonya looked at Shrika with an uncertain gaze, not sure what she meant with this. But she just continued taking bites of the bread, following quietly, too occupied with eating.

They moved through parts of the Canyon, to a side of it that Rhonya didn’t like much. The air was even thicker here, the center of the Fel energy that radiated from the broken shards of the weapon hanging in the air. She started to get a bit nervous now. What was Shrika up to?

The small female half orc let go of her hand then, walking to the spot right under the shards. She turned to Rhonya, lifting a hand to push the lock of hair out of her face. “Stay there. I’ll perform a ritual for the both of us.” Rhonya nodded nervously, settling down a bit more to the side, near one of the shabby tents there. She watched her friend turn around again.

Shrika picked up a rock from nearby and used that to draw a circle in the gravel. She added some weird symbols around it that Rhonya could not understand. When that was done and the dry dust had settled a bit again, she moved to stand in the middle of the circle and closed her eyes a moment. Rhonya could feel the difference in the air after a while, something shifting. Shrika lifted her hands to the sky, her eyes an ominous darker shade of what they normally were. She started to speak, but her voice was not entirely her own as she did so. The language was one Rhonya didn’t know, but it did not sound pleasant.

“Rakkan ze maz, zenn te zekul!  A aman kar aman, ze zila soran se adare. A aman kar aman, re maz ze ze te revola! A ril kar adare, adare re ur zar Ashjraka danashj, ze A maz soran te tiriosh ashj us. Zenn te zekul, tiros ze ante, lek A rakir parn!”

With a quick movement she slashed her hand on a dagger that was hanging on her belt, motioning with it so droplets of blood were flying everywhere. The air darkened even more, a rumbling sound entering the Canyon. Rhonya was half hidden behind her tent now, trembling, for she did not like this at all. Shrika continued to speak in the harsh language, her hands still lifted, blood pouring down her arm.

Suddenly, with a loud clap and a bright flash, the world disappeared a moment. Blinking, Rhonya looked in the direction Shrika was, and slowly her vision cleared again.  Shrika was still standing there, grinning, her arms lowered now.
“Do you feel it, Rhonya? Do you feel the power going through you?”
Rhonya wasn’t sure, though she did feel slightly odd… Was it because she had been sitting so close to the actual ritual? That even she was affected even though she had been sitting outside the ritual circle?
The Half she-orc turned to Rhonya then, walking over to her. With a comforting smile on her lips she hugged the sitting form of her friend.

“Use this power, Rhonya… Get away from him. You don’t need him. You’ll be fine..”

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From that moment on, Rhonya started hearing the voices. She did not link the events, though, too busy trying to survive in the miserable place of the Canyon. She did not know either that she was actually carrying the child of Morkosh..

(Translation of what Shrika said:
“Demons of Old, hear my plea! I call for thee, in this place of power. I call for thee, to aid me in my search! I ask for power, power to do the Legions bidding, so I may smash my enemies with it. Hear my plea, grant me more, and I shall obey!” )

[Grekthar]

((Remind me again to kill Morkosh if he ever shows his face     Lovely read all the same ))

[Sadok]

((Finally got around to reading this one - good work! Once you get past the demons, systematic manipulation and wanton abuse, Morkosh is quite the affably-evil charmer!  ))