Army Days
"Summoned
me!" his thoughts raged "Summon Me! I'm about to lead forth Her army- the greatest fighting unit ever created, about to
sweep Darokin off the map when I'm summoned, not by
Her, but by a clerk, first class junior grade to boot! The
General of all the Armies summoned by a clerk!' He stopped pacing. 'Why
I'd like to rip that clerk apart with my claws, feel his spurting blood as he
breathes his last......' Jalcom forced his tense body
to relax. The blood rush had started, the old instincts had taken over- the
desire to kill and burn. He forced himself to think differently, such impulses
may of got him to be leader of this army but he needed
a clear head now.
It had only been a year since She'd
summoned him, personally, from recognisance to organise and lead the army- he
had done better than She'd expected, She had told him so- so why the summons
now? He could not explain it. He marshalled his will and marched in at the
invite.
Her chambers made every one uneasy, it's alien shape and twisted forms. Her own bulk easily
filled a quarter. In the red from the dancing fires She
looked even more dangerous. The black shadow behind Her a reminder that even She had
superiors.....
She told him Her
reasons, her mission- vermin control. Jalcom gathered
what he needed quickly, and marched forth- some middling warriors and a bunch
of slaves would be enough. In plain sight he set them up and waited.
They crested the hill from the
village, three Human scum, a Dwarf, a Hin thing, something huge with wings far too large to fight
effectively, and by the Dragon, a Xeion! Jalcom had been expecting a dull, dishonourable fight, the
kind adventurers usually gave before dying, but this, this
changed things. He readied himself. Toe to toe with a Xeion,
a honourable fight at last! The Minotaur they captured
had been no sport, all too quickly reverting to savagery, but a Xeions honour never collapsed. 'Don't worry about death'
She had told him, without tactics to worry about he could let himself go; let
the warrior take control- reveal in his Orc heritage
of blood and fire.
It was a slaughter,
She had known it would be. A show She said, test them, let them know we know
they're here, enjoy it. They were resourceful and powerful in some ways She didn't appreciate. Jalcoms
fight was shorted by the intervention of the Hin (Jalcom noted to thank it later with steel), and he died
quickly. Reversing death was easily within Her power -
Jalcom devilered his report
in person. She promised him a rematch to win.
Jalcom
smiled at the prospect, his outsized incisors sparkled
a blood red in the firelight.