u/Useful-Option8963

... because of their high reproductive rates allows them to demographically steamroll every other species.

Yes, they're weak, yes, they look pathetic, yes, they probably aren't even all that smart, but there are stronger, competent, and smarter ones among them. Their threat comes from sheer numbers, and in war, that advantage is a game changer. It doesn't matter if you can absolutely slaughter an enemy in a war, killing hundreds of thousands of them with each battle, winning ten battles in a row, but you only have one army, they only need to win once, and other races would feel the attrition even if they won. It's just that the Psycho Warriors make inflicting this attrition unusually painful for them, but as was proven with Captain's Crusade video, and Xavery, that Messenger who "I don't have long! I come bearing an important message!" died on the way to getting there, the Blapblaps do pose some level of threat to the Psycho Warriors.

I don't think that Genobomb was wasted on those 20 billion Blapblaps at all, even if it was used inappropriately.

Here is the situation I have for this planet.

• Harsh annual scarcity seasons, IE, winter
• Low amounts of food resources to begin with or extreme competition
• Predators being WAY too good at picking off swarms of unprotected young, much better killers than on Earth

What other sorts of conditions do you think would be able to justify a scenario where k selected species are the majority, and there isn't an r selected species larger than a rat? At least on land.

I was perusing it, and I noticed that it wasn't listed among the religious traits, or anywhere in the traits section on the Invictus Wiki.

I just got really curious. I've seen the girls as Spartans, I've seen Ruby in a bunny costume, and I've read that comic someone made where a Chibi Virus started going around turning everyone at Beacon into small pranksters, but I'd genuinely like to see someone explore this concept!

I mean, if the unit was removed for being ahistoric, then would a good compromise be that this is a cultural fusion unit? Illyro-Thracian, essentially?

Specifically, this should be possible within the provinces of Macedonia, Hellas, Ionia, Pontos Et Bythinia, Sicily, and Magna Graecia. I mean, if they are Greek phalanxes for hire, then why would you need a port in order to recruit them in the lands that they are native to/heavily colonized?

I just think it makes sense for them to be easier to recruit in their own home provinces... if my suggestion isn't too outrageous or difficult to implement, that is. I mean, it's entirely up to the devs to decide if this is a good idea to implement in the next update.

Rapax, one of the MOST despised parts of ever using a Legion, this dishonor is one of the great dark spots on even Invictus gameplay.

It's a story that if you play the game long enough, is guaranteed to happen to you. You're sieging down a city, or assaulting it, looking to earn that legion distinction that grants bonuses to attacking fortresses and instead of that distinction, you get a warning.

The legion has plundered a bit too much from the city, and it is starting to concern the leaders. Demand oaths of allegiance seems to be the obvious solution, so pick that, problem SEEMS to be solved. Then, when you siege a fort city down again, there it rears its ugly head: Rapax.

You didn't ask for this, you only had one warning for it, there's no way to control whether you get it aside from not taking over cities using your legion, which absolutely sucks as depending on how urbanized the enemy land you're conquering is, you probably cannot even avoid it. The culprit might be all the techs you picked that increase enslavement efficiency, but if that's really the case, then the game is simply punishing you for optimization and using legions alongside it because there is no way to control the severity of the plundering of cities in every army except your own capital levy. And making matters worse is that there is no way to get this dishonor removed, and even if such a method does exist, when have you ever seen it actually come into effect?

OPTION 1: Remove from the game entirely. This is the most simple and straight forward solution, and one that many, including myself, are rather fond of. I may wish for the consequences of wanton plunder to be reworked, but I would not mind at all if Rapax was removed.

OPTION 2: Make it so that when a legion conquers a city, they get the popup event just like if a ruler conquers a city if the Legate or Legion Commander in charge of it is above a certain loyalty threshold, and consistently choosing the "Let None Hide" option (if they're under your control) that nets you a ton of gold repeatedly will give the Legion this dishonor, or if the leader of the siege has negative character traits that make such plunder more likely. This method I feel is simple and effective, it would allow some control back into player hands.

OPTION 3: Character traits are able to mitigate or increase the chance of it happening. Getting Rapax on a Legion led by a commander who is merciful, cautious, and good natured just isn't right, man. But putting in charge a man who is a deceitful, greedy pillager should make it more likely. If you went with this option alone, while you won't be able to directly control when it happens, you would at least have a chance, man.

OPTION 4: Make being awarded with the dishonor far less likely to happen in enemy cities, but far more likely if the legion plunders your own cities. This is just logical, I mean, if it's an invasion of a foreign country, then by all means, most of the time the plundering should be acceptable no problem. However, in the case of a civil war, where the core cities can be in the line of fire from your own armies? That's the situation that should be most likely for a legion to get the Rapax honor. Imagine you're Rome, and you got a civil war, and all of Italia except for Rome itself is an enemy, the conquering and plundering that happens as a result would make sense to be punished with such a dishonor.

OPTION 5: Make certain culture groups or nations, such as the Illyrians, Sennones, or Assyria, not eligible to receive the shame of the Rapax and replace it for them with a distinction that is an honor, instead. This is sort of like Option 1, but lighter? It would help a little bit.

OPTION 6: Implement Options 2-5, or whichever combination of it is the most possible. This is the one that I am the most in favor for, by doing this it would if not solve, it would heavily mitigate the issues people have with the Rapax Distinction.

There are multiple species to choose from, most common are the Dogs and the Cats, but there are also horses, birds, even frogs! I would like to see Goji Center's take on this trope, I think it might be creepy, but definitely cool to watch them break down just how exactly such hybrid peoples would work!

Now, I have looked it up, and it's entirely legal to privately commission people for fanfiction. Now, as for my rates, I took a minute to come up with a scheme that I think will be a fair price, I will not charge per word, but per chapter depending on how many words you wish for the chapter you commission me for to possess, however, these rates are for total word-count with a margin of +500, not chapters, so I may split it into multiple chapters, which will not affect the price of the commission unless I need to go over the +500 word limit in order to make the new chapter functional. There may be slightly more words in the final result than you paid for, however, the commission will not change unless the word count is 501 or more over the amount you agreed to pay for.

$5 for 5,000 words or less

$10 for 10,000 Words or less

$15 for 15,000 Words or less

And so on and so forth, you get the idea.

I think that this is a fair deal, this is ridiculously cheap in comparison to other writers offering this same service, however, I know that the average person isn't swimming in that much disposable income. If you are able to away a few dollars periodically, you could even eventually get me to write an entire fanfic story for you, if the money comes in long enough.

Of course, there are some ground rules that I will set up.

1: ABSOLUTELY NO FETISH CONTENT. This goes without saying, but since this is Reddit, I feel I have to say this due to the site having a well-earned reputation for being a vile cesspool, I am not levying any accusations against this community, but with how severely disappointingly common those types are on this site, I have to be safe by explicitly laying out that, no, there will be no fetish content written about the MINORS who are depicted in the story of Animorphs. And no, there will be none of that stuff even among the adult characters.

2: Please do not commission me to write yaoi/yuri/same sex romance and content. As I have only in the past ever written those relationships in a smutty context in a time my mind was in a dark place, I have an aversion to writing this and find it difficult.

3: You pay me AFTER I deliver the goods, and not a second before. Upon completion I will privately message you with a link to a Google Document, after which, you can review it, and if it is not to your liking, you can suggest changes. However, after I send the document and you find no issues with it that require, you must hand over the agreed upon money, until that transaction takes place, I cannot accept another commission from you. I accept Mastercard, Google Pay, or Invoice, however, I will only accept payment in intervals of $5. Depending on how the story for the chapter I write goes, I may decide to split the commission into multiple chapters if necessary, which will not increase the price of the commission.

4: Do not Discuss the details of your commission in the comment section. Merely post your comment with how many words you want, and a story title if you have one. And then I will contact you via chat and discuss the details of your commission there, including tone, direction, story, and whatever other little things you wish to add in. (NOTE: If you need me to come up with a story for the fanfiction you want me to write for you, it will not cost you anything)

5: I am a fan of Animorphs, so I know and understand the story and characters that I am writing for. If you check my earlier posts on here, you will find that I have talked about my upcoming fanfiction, Ancient Animorphs, from time to time.

6: No trolling or snideness. Please take this seriously, as I am legitimately trying to use my writing skills to give you what you want and to support myself. Please, just let me have this.

Now, I have looked it up, and it's entirely legal to privately commission people for fanfiction. Now, as for my rates, I took a minute to come up with a scheme that I think will be a fair price, I will not charge per word, but per chapter depending on how many words you wish for the chapter you commission me for to possess, however, these rates are for total word-count with a margin of +500, not chapters, so I may split it into multiple chapters, which will not affect the price of the commission unless I need to go over the +500 word limit in order to make the new chapter functional. There may be slightly more words in the final result than you paid for, however, the commission will not change unless the word count is 501 or more over the amount you agreed to pay for.

$5 for 5,000 words or less

$10 for 10,000 Words or less

$15 for 15,000 Words or less

And so on and so forth, you get the idea.

I think that this is a fair deal, this is ridiculously cheap in comparison to other writers offering this same service, however, I know that the average person isn't swimming in that much disposable income. If you are able to away a few dollars periodically, you could even eventually get me to write an entire fanfic story for you, if the money comes in long enough.

Of course, there are some ground rules that I will set up.

1: ABSOLUTELY NO FETISH CONTENT. This goes without saying, but since this is Reddit, I feel I have to say this due to the site having a well-earned reputation for being a vile cesspool, I am not levying any accusations against this community, but with how severely disappointingly common those types are on this site, I have to be safe by explicitly laying out that, no, there will be no fetish content written about the MINORS who are depicted in the story of Animorphs. And no, there will be none of that stuff even among the adult characters.

2: Please do not commission me to write yaoi/yuri/same sex romance and content. As I have only in the past ever written those relationships in a smutty context in a time my mind was in a dark place, I have an aversion to writing this and find it difficult.

3: You pay me AFTER I deliver the goods, and not a second before. Upon completion I will privately message you with a link to a Google Document, after which, you can review it, and if it is not to your liking, you can suggest changes. However, after I send the document and you find no issues with it that require, you must hand over the agreed upon money, until that transaction takes place, I cannot accept another commission from you. I accept Mastercard, Google Pay, or Invoice, however, I will only accept payment in intervals of $5. Depending on how the story for the chapter I write goes, I may decide to split the commission into multiple chapters if necessary, which will not increase the price of the commission.

4: Do not Discuss the details of your commission in the comment section. Merely post your comment with how many words you want, and a story title if you have one. And then I will contact you via chat and discuss the details of your commission there, including tone, direction, story, and whatever other little things you wish to add in. (NOTE: If you need me to come up with a story for the fanfiction you want me to write for you, it will not cost you anything)

5: I am a fan of NoP and have read the entirety of the first story, and some chapters into the second, so I know and understand the story and characters that I am writing for. And as the author of Enclosement, you'll know I'm the real article.

6: No trolling or snideness. Please take this seriously, as I am legitimately trying to use my writing skills to give you what you want and to support myself. Please, just let me have this.

Fun fact: this absolutely gargantuan misjudging of scale happened because of a mistranslation. Liopleurodon is 25 feet long, the WWD crew forgot to convert a certain number, and them being British this resulted in them thinking it was 25 meters long. Perhaps you could pit this beast against one of Subnautica's own Leviathan horrors? Or a monster from Skull Island?

What kind of creature do you think would make for a good match against this animal? I'd like to hear your thoughts down in the comments.

Though Atheism is seen as normal in our times, during the Ancient World, being perceived as an unbeliever of the divine or supernatural was a serious crime. If a character is lapsed, then if you take them to trial, this should absolutely be a charge that can be levied against them.

I'm not normally one to read harem fics, actually, I've never read any harem fics in my life. However, recently I started to get super curious about this sort of thing.

So, please, send me RWBY Harem fics that you think are good.

Bonus points if:

• All of team RWBY is in the same harem and the mc handles a romantic relationship with all of them at once.
• The character in question eventually marries his entire harem and has kids with all of them
• There is a story beyond the harem plotline.

These are some of the lines that the Venlil of this tribe that I have named will speak, at least, their leader, anyway.

---

“We wish to accompany you, on your raid...”

---

"...I am Sonok, the Brother of Lenhok, and this is my testimony against Gonim, you have no cause to fear betrayal from me, or any of my tribe, the Tribe of Tarkh.”

---

“We Tarkhites were chosen to carry out the mission because out of all the Exiles, our tribe has suffered the worst of the curses. And it is our cries for vengeance that resonate the deepest, for when the Tarkhites took me in, they numbered almost 8,000, our warriors were once the most feared in all the wastes… but now? Now? Those of us you see before you are all who remain. Our mates… our pups… we stood helpless as those we loved died in agony.”

Sonok then took a stone knife, held it up, and slowly drew it across the palm of his hand, his voice becoming far darker as the fur of his hand was coated with orange. “The Gonimites are a scourge upon the entire world, they will see Venlilkind destroyed before they ever lose power, and though we are only thirteen, we will die to make sure they are defeated forever.”

---

The Tribe of Tarkh were once one of the most powerful among the Exiles, their warriors fiercer and stronger than any other. However, the constant strife had rendered their numbers among the lowest of the Exile Tribes, they felt the pressure of their way of life harder than the others, and as such, when Annan approached them, beseeching them to put an end to their petty warfare to unite in peace for a better future, they eagerly agreed. During their exile, the Tarkhites had invented, while such an innovation was common west of the Kam mountains, it was completely unknown to the Gonimites, whom the sturdiest materials that they used were mudbrick and wood. The Tarkhites used the art of stone cutting and masonry for the construction of their fortified settlements that they retreated into during their raids, and plied this skill for Annan, constructing the stone walls of Annantok, and then the rest of the city, which the entirety of the tribe migrated within and had their own district. Once the construction of the city was completed, the Tarkhites became the elite guard of Annan, who remained in the city to defend it whilst he did the work of unifying the other tribes. All of this changed, however, when the Demon Wind blew, bringing with it disease, despair, and death, many of the tribes were devastated, and Tarkh suffered the worst of it.

So, what Exile Tribes would you like to add to this tapestry? If you're feeling intimidated next to the lore drop I gave, don't worry, all you need to provide is a name.

The point of this concept is to make it so that larger powers, while they would generally hold the advantage, would be less prone to snowballing than other factions would be. As you guessed from the title, this is accomplished by making manpower a key resource in being able to actually annex the territory. This will also hopefully wind up making it so that the AI is less prone to just annexing nations into extinction, making for more interesting gameplay.

This is both historically accurate and makes sense for the gameplay, now I will let you imagine how this concept will work depending on how big a faction is.

LANDLESS RABBLE/MIGRATORY HORDES: This will not affect them whatsover.

CITY-STATES: This is cruel, single territory factions will not be harmed whatsoever by this, and are supposed to benefit from this

LOCAL POWERS: These are the entities who are supposed to benefit from this, making it so that if they fight well enough against bigger factions, they will be able to preserve more if not all of their territory even though they lose the war.

REGIONAL POWERS: The first true debuff to annexation occurs here, Regional Powers, once the peace treaty screen is reached, will only be able to annex territory per 100 manpower that they have left (final number undecided), however, annexation will not cost any actual manpower. For Regional Powers, it will simply look at the amount of manpower you have and limit the number of territories you can eat based on that. This will also make barracks and training camps more important as an expansionist power, while a player should have no problem with this, this will slow the Rome of any regional power attempting to become the European Juggernaut.

MAJOR POWERS: Now for these guys, the manpower requirement will actually cost manpower in order to annex territories, 100 per territory. This will not be crippling, considering how most major powers are pretty good on manpower production, often getting 500 a month, but this will incentivize making subjects, I hope.

GREAT POWERS: The manpower requirement will be increased to 500, if you think this is harsh, seriously, as a great power, you are NEVER running out of people to fight for you, it is one of your biggest advantages.

SPECIAL RULES

1: Wars between 2 regional powers will not need manpower in order to annex territory, in wars like these, the regional powers are usually the final boss of each other before they increase their territory rank. Wars such as these usually find both evenly matched and therefore having a manpower cost apply in this circumstance would result in the losing power not really being knocked down from their defeat, and the victor not really being able to benefit.

2: Wars of Imperial Conquest and Civil Wars are also exempt from any manpower costs entirely and would operate as normal.

We only have two appearances from the dude, the trial of Dirtdog Slim, and the Damnation of the Four Thieves. I want to see him get into more shenanigens, punishing the most evil of evildoers in the most twisted and unhinged way imaginable. Perhaps a crossover episode covering the "Tararasq Jerky," "Maze The Lady of Pain," or the "Goblin Centipede" we never see get achieved in Season 1, or perhaps somehow spinning all 3 into a single episode. Perhaps the Chaotic Good Barbarian used the Lady of Pain to make Infinite Tarasq Jerky and the Tarasq mazed the lady of pain because she couldn't finish that creature off, with the Wizard King loaning his magical services to the Chaotic Good Barbarian for a day because he was bored, lol.

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Memory transcription subject: Slanek, Hartekmoulite Hero

Date: August 26, 2497 Anno Domini

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“Well if none of us saw any leaders, then where did Aspik go? And WHY is the Supreme Matriarch dead?! We wanted her alive, Princess Tarva is going to demand an explanation, and I’m not going to approach her without one!” Dosekmeln started raising his voice at the Exile Warlord.

“It is as I said, she had been stabbed once in the heart with no sign of struggle, the same as her guards!”

Solgalick’s spine, I really exerted myself yesterday, I reflected on the aching pain as I massaged my calves. I had never been so exhausted in my entire life, I can barely bring myself to move!

I was relaxing in the hilltop sanctuary, from which you were able to see the entirety of the southern wall. An obvious place to lead a battle.

After the violence ended, everyone hadn’t spent themselves in the rout gathered the corpses of the enemy, and our own. Every Gonimite was gathered into massive piles five Venlil heights tall. As we worked, though, birds and beasts descended upon the scene, reaving a feast from the meat of the enemy. A surprise guest had also shown their faces, multiple Spitbrowsers, the very same massive beast that the leather in my armor was made from, plodded in.

The supposed herbivorous creatures, who were normally solitary, all joined the feast of cursed flesh. Gonimite bones were crushed by their teeth as easily as they did the nuts and roots that they so favored, the work took until the following twilight, and in the morning, a meeting of the most important figures in all three armies was convened in the Gonimite Sanctuary outside the walls.

Confusing though, was the fact that the Supreme Matriarch was found here with some of her bodyguards dead from the same cause, one single, precise stab into each of their hearts. But Aspik was still missing, and this mystery was causing tensions to rise, especially with the announcement by the augurs upon the discovery of this place to not change the environment in any way. Even Annan’s warriors were eager to tear down the unholy symbols and decorations of this place, and everyone grumbled when they were put back up.

Good news came when Harrik woke up earlier this morning, my General is still alive, though as he sat in the center of the glade he looked far more worn and weary than I’ve ever seen him. Whatever the demons did to him, it was harsh.

“How long will it be until your… augurs are ready?” Annan asked. “We put this place as close to how it was when we found it, and none of us want to be here for any longer than we have to be!”

“The Augurs will be ready when they’re ready,” Dosekmeln patiently answered. “Divining signs, even to determine something that already happened, requires time.”

“Or… the Humans have intervened in our history… again,” Harrik spoke up all eyes being drawn to him. “They may have… spirited Aspik and his closest followers away… before justice could reach them…”

I felt a distinct and sharp sense of unease wash over me. Though it was hardly a ludicrous idea, the thought of Human intervention was practically unheard of, the only two instances of Humans intervening was them discovering our ancestors on the shattered ruins of Primmoul and transplanting us to Valonga, and then them sealing us within the Enclosement. And ever since our ancestors awoke, naked within the Enclosed lands no Human has been seen ever since.

“Humans?” Annan asked incredulously. “I apologize if my words are out of line, but Humans don’t exist. They’re just another lie told by our priests for… for what reason, I don’t know.”

That’s a good way to look at it, who among us has ever seen a Human? They’re basically a myth.

“No… no…” Harrik refuted, struggling to speak the words. “The Humans are real… they built the Enclosement and imprisoned us within… no one else… could have raised those towers…”

“Human intervention…” Dosekmeln whispered. “The Humans are a race of incomprehensible mystery, knowledge, and secrets. It would certainly explain how the Gonimites could build those machines when they don’t even have writing, let alone a measuring system!”

The thought made me sick to my stomach and made my head whirl, the Humans intervening on behalf of Gonim? Giving aid to the most backwards and savage Venlil on Valonga?

“Why, out of all within the Enclosement, would they give weapons to the ones who have made it their life’s mission to kill every other member of their kind?” I couldn’t help but speak out.

“Why did the Humans give us Valonga, only to imprison us within the Enclosement when the first pivotal moment of our history on this world took place?” Dosekmeln asked charitably. “Why imprison us, when the ruins of Primmoul would have done a much better job of containing us? Why save us if they were going to cage us then never show up again? The Humans’ actions have always been beyond our comprehension, no Venlil has ever spoken with a Human aside from Hartek himself.”

I felt my heart stop, Hartek, THE King Hartek, actually spoke with the Humans?!

“Hartek spoke with them?” I asked, shocked, my tone desperately wanting for whatever secrets have been so tantalizingly hinted at! And this news caused quite the uproar as well, “What did they tell him? How did he respond?”

“Ha… you hold your cup… too loosely, Dosekmeln… ha ha ha…” Harrik laughed at Dosekmeln’s expense, an actual light expression on his face despite his fatigue.

Dosekmeln’s ears drooped, knowing that he made a blunder, a look of regret soon came upon his face.

“I wish I could say what transpired in the days when Hartek treated with them, but with the sacking of Sinsodam when Gonim took the city, they burned down our capital’s library, and every record within was destroyed, included what history we had written down beforehand. All of that knowledge, all of our history… a crime against Venlil civilization.”

“What was in this… library, you speak of?” Annan asked, eager.

“It was where the last of our memories and knowledge from Primmoul was kept and safeguarded, those who survived from the Old World’s destruction long enough to be sealed within the Enclosement transcribed what knowledge they had preserved from the height of Venlil greatness… Gonim may desire to recreate Primmoul on Valonga, but they were the ones to kill the last vestiges of it. The irony of it all is quite hurtful.”

“Hurtful indeed!” Fanalk whispered, wincing. “I heard that the Great Library of Sinsodam had a great collection of these things called recipes, ways to cook food to make it taste better. I would kill to get my hands on a tablet with such secret knowledge.”

“Yeah, but I heard that there was quite a lot of evil stuff in there, too,” Sepek whispered. “Crimes were jotted down and remembered for the sake of avoiding them.”

“You’re more right on that than you’d ever know…” Veep whispered. “When I was young, the elders would whisper stories of what happened to our ancestors on Primmoul in the darkest nights.”

“Like what?” Wageln asked, eager, but anxious.

“Deeds that you may spend the rest of your lives trying to forget…” Veep sighed. “The only one I’m going to tell them to would be my own son, and when he reaches ten years ask him.”

Suddenly, something shifted in the crowd of the delegation, whispers were being exchanged. I would’ve risen from where I was seated on the floor, but one of Annan’s Commanders approached me, a Warlord who was missing an ear and an eye, his head and back covered in white cloth of some kind.

“The Augur is here, please be silent!” Commander Headwrap said before walking away, it was only a couple minutes’ wait until he arrived.

The Holy Ven was ancient, so ancient that he needed a stick to slowly walk forward, and needed an aid to help him walk up the hill. He wore a green blindfold over his eyes and his own garb covered a pelt that was white and gray, although with his age I’m surprised that there was any color left in his fur.

He approached the part of the sanctuary where the bodies of Toma and her dead bodyguards lied, flying insects were already buzzing around, the blood pooled out onto the stone floor. At first I feared the frail elder would trip and fall on the remains, but he stopped, and held out the hand that had his walking stick for his attendant to take. He reached into a bag and pulled out herbs of some sort, bundled in string, and began chewing on them. He spread his arms and began chanting with his faint voice, he was so quiet that I couldn’t understand what he was saying.

With shaky legs, he carried on this ritual for several minutes, until he fell suddenly. One of Annan’s Commanders reached forward, trying to help, but he was stopped by someone else, who shook his head, and they resumed watching.

The Augur knelt down, gently dipping his fingers, first in the puddle of dried blood, then the wound in Supreme Martiarch Toma’s back. I saw his posture change as his fingertips made contact, then when he felt her hands, his expression grew concerned, though he audibly gasped when he touched her open, lifeless eyes. He then moved on, stepping around Toma’s body and moving on to the guards.

Upon first touch, the Augur froze like before, then touching the wounds, hands, and then eyes of the deceased guards. But when he touched the hand of one of the dead guards, he reached into it and scooped out from it fur… fur that was so clearly differently colored from that guard’s. He clasped the mystery fur in both hands and began meditating, whispering almost muted prayers once more.

My patience began reaching its end! How much longer is this going to take? He’s already been ten minutes!

Finally, the Augur fell silent, dropping the fur onto the ancient stone floor, before removing his blindfold. Without fail, his aide rushed forward and helped pick him up, giving his staff back.

“Thank you,” he uttered, the first comprehensible words I heard from him. He approached the leaders of this gathering.

“What did… you see?” Harrik asked.

“I saw everything clearly, but the details are… confusing,” The Augur said, the entire room leaning forward to hear his response.

“Supreme Matriarch Toma was murdered, stabbed in the back with a knife, a swift, strong, and precise blow, however, she was previously facing someone, only to suddenly turn and run away.”

“Betrayal, I knew it!” Annan whispered in vindication.

“And that explains the bodies of those guards,” Dosekmeln observed. “They tried to defend her.”

“No, none of her guards intervened,” The Augur clarified. “There were many guards, the Supreme Matriarch had been surrounded by at least a hundred Gonimite Warriors picked to defend her, and was accompanied by her daughter.”

“Her daughter?” Harrik asked.

“After her mother’s assassination, the daughter, Kehi, tried to flee, but the guards closest to her grabbed her, and held her down. This was when the guards died, Kehi was rescued undefiled, one of them still had a fistful of the fur from her ears.”

And yet, despite the Supreme Matriarch’s death, only five guards are dead and none of them defended her? I noted with concern, something isn’t adding up… there’s another clue in this, but what?

“But that’s not the strangest part of the tale,” The Augur said. “The killer of the Supreme Matriarch was a Gonimite Noble wearing bronze.”

“Aspik…” Dosekmeln whispered. “So, he killed the Supreme Matriarch in order to seize power for himself!”

“Was there any sign… of Human intervention?” Harrik asked.

“None, my lords,” the Augur humbly stated. “But there was one oddity I noticed with Toma’s eyes, Aspik was not with the horde when these Gonimites reached Stonecage, nor was he present when Stonecage’s exiles united with his army!”

“What?” Wageln whispered as the Augur’s words caused debate to arise from amongst the entire delegation. “That’s absurd!”

“Why wouldn’t Aspik be present to lead his army?” “He was gone? How long was he gone for?” “Where in the Enclosement was he even?” “This isn't real…” “That would mean that Toma would have to command in his stead!” “I heard all sorts of rumors about Toma, if they’re true and she’s as big an idiot as they claim, then Aspik would definitely wanted her dead for flaming up such an important battle.”

“So he arrived just to kill Toma, and left?” Annan said, shaking his head.

“This is most troublesome…” Dosekmeln said, pinching the bridge of his snout, before turning to me. “Would my lord Slanek be so inclined as to offer us insight?”

I straightened up in surprise at being requested, but then again, this probably shouldn’t be so surprising, I probably already had important clues to finding the answer. I rose from the ground and walked over to the trio of the greatest leaders present. I turned to the Augur, he wasn’t a descendant of Hartek, so I would’ve stood heads and shoulders over him even during his prime, but his age had rendered his stature even smaller.

I kneeled down so that I could face him, and when his eyes beheld me, he gasped in amazement.

“The rumors… they were true?” He asked me. “Are you truly… him?”

“Yes,” I gently confirmed. “I am the Bronzepelt.”

Strangely, this caused no reaction in the Exiles, even before I was exiled, it was whispered in fear, even though no one knew who the Bronzepelt was, there wasn’t a Gonimite alive, current or former, who didn’t know the name.

Perhaps this was a sign of how these Venlil have cast aside their heritage, that they have removed themselves so far from the Gonimites that they have no fear of he who would’ve been their prophesied destroyer.

“May I… read your hand?” The Augur asked.

I simply nodded, and held out my right palm, allowing him to tread his fingers across it.

“Hmmm,” he pondered, eyes closed. “Oh… oh… you have lived a life of suffering, of fear and the anguish of terrible crimes that have gone unpunished.”

Ummm, what does that have to do with his visions?

“Yet you also capable of deeds as terrible as they can be virtuous,” he said, letting go of my hand. “If there is one counsel I can give you in these dark times, it is that you must exercise patience if you are to prevail. The burning desire for vengeance, if it is allowed to control you, will be your undoing.”

I stared at him, “We will see. Did you see anything else? Any symbols, or sigils, that were on Aspik? Anything that stood out?”

The Augur’s expression turned thoughtful. “Yes, yes there was. It was an emblem carved into an emerald, far more massive than any I had seen before.”

“Then depict it for us, please,” Dosekmeln asked as one of his messenger maids gave him a sheet of bark, with a small vessel filled with paint.

The Augur dipped his finger into the ink and began to inscribe upon it the symbol that he saw, his finger moving slowly, carefully, but dexterously, delicately applying just the right amount to replicate what he saw.

When he was done, we leaned forward to get a closer look at the emblem.

At first, I recognized the symbol of Gon, but then that of three other spirits, Hoon was there also, but the other two, I didn’t know or had forgotten.

But I knew of this symbol, I had been taught it very very early on… the memory will come to me, but it’s just beyond my reach at the moment!

“Certainly a priestly sigil,” Annan spoke quietly. “We can recognize their marks, but we can’t pick out a head as to its meaning, none of the Gonimite’s higher classes had ever been Bloodcasted, for fairly obvious reasons, so what this symbol could mean is beyond me.”

“I recognize it from somewhere,” I said, staring at it intently. “But its meaning escapes me.”

“Well,” Dosekmeln complained. “It’s not as if the previous hegemons of the Enclosement have vanioshed in a puff of smoke, Aspik had to have fled somewhere!”

Previous hegemon… previous ruler? Overthrown ruler!

“Wait! I have it!” I said excitedly as I recognized the emblem at last. I heard my mother’s head in my voice at the same time as I began to explain.

“That emblem is The Blessing of Sovereignty, comprised of the combined marks of Four of the Spirits, Gon the Supreme Guide, Hoon the Destroyer, Mubba the Weaver of Fate and Pathfinder, and Hetah’Sihh the Giver and Depriver!

Whosoever possesses this emblem can only acquire it by the blessing of the Spirits, and once you have it, it mandates that you become the new leader of Gonim, and the previous ruler is to be killed. However, those who ask for it and are found unworthy by the Spirits are deprived of their lives by Hoon.”

“Only four times was the Blessing of Sovereignty granted within the Temple of Fate,” I finished.

At this information, the Exiles all got an astonished look upon their faces as shock rippled throughout the crowd.

“Aspik was given the Blessing of Sovereignty?” Annan fearfully asked. “Impossible! The spirits have never chosen a male to lead anything besides the armies and their own houses, never ever!

“But doesn’t it fit? It would explain his absence,” Dosekmeln added. “He was at this hidden temple, gaining the approval of the dark forces to bless his rise to power.”

“And there’s something else, too,” the Augur spoke up. “In Toma’s dying memories, she overheard Aspik, he said that the Spirits of Gon gave their blessing to rule however he wished, and he’s going to make himself a King!”

“A Gonimite King?” Dosekmeln whispered. “Gonim changing their Supreme Matriarch every five years was a considerable weakness we exploited. If Aspik is styling himself after most rulers, then that means he’s very likely intent on reforming Gonim from the ground up.”

“Why did Gonim change their leaders every five years?” I asked. “I never understood why they did that.”

“Why was Gonim… the way it was for any reason?” Harrik said, eyes closed. “They’re dedicated to clinging to Primmoul’s ways at all costs… or rather, what they thought Primmoul was like… Rule by Herd was one of the most… important tenets of the Old World… the fact that Aspik was accepted despite proclaiming… his intent to abolish the last vestiges of Rule by… Herd… means that Gonim is finally… willing to adapt to reality…”

“He’s right,” Dosekmeln stated. “We’ve both pushed ourselves to the absolute limit, and the fact that we’ve shaken the hubris from them means that we’ve got them cornered. If we don’t finish them now, they’ll come at us even worse than before! The nine armies marching across the Enclosement? We are the last, beyond those already on the field, there is no one else who can be spared to fight.”

“They’ve always been desperate!” Annan spoke up as if illuminated by an epiphany. “All this time, and you didn’t think about it! Gonim is desperate to ensure their own supremacy. But that doesn’t explain where Aspik and his followers fled to, or where they pulled that huge fire spewer out from!”

Harrik’s eyes suddenly opened wide, the color in them was orange, replaced by bloodshot.

“The Mountain of Sorcery!” He uttered, and at that announcement, the whole room went quiet as I felt an inexplicably cold wind wash over the sanctuary.

“The Mountain of Sorcery… exists?” Annan asked.

“Many believed it exists, but only as a secret buried somewhere in the lands of Gonim,” Dosekmeln stated. “Harrik, what are you saying?”

“I am… certain of it…” Harrik stated, out of breath. “Stonecage is a strange city, isolated from all but… surrounded by wilds… yet it’s one of their larger cities… Capital is just to the East… and… no villages… in the valley south of…”

“No villages?” Dosekmeln asked, his eyes growing contemplative as he danced with Harrik’s words, before his eyes opened wide. “You’re saying that the Sorcerer’s Mount is here? Within Stonecage’s area?!”

“That traitor Sentinel! Was he always on watch in that area?” I added in.

Dosekmeln’s eyes darkened with the implication, “Yes, he was… I reserved watch posts for Warriors too crippled to fight on the field! He would’ve seen Aspik coming, he often held the night watch alone!”

And in a few short minutes, the prisoner was brought before us, the Traitor Road Levy who had ensured that the denizens of Stonecage, as well as the Supreme Matriarch and her personal guards, escaped and joined forces with Aspik’s army… and now we may learn of yet another treachery.

To his credit, the traitor didn’t make a noise as he was brought forth before us. The Hartekmoulite Warrior threw him onto the stone floor before us, and what a pitiful sight he was to behold.

He had been stripped of every possession, every armor and accessory, every weapon. For the crime of killing his Bandsven, who he had shared food, drink, and many a vigil with, he had been whipped mercilessly, and he had been dealt the same fate as every Gonimite who we had enslaved. The fur of his waist had been removed, his tail chopped off, and to finalize the humiliation, he had been forced to wear a diaper, just like the captive Gonimites he threw his lot in with.

“EH!” He made a hurt sound as he landed on the floor.

“You!” Dosekmeln demanded, his voice taking on a sharpness I had never heard in him before. “Rise!”

The Traitor Slave did as he was ordered, pushing his body off the floor, and standing up to face the General. Though he was not a descendant of Hartek, his captivity had left his spirit broken and body bent in fear, his diaper though was clearly fresh.

“You…” Dosekmeln judged. “You think you’re clever, yet time and again, we outwit you, we prevail on the field against you because you are proud, treacherous, ill-disciplined, and stupid. How? How could you do this? For how long did your allegiance lie with Gonim?”

“I… I sick… bad terrible sick…” the Slave said, voice broken. “When sick hear voices… voices said turn from Solgalick… submit to spirits… harm Hartek’s descendants, they say sick stops… I submit… sick stop… repay favor… repay kindness…”

My stomach turned as their contents threatened to spew forth from my mouth, I felt the hot tingling burning in my neck as I shook my head. This is what happens when a Demon attacks someone? Do they whisper in the heads of everyone?

“Disgusting creature,” Dosekmeln drew his sword and pointed it at the traitor. “Consider well, take a look upon yourself, wretched, herdless, tail-less, and now forever nameless by my decree. You will labor, eat, drink, and sleep forever followed by the touch of your own excrement!”

At this information, the slave shrunk in fear and shame, placing his hands over his face.

“But I know that the exodus of Stonecage was not the only Gonimite movement that you kept hidden. What more did you see?”

The slave started weeping, and sunk to his knees.

“I know you saw everything!” Dosekmeln stated. “Have you forgotten who controls your destiny? If you keep your silence, then I will see to it that you are sent to a quarry, maybe you’ll faint one too many times under the punishing sun? Maybe a stone will crush you? Or maybe you’ll slip and fall? Your suffering will surely one day end, but rest assured, Our beloved departed King Parkum has assured that the conditions for our industries are quite safe, so safe that your end will come in, oh, ten, twenty years at most!”

The Venlil only wept louder… he’s not acting like a Venlil in the…

“Wait, hold on,” I spoke up, raising my hand, drawing the attention of the leaders.

“You interrupt General Dosekmeln!” Annan accused. “Remember your manners, pup!”

“M-may I speak with him?” I asked, taken aback at Annan’s stern accusation.

“Whatever you wish to say, speak it decisively,” Dosekmeln gave his blessing, waving his hand.

“Thank you, my lord,” I said, bowing my head slightly before I turned to the pitiful sight.

What a wretched creature, how could this person be considered a Venlil? I observed. This fiend was nothing like the Venlil who I discovered in the outpost not even two days prior.

“Can you tell me your name?” I asked the traitor. “Who are you?”

“M-my… my…” The pitiful thing mewled out, rocking back and forth, still covering his face and eyes.

“My, my my my! MY! M-”

“Answer me one question clearly…” I interrupted, ignoring the sudden freakout. “When you accepted the offer to serve the Spirits, did the Demon ever leave your body?”

Once more, I felt the room shift as the implication hit.

“Call an exorcist!” Harrik whispered urgently, and a Messenger Maid sprinted away as fast as she could.

-oool, ah, ah ah AH AH AH AHH!” The Venlil in front of me began screaming frantically, shaking as he held his face in his hands.

I slowly reached my hand for the spear behind my back.

He suddenly shot up, spread his arms, and let loose a bloodcurdling scream that shouldn’t be able to come out of a Venlil’s throat.

“EeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The traitor rushed forward, everything left in his eyes gone!

I swiped my spear at him, and pressed the pole against his throat. Yet he didn’t stop!

Forced to back away or be toppled by the sheer force behind the charge, the Possessed grabbed my spear! I struggled to keep him from tearing my weapon free from my grip. His hand disappeared, I didn’t realize where until too late.

“AAAaaahhh!” I screamed in agony as I let go of the spear, the wave of horror, humiliation, and pain far greater than any I had felt before as I realized an enemy hand had bypassed my tabard and attacked my seed pouch.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” The Possessed screamed as it thrusted my weapon at me, I barely managed to grab the pole. I fell to my knees.

Gripping it as tight as I could, the speartip began sliding closer towards me as other Venlil began charging at him.

“Hold him down!” “He’s possessed!” “He means to kill us all!”

“Gah!” One Venlil flew away, blood pouring from his snout at an elbow jab from the Possessed.

Using what leverage I had, I kicked at the Possessed’s chest with all my strength, and he barely budged!

“AAAAHHH! RAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaAAAAAAaaaahhhh!”

Again, and again I kicked and kicked and kicked against its naked Venlil chest, desperate for some sort of advantage.

Just as suddenly as the crowding began, a hand covered in segmented bronze joined in, grabbing the possessed by the throat, causing a choking sound to emanate out. Mercifully, the Possessed let go of the spear in order to claw at my rescuer’s arm, allowing me to reclaim it and back away.

“Stand down everyone, I shall handle this cretin,” Dosekmeln cooly ordered as I backed away, the aching waves of pain emanating from between my legs.

“Slanek!” A nearby Magi called as she rushed to me. “I need to work quickly! Lift your tunic!”

I grabbed the hem of the leather garb and lifted, turning away to watch the fight while the Magi worked to heal my… delicate parts. And the first time seeing a Noble Hartekmoulite fight was truly something to behold, yes, this will distract me from the horrible sensation.

Dosekmeln threw the Possessed to the ground so hard he bounced slightly!

“HOOOOOAAAAAAAA!” The Venlil got up and charged at Dosekmeln.

He backhanded the Possessed, but the Possessed caught it, no sooner did he catch it did Dosekmeln’s paw find itself in his opponent’s stomach. The traitor gasped and staggered backward from the kick.

“Let’s prove why I am better than you!” Dosekmeln said right before the Possessed cried and charged again!

He backhanded once more, but the Possessed sidestepped it. The General was ready for that, too. His upper body became a blur as he rammed his bronze-helmed head into his snout. The Possessed reached for the General’s seemingly exposed ears, but the cursed traitor was backhanded, falling to the ground.

“AAAAHHH! AAHH! AH! AAAAAHHH!” The Possessed rose once more, only to get kicked under the chin, throwing him to his back.

“WUUUUH? RRAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

Dosekmeln sprinted up, knelt on the Possessed’s chest, and began whaling on his face. The demon-host traitor tried deflecting but for every move he made, Dosekmeln was so fast he both countered it and landed another heavy blow by the time the Possessed could move again.

Somehow, the Possessed grabbed both of Dosekmeln’s arms, but only pushed himself out from beneath him. The Noble General stumbled as the Possessed lunged for his eyes.

Dosekmeln’s superior reach prevailed; A bronze covered fist shot forward and crushed the Possessed’s throat, staggering him.

When he rose, again Dosekmeln backhanded the Possessed into the stone floor.

The Possessed crawled towards him on all fours, mouth open, Dosekmeln fainted with one foot but then kicked with another, sending the Venlil to his feet, he charged, only to be backhanded to the ground yet again.

“YAAAAAAA!”

He rushed forward, and right as the Possessed leapt up to bite him. Again, Dosekmeln side-stepped, but this time he leapt with a grace of foot one would expect from a Messenger Maid!

Suddenly, the descendant of Hartek was behind the Possessed. He reached forward and restrained his arms by locking his elbows, and just as quickly, he shot his legs forward and bent the knees back, hooking the traitor’s legs and pressing his back tightly against his own chest.

Then he pulled, snapping all legs and arms out of their place!

“AAAAAAAAYYYAAAAAAHHHHHH!” The Possessed still screamed at the top of its lungs when Dosekmeln rose and let him go. But rather than wait for the immobilized Venlil to land, he backhanded him, causing his snout to smash into the stone floor.

Now properly immobilized, Dosekmeln kneeled on his waist and began whaling on the Venlil with his bronze covered fists, the blows landed on the sides of his head, neck, chest, with incredible force.

“HUURR! HURRAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGH!”

The Possessed’s face was slammed into the stone floor, once, twice, thrice, again and again until bones started crunching.

“AH AAAAHHH!”

The screaming and struggling continued, but so did the brutality, as orange blood started appearing on the Possessed’s fur and the stone floor, the fingers of one of Dosekmeln’s hands grasped a nipple and twisted until it started bleeding.

“AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

Again and again, Dosekmeln beat the possessed, his brutal bronze battering hands started coming faster, the speed intensifying in both velocity and bloodshed as bones started breaking. The traitor’s cries dropped in intensity, until…

“Stop! Please! No more! We beg you! No more! Have mercy on us!” The voice that came out of the traitor’s mouth was that of a Venlil again.

And like that, the fight was over, the traitor’s sobbing resumed as normal, the only difference was that he had been beaten bloody and broken, and Dosekmeln this time was not going to grant any benefit of the doubt and keep him immobilized.

“What in Yodavv’s womb?” Annan whispered, completely horrified. As a matter of fact, as I looked upon the delegation, I saw that while everyone was weary, the Exiles had been legitimately disturbed by what they saw, quite a few were shaking, and many of them looked like they were about to turn tail and flee.

“No! Don’t stop! Keep hitting him!” I cried out desperately. “That fight is the only thing that distracts me from the pain!”

This outburst of mine elicited humor in most, and both Dosekmeln and Annan looked to scold me. But both laughter and disapproval died the moment they saw the damage being repaired.

“By the name of the Lord of All Light, Solgalick! Stay your hands!” The Exorcist called out as he arrived on the scene, his voice a clarion call over the entirety of the gathering, and dead silence returned. Dosekmeln released the Possessed, however, when he tried to wipe his snout with his paw, instead he lightlysmacked himself with his gauntlet.

“Oh dear…” Dosekmeln muttered as he beheld his gauntlets, which had become so crumpled from him punching the traitor that he couldn’t move his digits. “It seems one of the rare downsides of my divine heritage has reared its ugly head.”

“Your God is nothing! Your words mean nothing! Your light is nothing more than a cruel sun that lies to all who stare at at!” The hateful thing spat.

But the Priest threw salt upon the creature, causing him to shriek once more.

*“By the name of the Lord of All Light! Your disorder shall begone from this Venlil!” The Exorcist spoke again, causing the Possessed to writhe and squirm away.

“If you banish us, insipid fool… then Lekoneln and this body dies!”

“You can do no such thing. You shall not kill my son, you shall not kill your host.” The Exorcist spoke with otherworldly confidence. “By Solgalick’s holy name and power, you are cast out from this body, never to return!”

Silence once more covered the sanctuary as the Possessed became completely still.

“U-uuuuuuuuhhh, what?” The Traitor slave groaned as he rose up. “What happened? Where am I?”

“Do you… know… where you are…?” Harrik asked.

“H-Hartekmoulite Generals?” The Venlil asked in astonishment and confusion. “I shouldn’t be here, I’m- I feel ill.”

Then he froze as he realized something, and then looked behind.

“M-m-my tail! Where’s my tail?! And why am I wearing this… this… no. No no NO! I… I remember everything!” He cried out, falling to his knees in anguish. “That wasn’t a dream?! It really did… oh Eyes of the Kameppa! What have I done?!

And against all odds, I found myself questioning everything I had seen prior to this. All this time, a Demon had manipulated this Venlil, controlling him, influencing him, puppeting him for who knows how many years?

“You’re free now,” the Exorcist said, walking forward, speaking in a comforting voice. “Whatever haze your mind was in-”

“That doesn’t wash those crimes away!” The former Possessed said. “I knew what I was going to do, that thing told me before I accepted! I betrayed my hometown, I killed my Band, I betrayed Zelesay, I had turned against everything I- Oh, OH!”

Suddenly he bent over, holding his stomach as his eyes grew pale, and he started trembling, and blood, too dark to be Venlil blood, started dripping from his nose. And suddenly, a horrid stench invaded the entire congregation, causing Hartek’s descendants to gag and wretch, whilst Annan and his own forces were bewildered.

“What… what’s happen-OH!”

“The Bearer of Disease never kept its word,” the Exorcist stated. “It didn’t stop giving you pestilence, it only gave your body what it needed to look and function normally without anyone noricing. And now with its presence gone, that pestilence is manifesting.”

“But you said I wouldn’t, die!” He gasped as his belly started swelling, and he grit his teeth as fetid blood began leaking from every orifice.

“Normally, you wouldn’t, this is happening because that demon was inside you for years and years.”

“I… I’m going to die,” he whispered, his voice filled with despair. “I’m condemned to the underworld for all eternity for what I’ve done!”

“But… if there is one good thing I can do… th-then, I will answer your question,” his words began to sound gargley as fluid began filling his body, and he uncontrollably urinated and defecated.

“Twenty days before Stonecage was taken, I spotted a trio of Venlil, I knew they were Gonimites, one of them was Aspik. They walked inside of a glade, there is a shrine, and between the two pillars, a secret doorway. And in there, you will find the stairs, stairs to the Mountain of Sorcery, where the evil Venlil, and demons, rule…”

“Please,” he sputtered out, his insides completely filled with fluid. “I beg of you… avenge us… avenge us all…”

He tried uttering out more, but at that point, everything became nonsense.

Dosekmeln nodded to a figure, and out I saw walk Nod, the same Zelesayite that I had caught, and stopped him from, whipping his slaves to death. He carried a large bronze axe with a massive head.

Nod walked up to the Venlil traitor, a bloated, fetid thing that no longer resembled our own kind, and swung down. All at once, a foul smell and a shower of pus came forth, and then afterward, the Magi burnt the betrayer to a crisp, and when the fire started, Annan’s men started adding more and more fuel to it, both magical and physical, until the blaze consumed the whole of the sanctuary.

“There,” the Magi said, finally removing herself from the situation. We were outside the sanctuary, the entire grove was being burnt to a crisp. “You lost much blood, but it’s all back to the way it’s supposed to be.”

I stood up, tired, woozy, and felt myself under there. And she was right! It’s all there! All intact! Even if it stings!

“Oh, thank you,” I said, my voice weak.

“But right now?” Annan asked. “Both of our forces still haven’t rested up to their full strength! If we invade the Mountain of Sorcery alone, much less as tired as we all are, then it’ll be suicide! We need to wait for some of the other armies to come to Stonecage!”

“Not invade…” Harrik clarified, and my attention turned towards him for the first time since my injury. “Send a chosen few… infiltrate… and then… destroy… the hour is… now!”

“But to do it so soon?” Dosekmeln stated, concern in his voice for the old General. “Must our warriors do such a thing, now? It’s clear that only those who aren’t descendants of Hartek can sneak in, one look and they’d be torn apart! And those Venlil with the right body shape are still tired, we should at least wait until dawn.”

“NO!” Harrik shouted, suddenly impassioned. “Tonight! It has to be tonight that we send them in! We can! We must! If we-”

Suddenly, Harrik bent over and was overcome with a profuse coughing fit, and his attendants rushed over to him.

“General! Don’t strain yourself!” One Magi said, going over him with healing magic as Harrik looked at his hand with concern.

“We cannot allow them to escape…” Harrik said, out of breath and shaking, and yet we were all captivated. “Every Gonimite on that mountain must die. The ghosts of all of our friends and kin, the memory of those we cherish whisper in our ears, begging us to avenge them. Those who are waiting for us to bring justice to the Enclosement… count on us… we’re… running… out… of time…”

Harrik looked over to me, his eyes exhausted, but the fires of determination were still burning within.

“Slanek the Bronzepelt,” he pointed a shaking finger at me. “Lead the infiltration… of the Mountain of Sorcery. This… is… why… you… were… chosen.”

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