*KABOOM*

As soon as Lilian had spit in Krak’Nathal’s face, Dracogrious was backing away slowly.

And as soon as Krak’Nathal had hefted his might axe. Dracogrious was running.

He was running to avoid getting in his nieces way.

He was running to save his life.

He was running out of fear.

Yes! Dracogrious admitted to himself. I am afraid! I don’t want to die! I am scared to die! That niece is so stupid if she thinks she can beat that monster!

Krak’Nathal was staring down a what he thought was a now bisected Demon of the mountain.

I got her! He thought triumphantly.

Was the dust and dirt cleared away. Be saw her standing there sideways staring up at him. Her hand resting on the back of his blade.

WHAT?! I thought I hit her?!

But all Lilian had done to avoid the strike was to step back with her right foot ever so slightly. This turned her body enough so that the axe’s blade landed right in-front of her.

Now she was pressing down on the axe.

“You know? I thought this was going to be a fight between me and a Warchief. Not me versus another halfbreed like myself.”

“W-What?! HALFBREED?!” Krak’Nathal bellowed.

“Yes, aren’t you a son of an ogre? Because cause there is no way Mokra’Torc would actually be this foolhardy.”

“I’LL KILL YOU!”

He pulled on his axe to lift it.

            

                

Nothing happened.

          

HUH?!

        

          

Krak’Nathal real put his all into lifting the axe. He grunted and he strained against the hand keeping it pressed down.

“T—That! That’s! *GRUNT*” No matter how hard he pulled on it to lift it. He was unable to budge it.

“BUT THAT IS UNPOSSIBLE?!” He shouted at her.

“*SIGH* I was dragged off my mountain for this?” Lilian put both hands on either side of the axehead.

Suddenly, the axe was raising.

YES! I did it!

Krak’Nathal pulled on his ace, but as he did, he felt it tugged the other way.

“WHAT?!”

The Demon was holding onto his weapon.

“LET GO YOU FUCKING DEMON!”

“As you wish.” Lilian dug her feet in behind her, then pushed herself off of the ground. “*RRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGG!*”

The shaft of the long two handed axe with the barbed bottom smashed into Krak’Nathal.

“*RE-RUEEEEE?!—“

He was sent flying back as his axe was launched with him. Her landed on his. Back with a grunt, a hole in his large round abdomen for all of his troubles so far.

“Really though? My uncle lost to you? He should feel a shamed more than he does.”

“S-SHUT UP!” Krak’Nathal yelled in rage as he reached for the axe that fell next to him.

He hefted his mighty battle axe once more. This time, going with a side swiping motion.

“DODGE THIS HALFBREED BITCH!”

And to his utter disappointment, she had.

Lilian ran towards the blade as it was coming towards herself, then slid into her left calf and right shin as she leaned back to dodge under the swinging blade. This put her at close range to the large beast of a Mokra’Torc.

Which was right where she wanted to be.

*SMACK*

*SMACK*

*SMACK*

With three quick strikes to the right side of of Krak’Nathal’s abdomen.

“UGH!—*SMACK* GAH-REEE!”

Krak’Nathal was falling to a knee as he received three quick, hard blows to his liver. Forcing him to buckle under the pain. This new lowered position brought him within striking distance of receiving a blow straight to his jaw.

This landed him straight on his side. Forcing him to stare up at the Demon from below.

“By Mother Rayala, you even squeal like a pig the human’s claim we are.”

“S—S-SHUT UP! *COUGH*” He shouted with a cough of blood from his mouth. He swept a leg out, knocking Lilian to her back.

“LILIAN!”

Lilian heard Anna scream for her. But in reality, this was where she wanted to be.

The large beast of an orc ran at her, charging towards her prone form.

“I’ll kill you halfbreed!” Krak’Nathal shouted as he dove for her.

As he was falling towards her, she rolled back onto her shoulders. His gut unfortunately landing right onto her feet.

“UGHREE?—!”

“*RRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!*” Lilian growled as she rolled Krak’Nathal over top of her to kick him over her.

*KAH—OOF!*

Krak’Nathal landed with a grunt as he wound up onto his back. As he was staring up at the over cast sky, he saw a feet coming towards him.

“…no…”

*OORRRUGGHOOF!*

His muffled grunt came from under Lilian booted feet. As she sprung from off of his face to land with a knee right onto his wound.

“*RE-REEEEEEEE!*”

Lilian quickly crawled up to his head and held him down by his shoulders with her knees.

“Now!” *C-C-C-CRACK* “Let me show you,” *C-C-C-CRACK* “How I train to be ogres!” After cracking her neck and knuckles of her hands, she pulled her right fist as far back as her shoulder muscles would allow.

*SMACK*

*OOF*

*SMACK*

*AGH*

*SMACK*

*SMACK*

*AAAHH!*

“STO—“ *SMACK*

                     

Nad’Lug watched on at the pathetic display of his pawn he had spent almost his whole life setting up for this point being beaten to a pulp. As much as he was enjoying seeing the brute smacked about and punched in the face, this was not going according to plan.

“That incompetent lout!” He looked back towards the Mokra’Torc people they had taken over. Most of their faces filled with hope. Only the ones nearest to Nad’Lug had any sort of dread on their faces at their Warchief losing.

“Soldiers. I think it is time to go help our Warchief.”

All of the soldier twitched and twisted at Nad’Lug’s command. But they stared at him in distress.

“B-But Shaman Nad’Lug, this is an honored duel between warriors. We have no right to interfere!” A soldier next to Nad’Lug spoke up.

“Hmm?… I suppose you are right.” Nad’Lug remarked as he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

The soldier closest to him, along with the others breathed a sigh of relief at not having to break the rules of combat.

“But on the other hand…” Nad’Lug spoke before reaching towards the soldier.

Nad’Lug grabbed the soldier by the face with a surprising strength the soldier didn’t suspect the old Shaman to bear.

“*Ooph!* “S’r! W’at ar’ you do— *AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA*”

The soldier screamed in agony as Nad’Lug’s had turned a sickly yellow glowing hue.

The flesh of the soldier started to literally boil and puss up as as his flesh melted through his skin. The skin itself sagged and drooped off of his body in boils as large peels like ripe fruit. He was still screaming as his eyes melted from his head and the parts of his bones started to show as the turned black from the exposure.

His blood evaporated into red mist as it oozed from his body. His flesh melting into a festering pool of black that boiled on the ground beneath his feet, were now part of the black pools of ichor. His screams reduced to gurgling as he gargled on his own blood and liquified organs.

Terrified and trembling Mokra’Torcs watched for about ten seconds of torture as a man was reduced to nothing but a smoking black skeleton and a red and black stain on the ground.

“Now? Is there anyone else that has anything to say against me?”

No one spoke, all trembled before this Shaman’s terrifying otherworldly powers.

“Then get in there, AND HELP YOUR WARCHIEF!”

“*A-A-AAAAGGGHHH!*”

Came the disorganized scream from about a dozen men as they charge towards the Demon and their Warchief.

As Nad’Lug watched his soldiers rush to their certain deaths, he turned towards his acolytes.

“And this my dear students, is where we must depart from this almost complete, but failure of a plan.”

                   

Anna was watching with a heart of jubilation as Lilian was literally beating the tar out of the rotund muscular Mokra’Torc that looked like he swallowed an ogre.

But her heart sank as she saw that the soldiers on the other side start to charge at her.

“LILIAN!” She screamed.

“Ah cud! I knew this might happen, *SIGH* always the sore loser with you, Nad’Lug.”

“Master Tharhym we have to help her!” Anna pleaded.

“We cannot help her fight,”

“What?! Be their not fighting fair!”

“I know, that is why we are not going to fight. Just stop the extras.”

His hands started to glow with a golden ethereal light that seemed to generate from his hands themselves.

“What?!” Anna exclaimed in surprise.

Then Tharhym slammed his palms into the ground. The light shot out in waves as it raced towards Lilian.

                    

Lilian at this point, notices the soldiers running at her, stops her beating of Krak’Nathal and unsheathes her hatchets.

*Ftttutt*

*Fttutt*

*SHINK* “AAAACCKK!”

*THAWK* “GGAAAHH!”

She fells two of the closest targets with her weapons, one landing in the forehead of one orc, the other burying itself deep into the chest of another. At that moment, the golden light emenating from the ground surges past her, heading towards the charging soldiers.

A large crescent columns of rayalan, pillar out of the ground. The soldiers stop their advance as they come to dead halt in-front of a literal dirt and stone.

Lilian was surprised to see this all things considered. She was just getting herself worked up to fight all of them.

She looks towards her Love to see her staring towards her with wide eyes, with Tharhym on his hands and knees releasing some sort of elemental magic.

But this had been the moment Krak’Nathal had been waiting on.

He hefted up and grabbed the Demon of the Mountain by her waist and threw her over him.

Not expecting him to still be conscious Lilian was taken by surprise as she was thrown away by the engorged Warchief.

She curled up as she hit the ground from a meter into the air and rolled another few feet.

She slowly got to her feet as she contemplated how she was going to beat him for this. Which turned out to mistake, as he was already upon her.

*SLAM*

“*UUUOOFFF!—* Lilian was once again carried off of her feet as she was launched backwards from a punch aimed at her sternum.

“LILIAN!” Anna cried out.

Lilian look up at the now raging Warchief.

Oh! Is that how this is going to be? Okay then.

She stood up straight and felt a twinge in her abdomen.

“AGH!” She breathed heavily.

Oh yeah! He got me good there… He hits like an ogre too…

Lilian could feel a couple of her ribs had been broke by a single punch from him.

He really is a monster. Good thing I was faster than him before.

But, Lilian lamented. That was before he raged and she had a couple of broken rips and no weapons.

*AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH*

*STOMP*

*STOMP*

*STOMP*

*STOMP*

Lilian looked around quickly and saw what she needed to take him down. She ran for it as he was charging towards her.

She reached it first, grabbing the almost half a meter taller than herself weapon of the Warchief. She swung it around sideways with a twist, feeling her ribs pulling awkwardly as she felt them crack further.

*AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH*

*RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGG*

*THWACK—SHLICK*

“RRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!—“

There stood a large Mokra’Torc with large axe half buried into his abdomen from his left side. With a smaller woman holding the axe that had cut and got stuck in his side.

*RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!* Lilian screamed as she half raged to pull the blade the rest of the way through him. Cutting straight across his belly to the other side, his guts and intestines spilling from his body.

“Re-Re—REEEEEE!—-GGAAAAFFAALLLlalalaaaa….. Krak’Nathal gargled as he fell to the ground backwards with blood oozing from his mouth.

Lilian was breathing heavily as she felt that she might now have three broken ribs at this point.

The rayalan wall fell down like a curtain, spraying dust and dirt into the air. Once it cleared, the other half of the captured clans had seen the now fallen Warchief on the ground.

Both sides were silent though. As the Demon of the mountain dragged the Warchiefs large axe over towards the front of his body.

She hefted the axe up again with great difficulty. All while breathing heavily.

“…I told you… I would have your head. *ERRGH!*”

She then brought the axe down,

*SHLICK*

Decapitating the corpse of the former Warchief.

She left the axe buried into his neck as she reached down to lift his head with one hand, groaning as she stood back up.

“ARE THERE ANYMORE CHALLENGERS?!” She called out to the forced congregated clans.

One stepped forward from the crowd. He was dressed smiliarly to the Warchief.

“I challenge you!” He stood tall and bravely out towards Lilian.

“Right here?” She asked the tall and muscular man.

“Right here!” He affirmed.

“Right now?”

“RIGHT NOW!” He pulled free a large one handed axe he wielded with two. “FOR CLAN FEL’AGRIAN!” He cried out as he charged at her.

She stood there as he amateurishly charged straight towards her. She let out a sigh as she reached behind herself to free her skinning dagger.

*AAAGGGHH—*SHLICK* HHRRRRkk?!—….*

The brute of a warrior took only a couple more steps before he fell to the ground, drowning in his own blood from the dagger in his throat.

As he fell at her feet, she scanned the audience another time.

“Anyone else?”

Most looked nervous, some looked happy for some reason, others looked put right joyful.

Weird?…

But there was one more that stood forward.

“I- I challe—“

Lilian was already reaching down by the time she had heard him speak and step out she picked up the large one handed axe and with a twist and a flourish, tossed it towards the would-be challenger.

“—enge— Aaahhhcckk!” He screamed as an axe now stuck out of his chest.

Lilian stood there panting as she thought she heard someone scream from the crowd about fighting fair.

“Last… *PANT* chance… *PANT* … Anyone else?!” She shouted out.

Everyone was silent for almost ten minutes before the first of the cheer rang out.

“WE’RE FREE!”

“THE MONSTER IS DEAD!”

“PRAISE THE DEMON OF THE MOUNTAIN!”

“LONG LIVE CLAN DRACOGUSSE!”

The crowd cheered from both groups of Mokra’Torc people.

Guess he wasn’t popular…

“LILIAN!”

Lilian turned around to see Anna running towards her.

No… wait…  Ashu’Rágé don’t…

But nothing Lilian could do could prevent Anna from throwing herself into her arms

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Lilian screamed internally.

Anna felt her standing there stiffly with only on arm around her back

“My Ashu’Rágé? What is wrong?” Anna asked with a look of concern on her face.

“……….ribs………..” Lilian whispered quietly.

“What?”

“….Ribs my beloved…. Please let go… my ribs hurt….”

Anna immediately backed away, but then came close to her again as she saw that Lilian was actually barely standing. She supported her with her shoulder, whispering sweet assurances to her.

Meanwhile, Dracogrious, Voltarian, Anna’s guards, and Tharhym’s were coming forwards towards the Dracogusse champion.

Dracogrious stood next to Lilian still carrying the fake version of Tyronious’s Wrath.

“Good job my niece! I will take it from here.” He then stepped forward to stand in-front of the crowd of forcefully assembled clans.

“My fellow Mokra’Torcs I stand before you today to tell you as the chieftain of the Dragogus— *SMACK* *HOGE!*”

Lilian struck Dracogrious across the face, knocking him face down into the mud.

All cheering ceased immediately. As if sound had stopped existing in that moment that Lilian struck the Chieftain of Clan Dracogusse.

Lilian straightened from her stance of throwing her fist into her uncles face. Anna was slightly behind her was her hands covering her mouth and nose in shock and surprise.

Voltarian was the first to recover from the shock.

“You ungrateful bitch! You gods damned lowly half—“ but before hebcould continue. His father raised a hand cutting off him from advancing towards her. “Father?”

He shook his head.

“Let it go son, this needs to happen.”

He stood amazed as he watched what was essentially treason from his very own father.

Dracogrious lifted himself up from the mud and sputtered out globs of mud that had gotten inside his mouth.

“What is the big idea you halfbreed— *UUGGHH*”

He was kicked hard in the ribs and flipped over on to his back, staring up at Lilian.

She was looking down at him with barely contained rage and hatred.

“N-niece?!” He called out to her in a placating voice.

“Niece huh? Only when it is convenient for you!”

*THUD*

*URRGHHH!*

Lilian stomped her boot into his chest, keeping him pinned as she reached down and picked up the fake Tyronious’s Wrath. She held the blunted blade towards his thoat.

“It takes a lot of effort to cut through flesh with a dull blade… this will not be painless.”

“Wait! Lilian! Let’s talk about this!”

“Then tell them!” She shouted. “Tell them who is now chieftain of all the clans.”

“I-I am!” He told her. “I am the chieftain of the Draco—“

“WRONG!” She shouted at him.

“You were the chieftain! You lost that title yesterday! And as I a challenger am the one who killed off the Warchief!” She told him.

“Bu— But you lack the rights for this! You are not part of Clan Dracogusse!” Dracogrious argued.

“WRONG AGAIN!” Lilian yelled. “I, as part of an exiled family member, have the right and claim to all that was perviously my family’s!”

Dracogrious eyes widened at this.

“You can’t possible mean!”

“That is right! I claim my birthright as a lost child of the tribe!”

Lilian, Dracogrious, Voltarian, and Anna all looked towards Tharhym.

Tharhym himself just nodded sagely.

“It is within her rights: Any child, born of an exile that returns home to their clan that has welcomed them in, has right to claim their family’s inheritance.”

“No!— NO! You can’t do this! The clan is mine! I HAVE WORKED SO HARD!—ACK!”

The blade pressed harder against Dracogrious’s throat.

“No! Dear uncle! It is actually YOU! That does not have any rights! You lost your title of chieftain yesterday! I came as I was called as promised to the shaman, and fulfilled our bargin. He and you welcomed me with open arms and asked me to duel a tyrant! So now I have won this bout! And I claim my birthright and title of Warchief!”

She squatted down and looked deep into her uncles eyes.

“That is unless you challenge me right her, right now!” She whispered to him, letting the blade off his windpipe just a hair to allow him to speak.

As Dracogrious sat there hedging his bets on winning a fight against a wounded Lilian, he was force to stare into her eyes. Every second that passed her eyes seemed to glow with more and more purple fire.

It eventually be came to much for him to take.

Oh shit…

He felt himself release.

Lilian look down at his crotch that had a growing stain on it. Before looking back at his face.

“Is that your answer?

He couldn’t even find his voice. He just let out a whimper and nodded his head.

“Good.”

Then Lilian stood up and walked towards Anna. Whom she wrapped an arm around so that she could lean on her and not have to support herself fully.

“This it is decided! I am now the new Chieftain of Clan Dracogusse! I the Lilian Dracogusse, Daughter of Garious Dracogusse, former Chieftain of Clan Dracogusse, claim victory over all challengers and claim the title of Warchief of all clans!” She shouted out for all to hear.”

There was a stunned silence for a moment before a chant started to rise up from the crowd of the forcefully gathered clans.

“Demon of the Mountain!”

At first, nothing was said after that.

But then one by one, they all started chanting this.

“Demon of the Mountain, Warchief of Clan Dracogusse!”

“Demon of the Mountain!”

“Demon of the Mountain, Warchief of Clan Dracogusse!”

But if this was heard by an outsider of a Mokra’Torc person, they would have heard them just chanting a name.

“Gerack Fa Makmorna Trargraro De Dracogusse.”

On this day, the Mokra’Torc people welcomed in and cheered for their new leader.

————————————————-

                          

Nad’Lug from a great distance off listened with a wicked smile as Clans welcomed in their new Warchief.

“Such a terrible loss that our plans have been foiled master Nad’Lug.” One of his warlock apprentices said to him. “Our masters will not be pleased to hear we failed them.”

“No, no no my dear acolyte, everything has gone according to plan.” He said as he smiled with pleasure.

“But master! I don’t understand?! Was not the plan to sow chaos and destruction throughout the human lands?”

“If possible, it would have been good for this to happen. But our original goal was what, dear acolyte?” Nad’Lug asked his apprentice.

The younger warlock had to think about this for a moment.

“…To remove and assert a new Warchief within all the clans of the Mokra’Torc people my master.”

“That is right… and what exactly has just happened?” He said as an evil smile spread on his face.

The all acolytes eyes went wide amongst his large group of followers.

“Th—Then does this mean that this was always part of the plan?! To get the the Demon of the Mountain as Warchief?!”

“*SCOFF* Of course not! But she serves our purposes well enough. And now that the Mokra’Torc people have another Warchief again. The plans have been set in motion, and there is not a thing anyone can do to stop it.” He told his followers with excitement.

“…Then what is our next mission and plan master? what is the will of Yashggoroth?”

“For now? Nothing, he has not sent word or contact to us in some time. But he should be pleased with these turn of events. So with this, we shall go to the Sinking Isles.”

“The Sinking Isles my master?”

“Yes… there are a few things that if we acquire them, will prove useful to us in the future.”

After informing his group of their course of action, they set out. Making sure to make haste, lest they were caught. By angry or vengeful Mokra’Torcs.

                                 

But Nad’Lug’s group was not the only one’s watching and waiting in the tree-lines at the raise of a new Warchief of the Mokra’Torc people.

A young man with pointed ears tied a note to a large falcon, then watched as he released it and it soared into the air, high in the sky. Flying quickly towards its destination.

                                 

————————————————-

“Your majesty! With all do respect, now is not the time to be playing the demon’s advocate and trying to make peace with these mongrels! They clearly do not desire it themselves.

“But we do not know that! From all cases and reports! There is no indications of the orc coming or invading into our lands.”

“But that is just a matter of time! Why else would they be building an army, Brunhilda!”

“Maybe they are invading the trolls? Or maybe there is a problem with ogres? There could be multiple reasons for them to build up themselves like this Marquise Jordon!”

“You ignorant orc loving sycophant! You know as well as I do that our secret alliance with the trolls have turned up no indication that they have shone hostilities towards the orcs! Nor the orcs towards them! And as far as ogres are concerned, the latest report tells us that the Lord of the Mount Maraiya is dead!”

“No way! That is not possible! Not without a significant force! There is just no way a bunch of orc just killed that thing off!”

“Believe it or not Baroness Yvette, the scouts have shown that the bones are indeed an ogre around the size last recorded of the Lord of the Mountain. Maybe even larger than last recorded.”

“No way! This is not good! We need to start a draft and mount a strike for to take the initiative against the filthy mud pigs!”

“AND RUIN ALL OUR PLANS?!”

“NOT OUR PLANS!”

“ENOUGH!”

Shouted a stern voice from the throne at the head of the table.

“We shall find out their intentions… then we will decide a course of action. In the mean time. Duke George,” The authoritarian voice commanded.

“Yes your majesty?”

“As always, you and lady Baroness Yvette mount a small draft for more soldier… we must be prepared. But I do not wish to be the first to strike. I will not sour our relations with other clans and settlements of other orc tribes just because the largest gathering of orcs congregating together. I will not order an attack unless provoked.”

“B-But your majesty!—“ Baron Fredrick was silenced by her gaze alone as she stared at him

Her purple amethyst colored eyes glowered at him with such intensity, that he felt he was burning.

“N-never mind your Majesty Queen Falaris. As you will…”

“Good.” Queen Falaris looked over her subject before dismissing them. “Then we need to hop to it people. Many lives could be at stake if we are wrong, we need to know things as of yesterday. Send an escort of royal paladins with a message directly from me, asking for the new Warchief to come and visit the royal capital in person. That their refusal will be seen as a violation of our treaty and we will take this gathering of their clans as a hostile action.”

She looked around table at the somber faces.

“With this, we will know their intentions, one way or another. Dismissed!”