Wandering Wolf on the Eternal Plains Part 9

ChonoKhan

Member
Nov 17, 2020
78
90
18
The smell... it reeks of decaying flesh and dried blood... the very taste of rusting metal and slave musk is in the air...

On all fours like a dog, growling and sniffing. He wanders through the crater edging closer and closer toward the sound of clacking chains. Like a hungry carnivore basking in the smell of fresh prey.

Whimpering and crying, the captives herd onward with their Risar masters. The Risar grunt and grumble as they escort their captives to what looks a Risar fortress in the distance.

The Wandering Wolf's ears perk up upon hearing a horn blow in the distance... the gates of the Risar fortress open and out comes a large Risar Chieftain atop a giant Bull Molva, wielding a Demon Glaive.

"We must free the prisoners, before they can get into the fortress!" a voice speaks within the Wandering Wolf's head.

He growls and looks back at the convoy. His eyes emit a yellowish glow and his hair unfurls.

Blasting down a small hill, he snatches one of the Risar soldiers in the back of the convoy. Dragging him into a shadowy rock formation and impaling him. The Risar lets out a dying gargle, choking on his own blood.

The convoy stops, 3 risar soldiers and their captain unsheath their weapons, calling out to the missing soldier.

He loots the dead risar, taking his weapon and a pouch containing some pilfered coins and other shinnies. Looking at the rigid sword, memories flood into his mind... memories from Nergui's lifetime, experience in human conflict and the use of human weapons.

A Huegar slave in the convoy whispers to the other prisoners and talks about an escape, if they could overpower the guards and get their hands on a weapon... Then suddenly, a gust of wind thunders through the air and another Risar soldier disappears from view.

The Risar Captain barks angrily at his soldiers and then to the captives, demanding to know what it is, who it is.

A Risar Axe barely misses the Risar Captain's head and lands into one of the captive humans.. They scream at the sight of the dead human, while the Risar captain orders his men into the direction of the projectile.

Far away at the gates of the Risar Fortress, the Risar Chieftain assembles and mobilizes his riders to meet up with the slave convoy.

Meanwhile, the Wandering Wolf navigates away from the left over Risar Soldiers sent in to find him... and circles back to the slave convoy. The Huegar spots him hiding in the bushes but dares not make a sound...

The Risar Captain growls and grunts until finally he shouts "Have you found that filthy rat yet!? Bring me his head!"

Wandering Wolf crawls slowly toward the slaves, realizing that he cannot free them! The Huegar whispers "The captain has the key!". Wandering Wolf nods and moves closer toward the Captain...

The Captain senses something behind him and turns quickly to face it...

Wandering Wolf pounces on him, like a vicious Dire Wolf and impales his chest with the Risar Sword. The Captain screams in pain and dies.

Quickly looting the key, Wandering Wolf gives the key to the captives and growls, sniffing in the air.

The Huegar frees himself from his bonds and picks up the Captain's sword.

Together they make their way along the path, staying off the road. They head West, toward the village of Kranesh, dragging the wounded and weak with them.




Meanwhile at the convoy, the Risar Chieftain and his riders arrive, seeing no sign of the prisoners and only 2 surviving Risar soldiers... the Chieftain roars at one of the soldiers, demanding to know what had happened...

Shuddering in fear, the soldier tells him that they were attacked by a demon or a ghost.

The Chieftain dismounts his Bull Molva and grabs the soldier by his face. He roars in anger and crushes the soldier's head into a black pulp and throws his corpse into a wall of rocks. He mounts his Bull Molva and his party ride off into the distance, leaving the surviving Risar Soldier shaking in terror... and probably soiled...




The free party limp their way across the open plains of Cave Camp, eventually reaching the Cave Camp lake. They take a moment to wash their bloodied bodies, drink and catch their breath.

The Huegar looks at Wandering Wolf and thanks him... asking him how he got there and where he is from... unable to communicate verbally yet... the Wandering Wolf simply growls and tries to psionically communicate his words... but fails to reach the Huegar's mind.

In the distance, they see torches and fast moving beasts coming there direction. The Huegar tells everyone to quickly hide and not make a noise.



As the torches come closer... the Huegar stands up and reveals himself... "These are no Risars!"

He puts his hands in the air and calls to them. They ride toward him and greet him.

"Who are you?" the Huegar inquires.

"We are the riders of Morin Khur, sent by the Khan to patrol these lands... the Risar have made several incursions into our territory".

Sighing relief... the Huegar calls on the others to reveal themselves and then explains that they had just escaped a Risar slave convoy close to a Risar Fortress. He points at Wandering Wolf and says "This one saved us from a terrible fate!"

The riders stare at him momentarily... then the leader of the riders calls on the people to continue moving.

Rumbling in the distance causes the riders horses to jitter and whine. Loud thumping and clanging metal ring in the distance.


"THE RISAR! THEY'RE HERE!" one of the riders shout.

The leader of the riders lifts his hand and clenches his fist... the riders move into formation, while Wandering Wolf and the others start running toward Kranesh.

They charge into the oncoming Risars, shouting and throat singing their battle fury.

CRASH! the horses whine and the Molvas groan, Arrows are let loose and shouting is heard. Clanging of metal and the crunching of flesh if heard from the distance.

Wandering Wolf and the others continue toward Kranesh, hoping to find help... they wander through a forest and climb up a hill. In the distance they see Coloured Forest and breathe a sigh of relief.

Back on the road, they see several farmers, merchants and their armed escorts making their way home. They warn them about the Risar attack and then continue onward toward Kranesh.



Dawn arrives by the time they reach the gates of Kranesh. The sleepy inhabitants of the village wake, greeting each other. The miners go to work, the merchants sell their wares and the guards nurse their hang overs.

Wandering Wolf stands at the gate, while the others walk inside the village worn, hungry and exhausted... The people of Kranesh rush to their aid and offer assistance.

When they finished explaining what had happened, the Huegar searched around to find Wandering Wolf... but couldn't see him... he called for him, but there was no answer... Even the guards had no idea where he had gone.

The people spoke about warning the Emperor of Tindrem about the Risar and seeing to the wounded... The Huegar stared into the sky and said "thank you... for saving us".



END of Part 9
 
Last edited: