Categories > Original > Fantasy > The Will of a Warrior

Ch. 12

by Togot 0 reviews

A race of beast men called the Brawl, fight against a pompous diminutive race called the Ramin

Category: Fantasy - Rating: R - Genres: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-fi - Warnings: [V] - Published: 2006-10-23 - Updated: 2006-10-24 - 888 words

0Unrated
-"You let them escape!" Parotaken cried as the back of his hand struck the face of the messenger. General Taronosh clenched his teeth as if biting down on his pride and held his tongue. He looked back to his emperor and calmly responded.

-"One of the Brawl covered the escape of the other three at the cost of his own life. Our patrols are looking for his companions but he killed half a dozen of our men and wounded several more."

-"I don't care about the casualty report," Parotaken snapped, "just hunt down and kill those damn animals before they ruin my plans."

-Taronosh nodded and marched out of the room with three of his men in tow. Parotaken ordered both of his aids out with a dismissive hand gesture and they closed the doors behind them. The emperor turned his back to the door and placed his hands on his table, his head hanging low. Finally his temper got the better of him and he cleared the table with a swipe of his arm.

-"Temper, temper my lord." A slender woman said as she stepped out from behind a curtain and approached Parotaken. Despite her frail frame, she walked with confidence and an inner strength. Her black hair was pulled back tightly into a ponytail that went down her back. Her silky dress added to her slim figure even more, so much so that she almost looked sickly.

-"You're never going to win a war if you can't stay calm in the face of crisis," she said softly as she walked up behind the emperor and placed her hands on his shoulders.

-"Don't patronize me Sherona," Parotaken growled. "How could those filthy animals escape from the heart of my city?"

-"I warned you not to underestimate the beast men," Sherona said as she stroked her lover's hair affectionately, "they may be primitive but they are survivors. That's why we need to conquer them."

-Parotaken sighed with impatience. "Why bother conquering them when we can just slaughter the disgusting animals once and for all?"

-"Because we need their strength," Sherona answered as she turned Parotaken around and opened his robes while pressing her body up against his. "Once you break their spirits and enslave them, you can build a grand new empire for the Ramin people on the backs of the Brawl."

-Parotaken smiled with the promise of greatness that he saw in his future. He leaned back and let Sherona take his mind off of all of his stress. Soon he would be the greatest emperor in Ramin history. All he had to do was domesticate some troublesome animals.

-General Taronosh studied the map laid out before him while his men looked over his shoulders. He rubbed his temple with two fingers, trying to fight off the migraine caused by his unreasonable emperor. Taronosh had warned Parotaken that the Brawl would not be so easy to capture. He had suggested posting additional guards at every exit but Parotaken had insisted that the Brawl were nothing more than stupid beasts.

-Taronosh didn't understand why Parotaken viewed the Brawl with such contempt. Granted all Ramin, including the general, accepted that the Ramin people were more evolved, but even he respected the Brawl for their strength. He knew that leading a campaign against the beast men would not be as easy as the emperor thought, but the potential benefits of victory outweighed the risks. In any event, he was the general of his people and he would fight any war his emperor put to him.

-"Alright," Taronosh said, "1st and 2nd squads will go out and search the immediate area around the city to ensure that the Brawl aren't still nearby. Ceronax's team will take a runner to try and cut the Brawl off while the rest of you take sweeper teams to comb every inch of dirt between here and Craig."

-His commanders all nodded in agreement and set off to carry out their orders, leaving Taronosh to mull over what would happen if Keck and the others made it back to their city. Parokaten's main selling point for his plan was that the Brawl would be caught off guard.

-The plan had been a good one, even Taronosh conceded to that. Lure the Brawl leader to the city by staging another border dispute. The Brawl would come to show they wouldn't just sit by and allow such disregard for their territory as they always did. And when they were inside the city they would be captured, interrogated and executed.

-Without their leaders, Craig would be vulnerable to an all out attack and the Brawl would finally be removed as an obstacle to the Ramin people. However, if any of the escaped Brawl made it home and warned their people it would turn into an all out war. The Ramin had prepared for years for the conflict, but Taronosh didn't like the thought of taking on the Brawl at full strength.

-Taronosh walked to the railing and looked down at his men as they organized and moved out. He read the report he held in his hand. Four of his wounded men hadn't made it, and two more were in critical condition. Taronosh couldn't help but wonder how many more men would have to die before it was over.
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