The Servant- Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of The Servant, brought to you by FA: Prjfreak and myself. Please fave and leave a comment if you enjoyed it!
"Ready when you are, Sho-ka Taikyah," Jordan said, pulling himself upward, walking over to the stand where his cloak hung, the bull chuckling as he watched the dog limp a little bit as he did so. Jordan put his cloak on and smiled down at Feran who laid propped up on one arm on the bed.
Feran gave Jordan a curious look. "What exactly does Sho-ka Taikyah mean? Can't say I know that language."
Jordan's cloak tightened around his body, the cloak becoming a tighter, stealthier bodysuit. The hood draped over his head, and the black of his shadow hugged his jaw line, soon becoming as white as freshly fallen snow, then becoming a hard, bone mask which looked as though the canine's skull tore through his very flesh. Even the husky's tail was armored with thick, steel plates that resembled vertebrae. If Feran hadn't known any better, he would say that Death himself was standing in the room. He walked up to Feran and placed his paw on the bull's chest. "It's my native tongue. It means "moon of my life".
"It sounds nice, almost like the Ancient tongue used for magic. And...," Feran visibly blushed, "That's very sweet of you." The huge bull got off the bed and walked over to an ornate rack that held his battle armor: Midnight-black plate mail trimmed in gold with ornate spikes on the shoulders that gave the wearer an almost demonic appearance, the effect made complete due to an identically colored closed helm which looked equally demonic and had a red plume that looked like fire hanging down the from back of it.
After a few minutes, Feran tightened the last strap on the armor which covered him from head to hoof, summoned his longsword and bladed kiteshield, each of them being of the same coloration as the armor, and the impossibly sharp blade gleamed like fire in the morning sunlight as he slid it into its sheath and strapped it to his side. The Emperor gave himself a quick look-over in a nearby mirror and smiled with satisfaction. "I never feel more alive than when I'm in my armor. Something about it just makes me feel powerful...Although I suppose it helps when people tend to run away when they see me in it," Feran chuckled as he turned to Jordan.
Jordan's face was hidden, but his eyes were exposed just enough to show that the dog was amused.
Soon enough, a rabbit centurion stepped into the tent. "My Lord, General Kranos requests your audience. It is a matter of great importance!"
Jordan looked over and nodded at Feran, waiting for him to give the command. "Where is he?" Feran asked.
"He is over by the edge of camp, my Lord. We need to discuss the matter of how to breach the walls of Soringrad." The rabbit spoke with anxiety in his voice, obviously not wanting to get on the elephant's bad side.
"Lead the way," Feran replied with a slight huff, nodding to Jordan for the husky to follow him, not that he expected the dog to do anything to the contrary.
The two followed the rabbit all the way to the border of the camp which had a bird's eye view of the country in the valley below, the General standing there in contemplation. He saw Feran and his Raven approach. "My Lord, I hope you've gotten plenty of rest, because its going to take a while for us to overcome this challenge. It would seem that Soringrad's defenses have bulked up around the capital. How do you think we sh-...my Lord?" Kranos asked, annoyed, looking at the bull and seeing the slight bags under his eyes since the visor on his helmet was up. "My Lord, did you get any rest at all?"
"Too much to think about, Kranos. No time for sleep," Feran replied in a businesslike tone while trying not to crack a smile. "Anyhow, the walls should fall easily enough, even if I have to blast the damn things down myself. Prepare the catapults and trebuchets. I don't have time for a siege, General, and I want this country under our control by sunrise tomorrow."
"I was hoping you'd say that, my Lord," Kranos said, lifting his broadsword into the air. "Soldiers!" The sound of footsteps marching like thunder made the earth quake, the legions rallying behind Feran, Jordan, and Kranos.
"It's but a short march to Sorin, Kranos, so let's make this quick before they have time to rally their forces, shall we?" Feran said with a menacing grin that would have made most people take a step back. "ON TO SORIN!" Feran yelled, ordering the troops behind him to begin the march on the capitol. A roar cried through the air, echoing so loudly the Gods themselves would feel uneasy.
Sorin had no time to prepare. Kranos had the archers fire their arrows into the air, their numbers so great they darkened the sky. The only light that shined through were the fires that glowed on the tips of the flaming arrows which, as they hit their targets, the arrows set their targets ablaze. That alone was the signal to all of Feran's troops to march on the surrounding villages, killing everyone in their path who resisted.
The legions of Garran reached the massive stone walls surrounding Sorin less than an hour later. The catapults and trebuchets launched massive boulders at the walls, and a few short minutes later, the once massive walls were reduced to a heap of rubble which the legions quickly climbed over to enter the capital. Leading the invasion troops deep into the city, Feran slew waves upon waves of city guards and local militia, the actual military yet to show up. Feran suspected that the Soringrad forces were probably rallied by one of the main entrances into the country and had probably only just now received word that the capital was under attack. As a result, Feran, Jordan, and a handful of soldiers cut their way to Castle Sorin.
The castle gates were obviously closed when they arrived, but a quick spell from Feran blasted the gates to pieces, revealing a surprisingly large force of armed guards within the now ruined gates, easily 150 armed fighters to Feran's group of ten.
They all charged at the bull. Jordan, however, stepped in front of his Emperor and brandished a large black scythe that looked to be made of some poor soul's spine. The large, flat blade cut through the air, and Jordan's shadow extended and split into the air, the shadow becoming a pair of obsidian black wings. Those who were smart enough to run away from the dog screamed in fear as they did so. Some, however, charged at Jordan even still. He simply swung his blade and sliced the closet soldier into two, coating the hooded canine in his enemy's blood. To them, the dog was a black demon of death and destruction, but to the soldiers of Garran and Feran, the dog reminded them of the Angel Sariel, the angel of death.
Not wanting to be outdone by Jordan in the eyes of his men, Feran charged into the fray, the massive bull spinning from soldier to soldier with ungodly speed as his longsword and bladed shield cut through the armored bodies, the metal slicing like butter from his attacks and sending pieces of soldiers flying through the air. Few had seen the bull actually fight, and the few soldiers who accompanied Feran could only stand there and stare as their Emperor practically became a tornado of sharp steel which tore through the enemy lines while the angel of death descended upon the others. In only a matter of seconds, the room became silent, and Feran and Jordan stood in the middle of the room, completely covered in blood and surrounded by a pile of dismembered corpses.
Even though there was no way the husky could see his smirk behind the closed visor on his helmet, Feran nodded his approval before charging through the next set of doors which led to what he assumed would be the throne room. He threw open the doors right as an explosion ripped through the passageway, the sudden blast and inferno sending the bull, husky, and soldiers flying backwards into the bloody courtyard.
Jordan regained his balance and caught the bull in his arms, also doing his best to protect the other soldiers from the flames of the explosion. With a single beat of his wings, the flames were blown out, and the dog looked to see that the door had been booby trapped, a clever tactic he had to admit, but he wondered when Soringrad soldiers had found the time to set up the explosives in the first place. Then, absolute horror filled the canine's eyes. He looked at the door frame and saw insignias carved into them in scarlet red ink. Jordan tore his mask away from his face and turned to Feran.
"Feran! Get out of here! Now!" Jordan screamed, his body suit morphing into a suit of armor. His hood coming off, the bull could plainly see that the dog was in a primal state of defense.
Feran was still shaken from the explosion, but he could tell the urgency in the dog's voice. "What's happening?" he yelled urgently as another explosion sent the bull flying into a nearby wall, leaving a huge, bull-shaped dent in the solid marble wall. The bull lay motionless in a crumpled heap, and the guards that were with them were now in pieces on the floor and walls around them.
A deep chuckle could be heard from what sounded like right behind Jordan, but a quick glance showed him no one was there, only shadows and the fire which was spreading quickly throughout the chamber. The voice sounded like it was right next to him when it spoke, sounding annoyed. "Damn, I figured this whole mess would be over after the second trap went off, but I guess I shouldn't underestimate someone like you. Shame I'm going to have to mess up that pretty face of yours, Raven, and kill your master."
"In the name of the House of Whispering Smoke, I demand that my Brother in the art of death reveal his face to me!" Jordan barked out, looking directly into the smoke and flames that hid the man behind the voice. He kept his stance in a firm, battle-ready position, and kept his blade up in the air and the scythe itself close, ready to swing.
A laugh came from within the growing wall of fire. "You're no fun, but then I expect no one from the House of Plague and Pestilence is much fun at a party!" The laugh got louder and, walking right through the fire, a gigantic, heavily muscled black bear decked out in the traditional black leather stealth clothing of the Ravens appeared before him. "Lord War sends his regards. He wanted to be here personally, but you got lucky that his attention was needed elsewhere and I was sent here in his place. Well, not exactly lucky, but you'll be happy to know that your death will be fairly swift at the very least," the titan of a bear said with a cocky smirk.
Jordan smiled back. "Ha! A Raven from the House of Battle and Flame? No wonder that explosion was so sloppy! Any explosion I crafted would have killed us easily! As for "Lord War", that big oaf only knows how to crush and smash. Lady Famine is a true master in the art of killing, and this country WILL be hers!" Jordan growled. Studying the bear, seeing the bear had red tribal tattoos on his arms, a clear sign he belonged to War. Jordan needed to end this quickly, so he summoned a bolt of black lightning in his fingertips and fired it at the bear. "Now, die!"
The bear's hand was engulfed in flame as he backhanded the lightning and sent the bolt crashing into the wall mere feet from Feran. "As if someone trained in the art of war such as myself would die that easily!" the bear yelled. His hands still covered in dancing flames, he slammed his fists into the floor, and immediately Jordan was consumed by a pillar of flame.
The bear watched watched with a cocky and triumphant grin, but it soon faded as he saw the pillar start to wobble. The pillar fell over and began to dance just as the dark form of the dog became clear. Jordan's arms looked ridiculous to the bear as they flailed around, until he saw that Jordan was controlling the flames to become a massive serpent of fire. Jordan looked over at the bear, and soon the fire transformed into razor sharp blades, the dog launching them at his Brother.
The bear reacted quickly, and punched the blades out of the air with fists which were now engulfed in blue flames. "If I didn't know any better, I would say we're evenly matched," the bear said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow with his flaming paw, the fire not so much as singeing a single fur on his head.
Jordan breathed heavily. He knew that under normal circumstances he would have already made this bear nothing more than a stain on the wall by now, but, looking behind him, he saw the badly wounded Feran. His first duty was to protect his master from harm, and he had failed, but the last thing he was going to do was let his first love get killed. "Then let's settle this. No magic, no transformation, and no mind altering. We duel. One weapon, one round. Loser either leaves with his life or dies trying to kill the other. Agreed?" Jordan growled.
"Agreed, although it seems a little silly setting the terms of your own death sentence," the bear replied with a serious look that replaced the cocky smile he had worn the entire battle thus far. Jordan's face was just as hardened as the bear's as the two of them walked over to the center of the destroyed room.
"Choose your final weapon," Jordan said in a dark tone, a vocal habit he had learned from Lady Famine.
"I'm never without my best weapons. I choose my fists," the massive black bear said flatly.
"Very well then," Jordan said as he summoned a long, thin, almost needle-like black blade. Then after a moment of silence, the two charged at each other at top speed. They clashed like titans against each other. Jordan swung his blade several times, narrowly missing the bear a few times. He could tell that the bear was more than familiar with hand to hand combat, so he had to be careful to not get hit. One good punch and the canine would probably be done for.
The ursine Raven swung at Jordan repeatedly between the husky's slashes with his blade, the blue-flamed fists nearly catching him a few times as he tried to dodge the bear's attacks. Jordan was caught off-guard by a swift kick to the stomach by a fiery foot, but quick reflexes allowed him to jump backwards before the follow-up punch that would have probably shattered his chest landed.
Jordan moved swiftly, his blade cutting through the air and doing his best to penetrate the the bear's defenses. It was then that Jordan noticed an opening and thrust his blade, only to have it be caught by the bear's thick, gloved paw, pulling the the small canine so close that he could tell the bear had fish for his dinner. "Do you HONESTLY think that you can kill me with this pathetic toothpick you call a sword!?" the bear said, breathing heavily. Jordan simply grinned as he headbutted the bear, stunning him for a quick second before he dodged Jordan's needle from landing a fatal blow. The bear almost got stabbed in his face, but instead only got scratched across the cheek, yet the wound managed to shock the bear to his core.
"GAH!" the bear growled, clutching his face even though the wound wasn't more than a simple scratch. He soon fell to his knees. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU HONORLESS BASTARD?!" he roared, trying to get to his feet, but failing and falling to the ground.
"Simple. I just used a Black Needle. It's a blade that absorbs all magic and energy from whatever it cuts and gives that power to its wielder. It's actually incredibly rare, even amongst Ravens like you and I." Jordan waved the long needle back and forth as he walked closer and closer to the bear with a somewhat menacing smile.
The bear crawled backwards in an attempt to get away from the advancing husky. "I should have expected as much from one of Famine's filth, you bunch of honorless sons of whores. We may be assassins as well in the House of Battle and Flame, but we are not without honor like SOME people," he growled, continuing to crawl away. Without meaning to, he crawled back and found himself with his back against a marble wall.
"Well of course I cheated. I probably wouldn't be able to kill you in a fair fight anyway. Besides, I have a handicap. My master is only a few feet away from us, so I can't risk him being harmed by our conflict. So, I am going to have to do one of two things: I either let you run back to your house so I never see you again...or..." Jordan raised his needle to the bear's throat, "Kill you with my needle by slitting your throat, the most dishonorable way for a Raven to perish in battle."
The black bear gave Jordan a defeated look. "You think you've given me a merciful choice, letting me go back to War, but you've killed me even so. We aren't sold to the highest bidder at the House of Battle and Flame. We're rented. And I was rented by Soringrad to protect their king. There is no returning back to the House if you've lost in combat, even more so if you failed your given mission. If I returned, I would simply be put to death. No chance for redemption; no mercy. That is the way of War," the bear said quietly, looking down into his lap in defeat. "Just kill me and get it over with. The only way I would get out of this mess alive is if your Lord took me in to protect me from War's wrath, but It's not like your Lord would want to do that after all of this...after what I've done to him and his soldiers..."
The bear looked up almost pitifully at Jordan with a slight smile. "The Gods are not without a sense of humor it would seem. War plucked me from my burning village after he killed everyone, including my parents, and now I'm going to die in a burning building a few years later anyway."
Jordan kept his gaze on the bear, unwavering, until he simply morphed chains around the bear from his shadow, binding him so tight the links were almost embedded into his flesh. "Until my master decides what to do with you, you will be my prisoner. Until then..." Jordan punched the bear in the side of the head, knocking him out cold, then turned away to see a fallen Garran centurion holding a Garran banner. Jordan knelt down and bowed his head to honor the soldier's service to the cause, then took the banner and walked to the inner courtyard to see Soringrad's king, an elderly fox, who had slit his own throat in order to avoid being captured. A true coward to the end, Jordan thought.
He took the corpse and walked back to the entrance of Castle Sorin, throwing the corpse down down the steep steps like a sack of garbage, the corpse rolling into the city below. He then used his shadow to form a ram's horn and blew into it. The city...no...the entire COUNTRY of Soringrad had fallen with this victory.
Jordan felt a presence behind him, and he swung around, his sword at the person's throat. "Holy hell, Jordan, calm down, would you?" Feran said, surprised to find his lover's sword at his throat. "What happened while I was out?" he asked, rubbing the back of his now very bruised head.
Jordan lowered his sword and gave the bull a deep kiss. He moaned as he invaded the Emperor's mouth with his tongue, feeling how wonderful it was to be alive and kiss the one he loved, even though his love's mouth tasted of blood. Jordan broke the kiss and smiled up at Feran. "Simply business, Feran. Simply business."
Feran looked at him with a confused smile. "And dare I ask who the unconscious bear is or why there's a blood trail leading from the throne room and down the stairs right there?" he asked, motioning to the stairs beside the husky which led from the castle.
"All in good time...right now...I could REALLY use some re-" Jordan couldn't finish his sentence as he fell into the bulls arms, collapsing from exhaustion due to the fight.
Feran held the dog in his arms tightly and nuzzled his head with his muzzle. "You did well, Love, now get some rest." The moment was ruined a split second later when Feran heard soldiers approaching. Without thinking, he let go of Jordan to make it look like he wasn't just being intimate with someone of a lower rank. The husky flopped to the ground with a slight grunt on impact.
"My Lord, are you alright?" General Kranos called out, rounding the corner of the building and coming into view.
"Everything is fine, Kranos. The city is ours, and the country is ours as well now that the capital has fallen," Feran responded.
Kranos looked confused for a moment. "What's up with him? Don't tell me the Raven is dead already after you paid so much for him..." he groaned, fearing the worst.
Feran chuckled. "He'll be fine. For now, send a messenger to Lady Famine. Inform her the country is hers and she is free to rebuild it as she sees fit. I'm done with this place. Prepare a stagecoach for our journey back to Garran. I find myself exhausted. We'll be bringing back a prisoner it would seem, but they'll be riding in the coach as well. I have much to ask them. Hop to it!"
"Yes, Emperor," Kranos saluted and headed off down the steps towards the main body of the invasion force that waited below.
Feran whispered a few words, and Jordan was lifted off the ground by an invisible force. Going into the throne room, Feran reinforced the chains around the unconscious black bear and lifted him with the same spell he had used on Jordan. Together, the three made their way towards the Garran army which was beginning preparations to destroy whatever remained of the Sorin army now that their country had fallen.
About an hour later, Feran was headed back to Garran in an overly ornate stagecoach taken from the Sorin stables. Next to him sat Jordan, still unconscious, with his head in the bull's lap, and across from him lay the equally unconscious bear. He quickly grew bored of his silent company and decided to try and grab some shuteye himself. Just then, however, he heard the canine groan, seeing his sit up. "Uuuggh my...everything...," Jordan growled. His eyes were slowly opening as he was trying to get a sense of his surroundings. "Where am I?"
"Somewhere in the Highlands of Veran I believe. As for your immediate location, an overly posh stagecoach that would put most nobles to shame," Feran replied somewhat sarcastically to the question as he looked distastefully at the coach.
"If you keep spoiling me like this, I'm going to end up rotting faster than a corpse in a desert," Jordan said as looked at the bull with a tired smirk.
"I'm not even going to correct that logic," Feran chuckled. "You've earned your rest, my love. Wish I could say the same. I don't even know what happened after that blast went off so I've just been winging it when people ask what happened up there."
"It's simple. All I did was do one thing, and one thing only," Jordan said softly as he looked up into the bull's beautiful green eyes with his own china blues, "and that was me protecting you at all costs, Feran," Jordan spoke softly, a blush starting to appear across the canine's face.
Feran smiled and stroked the dog's head. "While I appreciate the protection, it may have been overkill throwing the king's body down the stairs like that. I was told that it rolled past a group of guards who started laughing so hard that the prisoners they were trying to escort back to the camp got away. I don't exactly care so much about that, but I must admit, it would have been amusing to see that old fox falling down those endlessly long steps." Feran nodded his head towards the bear. "So, who's this then? I've just been making up random stories since I've had no clue. Fairly sure I told General Anderval he was a chambermaid after a while because I had gotten so tired of all the questions," Feran laughed, recalling the confused look on the gorilla's face at his Emperor's words.
"Oh, him? He's a Raven. Like me," Jordan spoke calmly, closing his eyes to rest, and remembering the duel that he and his Brother shared in order to decide the fate of the country that was now occupied by the Garran legions. "He is a disciple of Lord War, another one of the three great Ravens, like Lady Famine, but from The House of Battle and Flame. He must have been a quick purchase, seeing that he didn't establish any form of loyalty to keep his master alive." Jordan let of a soft sigh. "And now he is my prisoner."
Feran just looked dumbfounded. "You mean to tell me that you took an enemy Raven prisoner? A Raven that TRIED TO KILL ME!?" Feran practically yelled.
"...Yes..." Jordan said, doing his best to get some rest. "An enemy Raven that I defeated, spiritually mutilated, and humiliated to the point of just giving himself to you in order to spare his own life. So now, instead of three Ravens, you now have four," Jordan spoke with clear reason to to the frantic bovine, smiling a bit to see him out of his normal composure.
"That's all well and good, but how do I know he can even be trusted? You Ravens practically breathe espionage, so how do we know this isn't some kind of elaborate scheme?" Feran argued.
"Because he's too stupid to think that way. The way that War's Ravens are taught is quite different when compared to Ravens taught by Lady Famine. They are taught to stab and ask questions later. They are taught to be absolute war hawks, where as we watch, observe and then strike when our enemy is most vulnerable. This Raven is powerful when it comes to hand to hand combat, and his strength may even surpass Rakshan's."
Both the bull and husky jumped when they heard the bear speak. "How lowly you think of me and my House...Well, ex-House I suppose. Consider this: Does a General plan out their every move when confronting an enemy?"
The bull and the dog looked at each other for a moment, then back at the bear, both answering at the same time. "Yes."
"Do you think that we are any different? You speak of us like we're brutes, which admittedly is true for some, but each Raven War trains has the tactical and analytical mind of just such a General. Could I have designed a flawless defense of Sorin? Most definitely. Did I have time to implement my plans? Not even close. I was given an impossible task, and all I had time to do was to set traps up around the castle. And imagine my surprise when you only tripped two of the twenty-seven traps in that throne room. You obviously shit four-leaf clovers or something," the bear said.
"Luck has nothing to do wi-" the Raven stopped mid sentence, looking upward at the ceiling of the coach, the bear looking up as well. The two of them were so silent that one count hear a fruit fly beat it's wings. The only difference between the two was that the bear's face was twisted with fear, whereas the canine's face looked excited. "Lady Famine is on her way, my Lord."
"She doesn't waste time, does she? Country has only been ours for a few hours and she already moves to claim her throne," Feran replied, sounding almost annoyed.
"MY LORD! MY LORD!" A centurion lizard ran towards the bull. "You MUST get to safety! There's A DRAGON coming, my Lord!"
Feran looked to Jordan. "Famine?" he asked.
"Famine, as well as everyone else," Jordan replied as he and Feran exited the stagecoach. In the air, a massive black dragon flew across the sky. The screams of the soldiers echoed like the winds of a storm. The beast roared out as it burst into several thousand streaks of smoke which landed in front of the Emperor. Standing there was the same black wolf from what felt like years ago now. It was, of course, the beautiful nightmare that was Lady Famine, and behind her was what looked to be an army of ten thousand Ravens.
"Hello, young conqueror. It's been too long since I've seen you last," she said as she appeared to be gliding across the ground, and over to Feran, caressing his currently unarmored chest.
"My Lady," Feran spoke, reaching out and kissing the back of Famine's hand while smiling politely. "I trust you've already decided on the color schemes and decor for your palace? Might I recommend using the blood running through the city streets to paint it?"
"No need, my Lord. I plan on using the hides of the survivors to decorate my palace. They shall make fine tapestries for lining the halls. Though, I must say, you have used the Ravens to quite your advantage...where are the other two Ravens if I may ask?"
"They are back in Garran, protecting the city whilst I am away. In case an ally of Soringrad or its tried to invade while our forces are elsewhere, I mean. I must say, they have proven to be more than useful these past few days," Feran said.
"I can imagine...well as much as I'd love to stay and catch up with business and such, I must go and secure my new home. I suggest you go back to your home as well, and as a show of good faith, I will have thirty of my Elite Ravens escort you back to Garran."
Feran bowed with gratitude. "Much appreciated, my Lady." He paused a moment, then asked, "If I might bother you a moment longer, Lady Famine, might I ask what intelligence you have on Lord War? I have reason to believe I may have made an enemy of him this day, and I want to be prepared for what may come."
"Lord War? What would you like to know about him?" Lady Famine asked, slightly annoyed at the topic.
"I only wish to know what kind of man he is, and how screwed I am if he sends his Ravens at Garran," Feran asked, his voice sounding grave.
"My Lord, what people do not realize is that Lord War only teaches the fundamentals of being a Raven. How like a fine crystal is mined from the stone, he is the one that plucks the gem from the earth. It is I, however, that cuts the rough to reveal the diamond underneath. However, some Ravens choose not to advance their studies into the arcane, and decide to stay rotten, disgusting barbarians who only wish to smash things with their fists. War never showed any talent when it came to the arcane, but he did manage to fool that old fox into paying for an unseasoned warrior." She smiled at him with her cold grin. "Will that be all, my Lord?"
"That will be everything, my Lady, and I expect a Garran ambassador will arrive shortly to aid you in matters of state now that you are officially a Duchess of Garran and the Queen of Soringrad. So very much to do."
"I look forward to it, my Lord." She bowed, turning into a large puff of smoke and disappearing along with her Ravens. It was soon after that that the Garran army was marching back to their homeland where they would be welcomed as heroes. The Kingdom of Soringrad was vanquished. Nothing could stop Feran, and nothing, it seemed, could keep him from conquering the world.
He walked back to the coach to find his husky resting. He smiled warmly, sat next to his love, and stroked him gently. Jordan smiled up at the bull and leaned over to rest his head on the bull's chest, looking out the window and seeing the capital on the horizon. Jordan reached over and held the bull's massive hand in his own as they rode, the setting sun reflecting off of the beautiful marble capital.
The halls were lavished with the riches from the countries that had been allied with Soringrad. One by one ambassadors had been coming and presenting their surrender to Emperor Feran and his three Ravens for months. Most of them were small, only slightly powerful countries that the bull had no interest in whatsoever, but he certainly wasn't complaining that his treasury was growing larger and larger by each day as well as his Empire's territory. The trumpets blew, and the royal crier came forward.
"Presenting the Governor of the western territories and hand to the Emperor, Lord Avern!" the wolf called out. The owl came with a quick pace to the throne and bowed. "All hail the Emperor of the Garran Empire," he said cheerfully. "So good to see you, my Lord."
"It warms my heart to see you again, Avern. It hardly feels like three months have passed since we spoke last. I trust the western territories have been kind to you?" Feran smiled at the owl.
"Oh, more than kind. Our harvests have recently exploded with growth, thanks to the ashes of Soringrad you sent us. Ironic, isn't it? The most bountiful crops have been made from the death of a kingdom," Avern chuckled.
"Glad you've had some use for Soringrad. I spent so much on that invasion to claim that city, and so far it has yet to turn a real profit under Famine's command...although, to her credit, she is trying," Feran replied, sounding annoyed.
"Oh, of course! It is, after all, how the saying goes, 'Garran was not built in a day'. Speaking of which, how are the Ravens serving your needs lately? I feel like it's been ages since I've seen them."
Feran motioned beside him to the two Ravens who stood there silently, watching over the proceedings in case any ambassadors turned out to be assassins. "They're all doing quite well, really. Rakshan and Bogram have kept the city safe from all harm, even working with the city watch to establish better patrolling methods and training them. Would you say that about sums it up?" Feran asked, speaking towards the two hooded figures.
"Most impressive my lord. I'd expect nothing less from those two massive Ravens...but where is Jordan?" Avern asked, but soon enough the third Raven appeared, appearing tired but very happy.
"Lord Avern! How good to see you!" The canine removed his hood, smiled, and embraced the owl with a soft hug. Rakshan and Bogram looked at each other in disbelief at Jordan's behavior. Lord Avern, just as surprised, chuckled.
"Well now, that is most certainly a warm welcome!" The owl pulled away, studying the dog. "My my, seems to me that the palace life is treating you very well. You may want to stray away from those candied fig tartlets, young warrior," Avern joked as he reached over, rubbed Jordan's slightly larger belly, then looked up to find the dog had a hurt expression on his face.
"Oh...I...I see...excuse me." Jordan ran off, his eyes tearing up as he ran down the hall into the room the Ravens shared.
Feran sat in his throne, totally stunned by what had transpired. Eventually finding his voice, Feran said, "Bogram, Rakshan, go check on him while I finish up business here. I'll be there shortly." The two bowed and walked from the room. "You'll have to excuse him, Avern. He's apparently feeling a bit odd today."
Rakshan and Bogram entered their shared chambers. The lion stepped closer the the dog and stood over the crying canine, rubbing the back of his own neck, looking over at Bogram, then back to Jordan. "Jordan, are you feeling alright?"
Bogram, deciding to poke fun at Jordan, added, "He's obviously alright, Rakshan. Did you see how fast he ran on a full stomach?"
This of course only made the dog more upset, even to the point where he just pulled his pillow to his face and cried, pulling the blanket over him to muffle his sobs. Rakshan punched Bogram in his arm for being inconsiderate. The lion sat on the bed and pulled the blankets off the husky. "Jordan, there has to be something going on with you. You've received twenty lashes without batting an eye, and yet you cried because someone called you fat?" Rakshan growled, annoyed at this confusing situation.
Bogram spoke again. "Perhaps he's turned into a female since it's obviously his time of the month!" the white tiger laughed.
Jordan was suddenly in front of Bogram as held his black needle to the tiger's throat. "Who the FUCK are you calling a female you FUCKING LITTLE BITCH!?" Jordan snarled.
"Hold on! Take it easy! Jordan, you have to calm down!" Rakshan yelled. The husky made his needle evaporate.
"Oh, you're right. I-," Jordan stopped and held his hand over his mouth.
The tiger and the lion looked at the dog quizzically. "By the Gods...is he going t-" Bogram muttered.
Jordan ran to the nearest chamber pot and began to vomit, crying as he expelled his breakfast. "Oh Gods, wh-what's happening to me!?" the husky asked.
Bogram sighed. "All joking aside, you're clearly sick," the tiger said, summoning his massive cabinet of medical supplies. "Lay on the bed. I'm checking you out." Bogram, even though he was probably the least serious Raven Famine had ever trained since he almost constantly joked around or poked fun at others, he had a surprising gift for healing magic, which he took very seriously. Rakshan simply kept watch, making sure that no ears were listening by the door or eyes peeking through cracks. Jordan laid down on the bed.
"Hurry up, we aren't exactly alone in this palace. Not to mention, for whatever reason, since Master Feran has been keeping our young Brother very close to him, it won't be long before he will come looking for him," the lion warned.
"Hold the hell on, Rakshan, I can only work so fast!" Bogram growled as he began his thorough examination of the husky. He checked all over Jordan's body, looking for anything that seemed out of place. He found nothing of interest, but his eyes were drawn to the dog's stomach, since it was the reason they were even in this situation to begin with. He pressed gently all around the canine's midsection and then leaned back, looking extremely confused.
Rakshan saw the tiger's expression. "What is it? Is it Red Fever? The Blue Daze? What are we looking at?" the lion asked, petting Jordan's head.
Bogram looked at Rakshan then looked at Jordan. "Jordan, I...I don't really know how to say this. After examining you...Gods, I was just joking around...I think you're pregnant. I don't know how in the hell this could happen, but I'm nearly certain I feel something in there that shouldn't be there..."
Rakshan looked as though his jaw was about to hit the floor. "But that's impossible! Jordan is a male! We've bathed with him. He is a son of Adamos. He is a man, cock and all!" The lion looked down to see the dog looked less than surprised. Rakshan knelt down and looked Jordan in the eye. "Jordan, do you know how this happened?"
Jordan nodded his head. "Well..."