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The midday sun shone mercilessly on the little independent trade town of Malikesh, the parchment-dry wind bringing no relief with it as it tossed dust around in little gusts. Malikesh's location far away from most other civilized locations made it a real hotspot for traders that cared not_who_ or what was buying their wares, just so long as coins changed hands. Naturally this meant that more illicit wares -ones that would've landed their peddlers into prison in other places- were readily available for all to see and buy.

This, of course, made it an excellent place for Rhaz and Dagnyr to visit to sell off the furs and meats they couldn't carry with them back to the Bloodaxe village. The coin they made wasn't all that much, but a nice addition to the wealth they had managed to garner up during their other adventures regardless.

Their business already done, the two Gnolls had decided to spend the night in the Perfumed Basilisk, the only somewhat reliable inn in town, before starting their journey back to their home village; some two week trip, give or take.

All around them more or less shady merchants were dealing their wares. From pots and pans to drugs and slaves everything was sold and business seemed good. Why, they had even spotted a few striped Gnolls from further south among the slave traders. The stripe-pelts were a little smaller than their spotted cousins and they had more of a tendency towards selling excess slaves for money and weapons as opposed to eating or sacrificing them like, for example, the Bloodaxes did.

Rhaz had just finished telling a particularly dark joke and the both of them were laughing heartily at it when they noticed the crowd had parted all around them. In the middle of the road a dozen paces or so away from them stood a bald man in silver-sheen full plate armor and a regal blue tabard, a great helm held underneath one arm whilst his other hand rested on the handle of his sheathed sword.

Three similarly armored figures stood behind the man in a loose semicircle and a quick glance behind them told Rhaz and Dag that three more were standing behind them as well. None of the newcomers had their weapons drawn, but Dag still instinctively placed his paws on the hilts of his kukris and Rhaz conjured up his axe though he kept it pointing down and only in one paw; no reason to provoke aggression... yet.

The device -a silver embroidery of a sword surrounded by a halo of sunbeams- on the helmetless man's tabard was familiar to the two Gnolls. They were members of the Shining Host, an army of devotees who had dedicated their lives to ridding the world of evil and the man in front of them seemed to bear the markings of a Captain on his left pauldron. Rhaz, Dagnyr and Gashkarr had ran into them previously during one of their adventures.

"Speak, Captain. We'll listen..." Rhaz barked out after a few heartbeats of silence during which the bald man -somewhere in his late thirties, perhaps- simply stared at them.

The Captain stroked his neatly trimmed ducktail beard a couple of times before answering in a voice that told he was used to shouting orders "I am Captain Lemart. The General received word that you were in town and since we were also nearby she sent us here to extend an invitation to meet her."

Dagnyr looked at the seven men arrayed around them slowly, a cocky grin splitting his muzzle before he replied "If she wanted to bring us in, she should've sent more than seven men."

"We know the Shining Host is full of capable warriors, but if you know who we are, then you also know the seven of you are no match for us." Rhaz added, tightening his grip on the well-worn shaft of his axe.

A wry smile curled onto the Captain's bearded face "Which is exactly why this is an invitation. You are, of course, free to decline but General Silversnow will be rather sad if you do. She's been eager to see you again after all these years."

Dag and Rhaz cast a curious glance at each other. Dagnyr shrugged after a few heartbeats and said "What's the harm in finding out what she wants? She IS a Paladin after all, so..."

"Agreed. I'm... Kind of curious what this is all about, to be honest." Rhaz added, turning then his attention back to Captain Lemart. He dismissed his axe and then nodded to the Captain "Lead the way, Captain. Our business here in town is concluded anyway."

Lemart merely nodded and then turned on his heels, starting to march briskly down the street with his men in tow; three right behind him, the other three right behind the two Gnolls.

The trip took the small progression almost an hour, leading them away from Malikesh and further along the river flowing right by the town.

At their destination a town of another sort spread: regal blue tents in orderly rows, the whole thing surrounded by a ring of outward-pointing, sharpened staves. By the looks of it the soldiers of the Shining Host were busily packing up the camp, taking down tents and loading everything up into wagons.

Rhaz and Dag were led along the "main street" of the camp, directly towards the largest tent in camp; the General's tent. Rhaz noted, with slight concern, that there had to be over two thousand soldiers in the camp. If things went south, he thought sourly to himself, it'd be one Hells-of-a-fight to get out...

A human man, no older than his mid-twenties and clad into a brilliantly gold-sheened full plate armor, marched out of the General's tent a little bit before the Gnolls arrived. There was no mistaking the straw-blonde hair, the golden-yellow eyes and the pure-white tabard with a golden, rising sun device on it.

"Father Arkim Zother... What a surprise to see an Exemplar of the vaunted Dawnbringers here." Rhaz greeted the man.

Arkim nodded at the two of them curtly "Rhazagal and Dagnyr of the Bloodaxe tribe, if I remember correctly? And yes, a delegation of my order is currently working together with the Shining Host in pursuit of a Necromancer who, according to our knowledge, has been seen around here."

"Must be quite the powerful Necromancer if they have sent you to deal with it personally." Dag added with one eyebrow raised. The Dawnbringers were an order consisting of people -mostly holy warriors such as Paladins or Clerics- who had devoted their lives to hunting down and destroying the undead.

"You have no idea... Now if you excuse me, I have a lot of work to do." Arkim added before nodding politely at the two Gnolls as well as at the rather impatient-looking Captain Lemart.

After that the Captain led his guests the rest of the way to the entrance of the tent, gesturing for the Gnolls to enter. "I'm pleased to inform you, your guests have arrived General." Lemart said loudly enough to ensure that anyone in the tent could hear it.

Rhaz and Dag stepped inside without further ado, quite enjoying the cool shade inside the tent after the long trek out in the sun.

The interior of the tent was divided into two sections with curtains. The larger portion -where the two Gnolls now stood- contained only some chairs and a massive table with various papers scattered about on it and a pitcher and mugs neatly on a tray on one end of it. The curtained-off section, they figured, had to be the General's personal quarters.

The General herself was also very much present in the main room, hunched over the table and clearly reading something. Upon hearing Rhaz and Dagnyr enter, she raised her head and smiled warmly.

General Elsabeth Silversnow was a young elf, her vibrant red hair kept fairly short military style. She wore an armor similar to that of the Captain, but a closer inspection revealed it to be made not of polished steel but of pure mithril. Her fabled sword _Radiance_was, as always, firmly on her belt in a fancily decorated scabbard. To top it all off she wore a silver holy symbol of her faith -a longsword- on a chain around her neck on top of the armor.

"It is good to see that the adventuring life hasn't claimed you, as it has so many others. I'm glad that you decided to take up my offer to come visit me." She said in a soft, warm voice. A barely noticeable furrow appeared on her frown after her greeting "But where's the third member of your group? Gash...karr? I hope nothing has happened to him."

"A pleasure to see you alive as well, General. And yes, Gashkarr is also very much alive. He simply didn't join us on our little hunting trip. He stayed back in the village to watch over our... Assets." Rhaz said, trying his best to arrange a smile on his muzzle. He couldn't, however, shake the feeling there was something odd about all this and the way Dagnyr's ears were slowly swiveling about told Rhaz that his friend was just as suspicious as he was.

Dag raised one eyebrow, an expression of skepticism plastered all over the smaller Gnoll's face "So why did you want to talk to us, General? I highly doubt you invited us here just to exchange pleasantries."

She held a gauntleted hand up in a placating gesture, that warm smile still adorning her slender elven features "I understand your concerns, gentlemen and I will answer it all in due time. In the meantime... Please, allow me to play the part of a good host and at least offer you refreshments." She then gestured towards the chairs on the Gnolls' side of the table "Feel free to take a seat as well."

Dagnyr shrugged, took a seat and helped himself into a mug of fresh water, but Rhaz remained standing, arms crossed defensively -perhaps even a bit defiantly- over his chest "I'll remain standing, with all due respect."

The headstrong behavior of Rhaz didn't seem to faze the General of the Shining Host one bit, or at the very least she hid it perfectly.

"I will be perfectly honest with you." General Silversnow began "The Shining Host's next move is to wipe out the Bloodaxe village."

Dagnyr spat out the rest of his water and stared at the General with his eyes as wide as the moon, whilst Rhaz's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "...Why are you telling us this, General? We may not agree with everything our people do, but you are none the less threatening the one place we call home..."

For the first time there was a hint of sadness in the elf woman's face, though he smile remained "First of all I thank you for not trying to strangle me right here and now; I admit I had my concerns. And..." She held a small pause "The village needs to be wiped out. For far too long the Bloodaxes have been allowed to grow in power and raid whatever they please, when they please. That has to stop. Their blood rituals and Daemon worship must stop. The only force around who can accomplish this task... is the Shining Host."

"I still don't see how this has anything to do with us, other than making us want to give the village an early warning of your arrival. Unless..." Dagnyr mused slowly, then his eyes narrowed dangerously as well "Unless your plan all along was to lure us here under a banner of friendship and then have us killed..."

Rhaz's upper lip curled up in a snarl and he slowly untangled his arms from his chest, dropping slowly into a slight crouch with his claws held at the ready, preparing to spring onto the General at the first sign of trouble.

General Silversnow, however, made a stern cutting gesture with one of her hands "I did not lure you here to kill you. You are here, because you are among the most powerful warriors -or Braves in your people's terms, I suppose- in the entire village and... I hoped I could talk you out of fighting for them, for the sake of freeing these lands from underneath your fellow Gnolls' tyrannical yoke."

"It's our home! We'll sooner DIE than watch you tear down the only place that accepts us instead of condemning us as monsters just because we look so... so... Different in their eyes!" Rhaz shouted, feeling his anger rising and threatening to boil over. His eyes were gradually turning from yellow to red as he felt the first tingle of his Rage bubbling forth.

Dag, too, had stood up and was snarling at the General, his paws hovering over the handles of his kukris, ready to act at a moment's notice.

The General sighed softly and shook her head. "It can't be helped, then... Now!"

As she shouted, Rhaz flipped the table over onto the General, pinning her underneath it before she could dodge out of the way, his powerful legs propelling him forward and his fangs bared in a roar of fury that was heard across the entire camp. Just as he was about to reach out and wrangle the treacherous Paladin's neck, a barely visible, shimmering wall of pure force appeared in front of him and the brute slammed into it full-tilt head first.

Whilst Rhaz was sent sprawling on the floor, Dagnyr pulled out his blades and looked around wildly, stepping in to cover his dazed friend. The scintillating walls surrounded them from all sides, caging them into an area roughly one third the size of the room. A moment later several robed figures stepped forth from the tent's walls, their forms shimmering and blurry for a brief moment as the spells of invisibility faded from them.

"So... They used mages to trap us into a cage made of pure energy? No wonder I couldn't see or smell them, the clever bastards..." Dag thought bitterly to himself as he sheathed his kukris. From what little he had learned of the tricks of the practitioners of the Arcane arts, he knew his blades would stand no chance of piercing the walls surrounding them. If the Shining Host now wanted them dead, there was fuck all they could do about it...

Rhaz, meanwhile, had managed to recover and was back on his feet, his face distorted into a snarl as he slammed his fist into the barrier and pressed his forehead against it. There was utter murder in his eyes as he stared at the General who, thanks to the help of the guards who had rushed in, had managed to get free of the table and onto her feet again.

"General..." The brute snarled in low voice, raking his claws slowly over the surface of the magical prison, the blast of warm air from his heavy breathing steaming up the near-invisible surface.

General Silversnow just smiled sadly and reached to touch the wall near the Gnoll Barbarian's face almost as if to caress it. The distance between Rhaz's face and the General's palm was still several inches, telling exactly how thick the cage was.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this..." She spoke softly, though there was no evidence of remorse or sadness visible on her delicate features.

"You tricked us you bitch! You lying little snake, what kind of a Paladin are you, using treachery like this?!" Rhaz shouted at the top of his lungs whilst banging his fist into the wall yet again, causing it to flare bright momentarily but refusing to budge nonetheless.

Silversnow shook her head "You are not official diplomats and you came here willingly, even though you are -at least now- our enemies. My earlier words still hold true: you were not lured here to be killed, not when there was an alternative that would spare the lives of so many of my men... Men whom I need to destroy the Bloodaxes."

When Rhaz just snarled and Dag gave her a glare colder than Northern winters the General went on "As of now you are prisoners of war. You will be treated fairly and with dignity during your stay in that cell. I will leave behind a contingent of men to act as your jailors whilst the rest of us ride off to face the rest of your kind..."

"General..." Rhaz began, curling his hand into a fist against the barrier as if trying to strangle the Elf woman "When I get out of here... I'll tear off your treacherous head... AND MAKE A CHAMBERPOT OUT OF YOUR SKULL!"

The Gnoll's scream could be heard all over the camp for sure and most of those present -even Dag, but not the General- instinctively flinched back a little bit. General Silversnow merely looked slightly taken back by the crass comment, but regained her composure right away.

"I wish you the best of luck with that, Gnoll. Those walls are harder than stone and iron; even your prodigious strength won't be enough to break through it." With that said the General, the mages and all the guards filed out of the tent in good order, leaving the two Gnolls to stew in their prison cell.

The rustling of the hut's door flap snapped Tirnel back into reality, the half-elf lifting his gaze from the book he'd been reading.

Gashkarr stepped in, clad from toe to neck in an unadorned full plate armor made of some black metal that still somehow managed to have a sheen like silver, a helmet fitting the rest of the set held underneath the Gnoll's arm. It was black mithril... Tirnel had only ever read of the stuff.

"I need you to do something, Tirnel." Gashkarr stated bluntly.

"Someone's geared for war, I see. What's the occasion? Oh, and of course. What do you need of me?"

"Long story short, a caravan has been spotted and I've been told to go with a raiding party to get them. Gorra is off on a hunt, so... I figured it was safe for me to agree." Gashkarr held a small pause and then added "It's been far too long since... I've got to taste combat. Had Gorra been around, though, I wouldn't have gone. That swine is still probably scheming something to get back to Rhaz."

Tirnel nodded "Okay. Thank you. So... What did you need me to do, then?"

Gashkarr pointed over his shoulder with a clawed thumb "I need you to go to my hut. There's a pile of metal ingots by the door and a wheelbarrow just outside next to the forge. Take the ingots to Dermock, the village blacksmith. You can leave the wheelbarrow there; it's his anyway. I'd take the metal myself, but... The raiding group is leaving right now so I don't have the time."

"I... Think I can do that. As long as there aren't too many ingots, that is. Not much of a strongman, after all." Tirnel replied with a nod whilst swiping some stray locks of hair back behind his slightly pointed ear.

"Make two trips if you must. Just... In a timely manner. Dermock hates having to wait and he needs those materials." With that said Gashkarr left, placing his helmet on as he went. Apparently the Gnoll didn't give much of a crap about the sweltering heat...

With a sigh Tirnel stood up, stretched and straightened his meager clothes to make sure he was both decent and sufficiently representable. "No time like the present to get to work..." He thought to himself as he stepped out of the relatively cool comfort of the hut into the scorching sunlight.

Gashkarr's hut wasn't too terribly far away from Rhaz's and was easy enough to spot thanks to the small forge built underneath a pentice outside the hut. The forge looked every bit like it hadn't been used in some time. This had to be where Gash had forged his armor and the gear of his two companions, Tirnel surmised. Just as Gashkarr had said the wheelbarrow -a surprisingly sturdy-looking thing of wood and metal- was leaning against the wall underneath the pentice.

The half-elf moved the wheelbarrow close to the entrance and stepped inside. Almost immediately he got startled by the leering skull of_something_ staring at him from across the shadowy hut. After gathering his composure, Tirnel stepped closer to get a better look. His eyes went wide as he recognized the skull: it had belonged to a dragon! An adult black dragon, judging by the shape and size of the skull... And to his left, Tirnel noticed, another dragon skull that had once belonged to a silver dragon; probably a young adult, or a small adult.

A slight shiver went down Tirnel's spine. The trio had managed to bring down not one but TWO dragons on their own? Just what were they made of..?

Shaking his head, Tirnel focused back on the task at hand. Aside from the skulls the rest of the hut was very austere with a pile of furs for a bed and some assorted weapons and items made of metal stashed against the walls. And, sure enough, right by the door was a pile of some dozen or so steel ingots. Another sigh and the half-elf got to work.

The wheelbarrow creaked quietly as Tirnel pushed it along the dusty ground. He'd decided to load them all at once and was already regretting his decision. It was a trek through half the village before he reached the blacksmith's workshop and by then Tirnel was sweating bullets.

Dermock the blacksmith stepped outside to meet the panting, sweaty, worn-out halfblood. Inside Tirnel could see a dozen or so slaves toiling away at the furnaces and forges, making him all the more glad that he'd been picked by Rhaz as a personal slave. Doing this little trip had been bad enough. Doing similar labor day in, day out... He'd have been dead within days.

The blacksmith was a towering behemoth-of-a-Gnoll with a dirty, singed leather apron laden with tools wrapped on him, the fur on his arms sporting bald, singed and burnt patches here and there. Clearly the smith wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty in his job...

"Gashkarr send you?" Dermock grunted in somewhat poor common.

Tirnel just nodded, making sure as always not to make eye contact with the burly Gnoll.

"Leave wheelbarrow. Slaves unload. You free to go." Without waiting for an answer the Gnoll turned around and shouted for some of the workers to come pick up the metal.

Glad to be finally done, Tirnel bowed respectfully and walked briskly away. He couldn't wait to get back into Rhaz's hut to drink some water and continue reading.

Less than halfway home, a shadow fell over Tirnel and a heavy, clawed hand landed roughly onto his shoulder and spun him around. So surprised was he that he actually looked up... Right into the hellish-red eyes of an immense, twisted Gnoll!

The brute had a row of small horns trailing from the ridge of his snout all the way into his mane and probably down the spine as well. The Gnoll's teeth were far too long and sharp for his maw, forcing a permanent snarl on his face. Worse, Tirnel saw the beast licking it's massive fangs with a forked tongue, a drop of yellow saliva falling from the tip one massive tooth onto the ground... Followed by a faint sizzle.

Only faintly Tirnel recognized the fact that this had to be one of the Blades of Yenoch. The Blade was clad in a mishmash of scale and plate armor pieces that covered only the shoulders, arms and legs, leaving the torso almost tauntingly bare; probably a show of bravado and contempt towards any foe.

"Slaaaave... You seem idle. As it so happens, one of the firewood haulers just collapsed and you... won his job!" The Blade spoke in a menacing tone, curiously elongating the S' so he almost sounded like a snake.

Tirnel gagged as the titanic Gnoll's acrid, stinging breath washed over him. "M-My lord, I am a per--" The half-elf began, but was cut off mid-sentence.

"You_DARE_ question MY orders, slave?" The Blade snarled. "I was willing to overlook your brazenly challenging stare, but this... THIS I will not!"

Tirnel was thrown roughly to the ground on his butt. He tried to scamper away as the monster leaned down, one massive paw drawn back to deliver a jaw-breaking backhand across his face. He was too terrified to even scream for help, his eyes locked with the monster's which were like pools of blood, rage and venomous contempt all at once.

Just as the Blade was about to strike, a bolt of dark energy struck him in the lower back and wrapped around the monster like a choking miasma. There was a muffled scream and the Blade fell onto his knees. Tirnel's eyes opened wide in shock and horror as he saw the brute withering in front of his very eyes, his muscles atrophying and his fur turning a sickly, pale shade; more so than Gashkarr's.

If anything the Blade of Yenoch was just as surprised and horrified as Tirnel, a faint groan the only sound the previously so menacing brute could utter before collapsing onto the ground, too weak to even kneel any more.

Looking cautiously around, Tirnel saw that everyone -slaves and Gnolls alike- had fled the vicinity. All but one Gnoll, who was standing with one paw extended towards the Blade and Tirnel and the other resting on the hilt of what could only be a sword.

The newcomer was clad in a long, deep, dark brown leather duster with the collar turned up and a matching pair of pants on his legs. A tricorn hat pressed deep on his head completed the set. Slowly, then, the Gnoll started to approach Tirnel, finally lifting his gaze to meet the half-elf's eyes, giving him another shock. This Gnoll had ice blue eyes that seemed to leave wispy contrails at the edges, making Tirnel shiver involuntarily.

The Gnoll clicked his tongue disapprovingly at the Blade lying helpless on the ground. "Oh Bilefang... When will you learn not to touch the property of others? If only your nose wasn't ruined by your own toxic breath... Even I could smell the scent of another Brave on this slave from all the way over there."

"T-Tarrg... You... Will pay... For this..." Bilefang managed to grunt out between gasps for air. Apparently just breathing was a taxing act for the Blade in his current state.

Tarrg let out a soft, amused chuckle "That'd be a more convincing threat if you didn't sound like you're about to piss yourself from sheer fright." A wicked grin split Tarrg's face as he added "Look at yourself now... I could've easily drained all of your life away, Bilefang, but I think living with this humiliation is going to be a far, far worse punishment for you."

Next the duster-clad Gnoll shifted his focus back on Tirnel. For a while he seemed to be mumbling something to himself before giving a little shrug and then nodding towards the half-elf "Get up, slave. You're coming with me. Worry not, your master will get you back alive and in one piece, I assure you."

That said Tarrg whipped about and started to walk away. Tirnel stood up and dusted himself down before hurrying after the Gnoll that had just saved him. He saw no point in defying the mage, especially after seeing how easily Tarrg had neutralized the titanic Bilefang.

The trip through the village was spent in uneasy silence. Wherever he looked, Tirnel could see everyone hurrying away from the two of them. Well... away from Tarrg, to be more specific.

Tarrg led the half-elf to one of the larger buildings in the village; easily two or even three times as large as the huts of Rhaz and Gashkarr. It was built mostly out of stone with an actual wooden door and wooden window shutters, making it stand out quite starkly among the mud huts.

"They gave me this hut for... Some reason. Normally it's reserved for visiting dignitaries from other tribes or, in some rare cases, other races." Tarrg said in a conversational tone, answering the question Tirnel had been silently pondering in his mind.

Tirnel didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he dared to say anything. His silence made the Gnoll mage simply snort in amusement before pushing open the door and gesturing for Tirnel to go first into the shadowy interior of the hut.

"Honored guests first." The Gnoll said in a half sarcastic, half jesting tone, a thin smile on the emaciated beast's face.

With a mumbled "Thank you..." the half-elf slipped past Tarrg, through the doorway... and directly into a vast, perfectly lit entrance hall with a lush red carpet and silk curtains covering the walls. His eyebrows rose up in surprise as he took in the sight in front of him. This had to be made with magic that manipulated extradimensional spaces... The entrance hall alone was larger than the entire hut!

The second thing Tirnel noticed was the sound of a blade sliding out of a scabbard, followed by two armored figures in all-enclosing plate armor stepping into view from behind the curtains on each side of the room. Their armor was covered in spikes and engraved with leering faces both skeletal and daemonic in nature, glowing eyes -one pair red, the other pale blue similar to Tarrg's- staring hatefully at him. The red eyed warrior had a spiked kite shield strapped to one arm, a blazing, fiery longsword in the other whilst the blue eyed one was gripping a halberd the edge of which was coated with frost and rime, flakes of it falling off and evaporating every now and again.

Tirnel was immobilized by sheer terror. Even though his mind was reeling, he was still able to identify the two for what they were: Death Knights; powerful champions of evil or twisted and corrupted paragons of good brought back from the dead as undead monstrosities. He felt his knees buckling as the waves of palpable terror flowing from the abominations flushed over him.

"Stand down, both of you." The voice of Tarrg came from behind Tirnel and the two Death Knights stopped on their tracks and bowed curtly to Tarrg, stepping then back and lowering their guard.

"Death Knights are intelligent undead with minds of their own, but these two act almost like their mindless counterparts... Who... WHAT is this Tarrg?" Tirnel thought to himself as he slowly gathered himself from the floor and hurried after Tarrg who had just casually walked by him.

Tarrg led Tirnel into some sort of a study containing some comfy-looking recliners, a warm, crackling fireplace and piles upon piles of books scattered everywhere. "Sit." The Gnoll said whilst gesturing towards one of the recliners, taking a place on another one himself and placing his hat on top of a book pile without waiting for Tirnel to react.

With a mental shrug Tirnel did as he was told, an involuntary gasp of delight passing the half-elf's lips as he took a seat. The chairs didn't just look comfy. They also were very, _very_comfortable to sit in; a pleasant change from having to sit on the ground or on a pile of furs.

Tarrg interlaced his fingers and then nodded towards Tirnel "You have some questions, I'm sure. Also speak your mind freely whilst in my presence. I assure you it won't land you in trouble either with your master or the rest of the tribe... I couldn't give less of a hoot about the internal affairs of the tribes."

Tirnel remained silent for a while longer, trying not to squirm under the Gnoll's scrutinizing gaze. "I..." He began clumsily, swallowing then once and lifting his gaze to look the Gnoll in the eye "Who and, if you don't mind me asking, what are you?"

"A bold, direct question... Good, you learn quickly. I am Tarrg, affiliated with no tribe and, by trade, I'm a Necromancer." Tarrg tilted his head in an expression of curiosity "My turn... What kind of a magic user are you? We couldn't come to a conclusion... I say Arcane, he claims Divine, so which is it?"

"He..?" The half-elf asked, looking around before fixing his attention back on the Gnoll "Err... Both, actually. I'm currently studying as a Mystic Theurge and previously I've studied both the Clerical as well as the Wizardly arts."

"...And then you crossed the wrong tribe of Gnolls and ended up here. I see, I see..." Tarrg then turned his head to the left and started to mumble, forcing Tirnel to strain his hearing to make out what the Gnoll was saying. "So we were both right. Didn't expect that, did you? No... No, neither did I."

"Who... Are you talking to?"

This snapped Tarrg back to reality, a soft, kind of disturbingly pleasant smile spreading onto the Necromancer's lips "My companion-slash-partner, of course." For emphasis he tapped the scabbard of his sword.

Tirnel's eyes went wide with surprise "You have an intelligent sword?"

"Oh..." Tarrg began with an added chuckle, clearly amused by the halfblood's reaction "Balefire is more than just an 'intelligent sword'. He is... Old. And powerful beyond anything I've ever even heard of... And he's willing to share in that power with me!"

Tirnel nodded at that, chewing then on his lower lip for a second before, hesitantly, inquiring "Aren't you afraid you'll get in trouble for attacking one of the Matriarch's precious Blades?"

There was a derisive snort and a dismissive wave of a paw "They are far too terrified of me and Balefire to do anything about it. Only the Matriarch has the -figurative, I can only hope- balls to stand up to me and even she has a healthy respect towards me... The only reason an exile like me is even allowed into the village." Tarrg reached up and pulled down the collar of his coat to show Tirnel a brand -long ago healed but still very visible- seared into his neck. "And if everything else fails... Baron Radold and _former_Lord-Exemplar Yeref are more than capable of giving this rabble what for. You met them at the lobby already and the look on your face tells me you know what they are, so you know it is no idle claim I make."

The half-elf's jaw fell open, completely dumbstruck "Th... One of them is the Lord-Exemplar Anders Yeref of the Dawnbringers, Bane of Daemons and Scourge of the Unliving?"

"The very same... Needless to say, the Dawnbringers weren't quite happy that I raided their sanctuary and brought back their late Lord-Exemplar... And got away with it!" A wicked grin split the Gnoll's face before he added "We wanted to teach the undead hunters a lesson they wouldn't soon forget... And we sure stirred up the hornet's nest with that stunt. It was glorious!"

"Q-Quite the feat indeed..." If he had been nervous before, after hearing the Gnoll bragging about his downright mad exploits made him triply so. Before embarking on the fateful caravan journey that landed him as Rhaz's personal slave he had heard news -which at the time had seemed more like idle gossip- about someone having assaulted the Dawnbringers' stronghold and lived to tell of the tale. "So it was true, then... the maniac who pulled that off is actually sitting right in front of me..."

Tarrg gestured for Tirnel to continue and, having collected his wits, the half-elf went for the question he though was the most pertinent one, but could potentially land him dead despite the Gnoll's earlier assurances, which was why he'd saved it for last "So why am I here? What do you want with me?"

The Necromancer tilted his head slowly to one side in a gesture of curiosity, one ear perked up high whilst the other one was drooping down. Were it not for the terrible powers he had, Tirnel would've found the Gnoll's expression funny "I figured getting you out of there would be prudent before those around found it in themselves to vent their fear-driven anger of me at you. Primarily, though... Because Balefire insisted. He..." Tarrg held a small pause, gesturing vaguely with one paw "He claims you've got something hidden in you. Something that seems to fascinate him endlessly, to the point where he won't SHUT UP ABOUT IT!" The last four words were aimed at the sword by his side, the Gnoll's lips curled up in a frustrated snarl.

"Wha..?" Was all the half-elf managed to squeak out, instinctively leaning further back in his seat as if trying to keep the distance between himself and the obviously mad Necromancer as great as possible.

Tarrg's attention however seemed to be entirely focused on his sword. The Gnoll was gripping the handle of the weapon so tightly his paw trembled visibly, speaking -or more like frantically muttering- under his breath "I still don't think this is a good idea... No I-- It isn't smart, or safe for that matt-- Would you just let..? He willnever even be able to... No... I said NO! I... Hnnnng!"

The Gnoll suddenly gripped his head with his other paw, his entire form shaking in the throes of an internal struggle and his eyes screwed tightly shut. A short moment later he groaned out "Fine... Fine, we'll do this your way since you so insist, you stubborn asshole."

"M-Maybe it's high time I go home..? Before my master starts to wonder where I am, you know?" Tirnel tried feebly, slowly standing up and starting to inch his way towards the door.

Tarrg's eyes flew open, the faint glow in them having intensified manifold. As he spoke, the Necromancer's voice carried with it a hollow, otherworldly echo that flooded Tirnel with sheer horror "Not so fast, little mixblood!"

Before he had a chance to react, the Gnoll lunged at him, still gripping his sheathed blade with one paw whilst grasping Tirnel by the neck with the other. The Necromancer brought Tirnel's face close to his, the beast's shining eyes making the half-elf feel like he was being dragged in to them. Worse still, a similar pale-blue light began to shine from the Gnoll's muzzle as well, a horrific, unnatural screech filling the air and then... Darkness took over Tirnel.

He felt himself falling back-first through dark nothing. No wind, no sound, just the vague sensation of falling. After falling for what felt like a second and an eternity simultaneously, he was plunged into something cold and even darker than the darkness around him; like falling into pitch-black, icy water. He couldn't breathe, his limbs refused to work and he felt like he was drowning, terror gripping his heart firmly.

"I don't want to die like this! Help! Someone, anyone!" He tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Another indeterminable amount of time passed and he smacked on his back onto something hard and cold, gasping for breath as he was suddenly able to breathe again.

"Stand up, child." The commanding voice of the Necromancer was surprisingly comforting in the dark nothingness.

After gathering himself for a second, Tirnel slowly clambered onto his knees, feeling then a rough, clawed hand grabbing him by the neck from behind and hoisting him onto his feet.

"Wh-Where are we? I... I can't see..." The half-elf said feebly, feeling still dizzy after the rather harrowing journey to... Where ever they now were.

"You need but open your eyes and you will see, child." It was only now that Tirnel realized there was something different about the Gnoll's voice. He was speaking without the typical R-heavy accent so typical of Gnolls, sounding almost elven in his dialect. It was then that he realized the Gnoll -or whatever he was- had indeed been speaking in elvish to him!

With supreme effort of will Tirnel tried to force himself to see, little by little becoming aware of the Gnoll standing beside him.

Apparently satisfied, the Gnoll started to walk. Though he felt like he was struggling through thick tar, Tirnel clambered after the Necromancer. "You never answered where we are."

Tarrg was silent for a long while before finally replying "Deep inside the very core, the very essence, of your being. So deep, in fact, that even you are unaware of its existence."

The answer didn't make a lick of sense, but he was dealing with an obvious madman, so it was probably the best answer he was going to get out of the Necromancer "Okay... Then why are we here?"

"All in due time, child..."

Tirnel felt a brief flash of anger pass through him, cutting through all the lingering feelings of fear and the omnipresent confusion. Being called a child admittedly ticked him off, but if they really were within his psyche, then this was trespassing of the most personal and deep variety. Still, he knew better than to throw a flurry of insults at the Necromancer, opting to follow the monster instead.

A short moment spent in silence and they came to a large faint-red crystal -easily taller and wider than a man- just hovering there in the middle of nowhere. A light chuckle from Tarrg told Tirnel they had found... Whatever it was that the Gnoll was looking for.

"Will I get more than a cryptic half-answer if I ask what that is supposed to be?" The half-elf asked, not bothering to mask the venomous sarcasm in his tone.

Tarrg either didn't notice or didn't care about it, though. The Necromancer's gaze remained like glued onto the crystal as he replied, reaching out with a paw as he did so "Probably not, other than that this is what we were looking for. Before you ask, I can't even begin to fathom the hows and whys behind this, but know that it is your birthright, child!"

Before Tirnel had so much as a chance to draw the breath needed to ask one of the million questions still roiling in his head the Gnoll's paw came into contact with the crystal's surface. A faint light like a candle lit inside the stone followed by a blast of wind that fluttered Tirnel and Tarrg's clothing.

Next thing Tirnel knew the candle-like flame within the crystal flared into a searing, bright sun, turning the bleak darkness into white nothingness.

Tirnel screamed, but the white noise of the light drowned everything except the mad, triumphant laughter of the Gnoll under and once again Tirnel felt himself being plunged into oblivion...

A full day had passed since they had been tricked into being the Shining Host's prisoners and Rhaz had -after some persuasion last evening- finally given up on beating the walls of their prison in rage and frustration. The brute was simply sitting with his head hung low between his knees and his back against the wall of the force cage.

Dagnyr was seated as well, sitting cross-legged on his backpack whilst polishing his kukris. Not that the blades needed any more cleaning, but it kept his hands occupied and allowed him to better focus on thinking.

They could see just enough outside to tell that the camp outside had been taken down and the Shining Host had begun its long march to war against the Bloodaxe Gnolls. They had, however, left a sort of rearguard/jailers to keep an eye on their prisoners.

It took Dag some effort to keep his little smile from turning into a pleased grin. In the end it had taken a full-on blowjob to calm the big lug down.

Not that it had been much of a chore for Dag, of course... He loved that big, stubborn lug with all his heart, after all, and his expression had been worth seeing when Dag had gone down on him, stammering something about their guards hearing and maybe even seeing.

"So what?" Dag had replied and just gotten to work. Judging by how fast Rhaz had gotten hard, the big guy wasn't entirely turned off by the relative publicity of their act...

Deeming that the silence had lasted long enough, Dag cleared his throat audibly enough to make Rhaz lift his head and look at him, a weak, weary smile on the bigger Gnoll's face.

"We uhhh... We need to bust out of here." Dag began, silencing Rhaz's protests of being unable to do it before he could voice them with a raised paw "I've given it enough time and I think there's only one way we are getting out of here..." Dag could already see the slowly dawning understanding spreading on Rhaz's face and so he finished in as determined a manner as he could "Yes, I'm serious... You need to enter sarrnak."

Hearing that thousand-times-cursed word made Rhaz shake his head slowly in disgust "I can't... Dag, the last time I went into Blood Frenzy you damn well nearly died and it took all Gash had to survive until I just collapsed from the strain and exhaustion!"

The memory caused a sickening knot to appear in Rhaz's stomach. To give oneself up to sarrnak was to tap into the fury and strength of the Great Father himself and to completely relinquish control, rendering the warrior unable to distinguish friend from foe, simply laying into everyone and everything around them with wild, reckless abandon.

Only a few among the Berzerkers could even reach deep enough into their Rage to achieve sarrnak and most of those who could didn't want to as there were only three ways to end the Blood Frenzy: supreme effort of will, passing out from exhaustion... Or death.

"I wouldn't even suggest this if I didn't think it was the only option we have left, Rhaz." Dag said quietly as he rose to his feet and padded over to the larger Gnoll. He sat down next to his dear friend, idly stroking the big lug's ear which in turn elicited a deep, content rumble from the brute. "If the village isn't warned, if they don't start preparing early enough, they will more than likely lose the fight. The Host has the advantage in numbers, gear and training though I doubt they can still match the Matriarch and her priestesses when it comes to magic, but it probably won't be enough."

As Rhaz didn't say anything, Dagnyr went on, staring at the ceiling of the tent "I couldn't give less of a fuck about the village itself, to be honest, but I do give every last fuck that is mine to give about Tirnel and, perhaps even more so, Gashkarr. Tirnel might get hurt in the midst of all the confusion and Gash... you know how he is! When a battle is joined the stubborn bastard won't back down until either the enemy or he himself lies broken on the ground and considering the current odds... He's going to get his stupid wish and die the glorious death he keeps dreaming of: knee-deep in the blood and guts of his foes."

By then Rhaz had closed his eyes, the big Gnoll's hands curled into fists so tightly his claws dug into his palms deep enough to draw a faint trickle of blood. "You're... Absolutely right yet again, Dag. But if I enter sarrnak, how will you keep yourself safe?"

"I've got a few invisibility potions with me. Always do, just in case they are needed. I'll drink one and hide as best I can whilst you get to work."

Rhaz nodded, licking his lips that suddenly felt dry; much like his mouth "And if I can't break through this barrier even with the help of_sarrnak_?"

At this point even Dag went silent for a moment, staring at his feet for a long time before answering quietly "Then eventually the invisibility potion runs out and you more than likely will end up killing me..."

"Sounds too risky, Dag... I don't want to hurt you, intentionally or not, ever, for any reason."

Dagnyr jabbed Rhaz into the shoulder "I know, you lovable lug. But we_really_ don't have any other options and the sooner you quit arguing and get to work, the sooner we can give a warning to the village. Hells, if we had other options I wouldn't even remotely consider sending you into a frenzy."

Rhaz was quiet for a long time, staring at the ground between his feet with a deep frown on his brow. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't deny that Dag was, as usual, right yet again. He squeezed his hand into a tight fist, feeling his claws digging into his palm. He'd shatter the walls of their prison even if it took the power of_sarrnak_ to do it!

A paw cupping his cheek and a familiar weight landing on his lap snapped the brute right back to reality. Dag was straddling his lap, a mischievous grin on the smaller Gnoll's face.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, big guy..." Dag said and planted a soft kiss on Rhaz's snout "If there's a good chance that I might die soon, I at least want one last ride beforehand."

Little by little Rhaz's face twisted into a smile as well, the bigger Gnoll wrapping his arms protectively around Dagnyr and pulling him right up against his broad, muscular chest. "Good thinking."

"Someone has to do that in this group of ours. Might as well be me, eh?" Both of them giggled in a very hyena-like manner at that. After the brief fit of mirth Dag locked eyes with Rhaz and whispered "Now... Shut up and kiss me."

Rhaz was more than happy to oblige once more. He still felt a little nervous about doing it so close to their guards, but Dag locking muzzles with him, followed by the smaller male's dextrous paw slipping onto Rhaz's crotch, soon enough melted away the worries.

The big Gnoll closed his eyes and rolled over with Dagnyr, pinning the smaller male underneath him whilst still maintaining the kiss. Somehow knowing what was at stake seemed to add both passion and urgency to their kiss, their paws trailing needfully all over each others' bodies... Bodies that were quickly turning naked as they hastily stripped each other, discarding pieces of clothing one after the other without much of a sermon.

Rhaz rolled them over once more so that Dag was on top, his large paws sliding up down his lover's back and, eventually, onto the pert, round rump of the smaller Gnoll. Upon slipping a finger between Dag's taut buttocks in an attempt to tease his entrance, Rhaz let out a surprised marf and withdrew his paw, breaking finally away from the kiss to stare at the finger that glistened faintly with oil.

"When did you..?" Rhaz asked, looking almost comically surprised as he turned to look at Dagnyr again.

The smaller Gnoll winked raunchily "Whilst you were still deep in thought, silly. Just before I jumped onto your lap."

That said, Dag rolled forward into a handstand and from there, gracefully, flipped onto his feet. He padded over to the nigh-invisible wall of their cell, the one facing the exit of the tent, planted his paws firmly against it and bent over. He lifted his tail to the side and swayed his hips enticingly, casting a sultry look at the brute who had managed to clamber onto his feet as well. "What are you waiting for, handsome? I'm all yours..."

Rhaz just stood there for a moment, absorbing in the sight in front of him. The light of early midday shone in through the tent's entrance, painting Dag's fur with all it's radiant glory. The big lug went from a semi-erection into full mast by just staring at his lover as if dumbstruck.

Getting impatient, Dag opened his mouth to tease the big guy some more, but instead of a witty quip all he managed to grunt out was a pleasantly surprised "Ooooh!" as Rhaz stepped forward and grabbed him by the hips, the bigger Gnoll's rock-hard shaft coming to rest between Dag's buttcheeks.

Rhaz ground his glans firmly against Dag's tailhole, making sure he smeared as much lubricant as he could onto his cock before -ever so carefully- pushing into his lover.

Already quite accustomed to the girths of both Gash and Rhaz, it wasn't difficult at all for Dag to relax and take what Rhaz had to offer. The bigger Gnoll's shaft spreading him open and sliding ever so steadily inside was enough to make his legs tremble, a theatrically loud moan slipping out of the smaller male's muzzle. He _wanted_their guards to hear what was going on... Just to annoy and/or tease them!

As Rhaz started to piston his hips back and forth, Dagnyr's moaning just got louder, the smaller Gnoll's body rocking steadily against the invisible wall with every powerful thrust Rhaz made.

"Hey! Keep it do..wn there..." The voice of a guard made Dag open his eyes, a fiendish grin splitting the Rogue's muzzle.

"Enjoying the view, hmm?" Dag asked in a conversational tone as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

The guard, a young, strapping lad in his early twenties, frowned and shook a fist at the two rutting Gnolls "Stop that this instant or I'll--"

"You_WHAT_, human?" Rhaz asked menacingly, planting then one big paw onto the wall and raking his sharp claws against its surface "Break the barrier and teach us a lesson? Go ahead... Because anything less than that won't make me stop!"

Just for added emphasis Rhaz kicked in a bigger gear, grabbing Dag firmly by the hips with both paws and practically ramming his shaft into his lover's behind. It was all Dagnyr could do to keep his footing, even though he was supporting himself by leaning against the wall with one arm and his cheek, his other paw busily working his own erection.

The guard shook with indignation and impotent rage, his face turning a shade of angry red. "Bah! Thrice-cursed savages..." He muttered as he left the tent.

With the distraction out of the way, Rhaz was able to focus his attention on sex once again. Thanks to Dag's earlier muzzlejob he wasn't pent-up, but the smaller Gnoll knew just how to push his buttons to sap away his sexual endurance.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Rhaz felt his climax hitting him, the brute's jaw hanging open and a long, drawn-out moan escaping it as he erupted into Dagnyr's passage, pumping into it a healthy load of thick, warm, potent Gnoll spunk.

By then Dag was working his nimble paw furiously, the smaller Gnoll's moan joining in with Rhaz's soon after, his load splattering onto the ground and against the invisible barrier.

"Well..." Dag managed after composing himself for a few moments "Totally worth seeing that guard's face!"

Rhaz giggled, letting then out a grunt as he slid his steadily softening cock out of Dagnyr's tailhole with a wet, sloppy sound "I have to agree it was kind of fun."

Dag straightened his back and stretched it, sighing contently as he felt it crick and pop. The sex had really helped him relax and if he were to die soon, he'd at least have something pleasant to think of at his last moments.

"C'mon, Rhaz... Let's get ready to go all in." Dag said, getting a solemn nod in return from his big companion.

Tirnel found himself staring at the ceiling of Rhaz's hut. He felt faint and there was a tingly, burning ache on his left cheek, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out how he'd gotten there. The last thing he remembered was a hazy, shaky collection of images and feelings; of darkness, a Gnoll Necromancer and some sort of a crystal or something...

With a groan the half-elf rose up into a sitting position, observing how his hands trembled lightly. The next thing his eyes fell on was a neatly folded note right beside him. Tirnel fumbled as he tried to open the piece of parchment, his brow furrowing more and more the longer he read.

"Since you are reading this, you are finally awake. Excellent! I could go into a long-winded explanation of what, exactly, we did to you, but that would rob you of the joy of discovering it for yourself. Suffice to say no harm was done to you. I leave it up to you whether or not you believe me on that; we don't care either way. Balefire got what he wanted and has agreed to shut up at long last now that his curiosity is sated. Oh, but look at me rambling whilst there's all sorts of work I need to get done...

Tarrg

PS. As a final favor to you, I ensured an incident like the one with Bilefang could not happen to you so easily again. No need to thank me, it was my pleasure."

The note fell from Tirnel's hands and the half-elf buried his face into his palms. He sighed deep and tried his best to gather his composure. He wasn't sure if he wanted to cry or laugh or throw a tantrum... The day had been nothing but confusion and mayhem from start to finish.

He didn't even bother lifting his face from his hands when he heard the door flap rustling. A second later he felt a shadow falling on him and heard the soft clank and clatter of a plate mail armor beside him.

"What's wrong? What happened?" The concerned voice of Gashkarr asked.

"I... Don't even know where to begin." Tirnel replied and raised his head to meet the gaunt Gnoll's eyes.

As soon as he did, Gashkarr's expression went from concern to shock to barely contained fury in the span of three heartbeats, the big Gnoll kneeling by Tirnel's side and grasping him roughly by the shoulders. "Your cheek... You've been branded!"

"Wha..?"

"It's... It's Rhaz's personal symbol, yes, but... Who did this? I highly doubt it was you."

Tirnel was so dumbstruck yet again he couldn't get a single word out of his mouth. Instead he gestured towards the discarded note, which Gash picked up, read twice and then tossed into the fire.

Ever so slowly the tall Gnoll stood up, his jawline clenching in time with his hands as he cast his eyes towards the hut's doorway. "I..." Gash began at length, his entire body trembling with what Tirnel could only guess was pure, undiluted rage "I'm going to feed that corpse-raising maggot his own spine..."

Gashkarr moved to leave, but Tirnel grabbed him by the ankle, causing the pale Gnoll to stop and turn to look at him with an inquisitive look on his face.

"You'll never get to him, Gash... He hides inside an extradimensional mansion. Unless he wills it, you won't get in. And besides... I'd really, really rather not be alone right now."

Gashkarr was perfectly still for a good long while, staring at Tirnel almost without blinking, before finally giving a deep sigh and relaxing his pose. The armor on him vanished into thin wisps of mist during the sigh, leaving the Gnoll in only his loincloth.

"So be it." Gashkarr sat down and pulled Tirnel's back against his chest, arms crossed protectively over the half-elf's chest "I promised Rhaz I'd keep you safe... I've failed that task now once already. On my life, I swear it won't happen again."

Tirnel closed his eyes and curled up against the Gnoll's chest, managing a weak chuckle and a smile "No need to be so melodramatic about it, you know."

Gashkarr didn't answer, but Tirnel could swear the corner of the Gnoll's muzzle curled up a little bit in a smile.

Silent and focused Rhaz stood facing the exit of the tent. His armor was on, but he hadn't yet called forth his axe. Somehow, he thought, calling out the weapon would be the point from which there would be no return. Once he'd grasp the shaft of his axe he'd be committing to their gamble irrevocably.

So he just stood there, intentionally delaying the moment he knew he would hate.

"Okay, I'm all set." Dagnyr's voice called from the farthest corner of the force cage. His armor was on as well, a small bottle of milky-white fluid in his hand "Soon as you're ready, big guy."

Rhaz sighed and nodded "Bottoms up, Dag."

In one quick sip Dag chugged the contents of the bottle and vanished into thin air almost instantly, giving Rhaz an encouraging thumb up.

Ever so slowly Rhaz extended his arm out and made a motion as if grasping something from the air, his axe materializing into his paw out of nowhere. He gripped the weapon in both paws firmly and closed his eyes.

"Lambs to the slaughter..." He muttered under his breath and opened his eyes; now red in color as he summoned forth his Rage.

With a ferocious snarl he swung his axe over the shoulder as hard as he could at the wall, getting a hollow boom and some ripples as a result, but the wall still stood otherwise intact. So he struck again, and again, and again... Raining down blows onto the seemingly impervious wall whilst tapping ever deeper into the well of his anger, allowing his fury to fill his mind and then overflow until...

He drew in a lungful of air and then let out a roar containing all of the rage, frustration and feelings of betrayal he'd been bottling up inside him, his eyes gaining an infernal red glow as _sarrnak_took him over.

His veins bulged with the strain and he just about foamed at the mouth as he swung his axe about in a frenzy, bringing it against the wall with every ounce of strength he had. The first blow cracked the wall and the second one shattered it with a sound akin to a thunderclap!

The frenzied Gnoll dashed out of the tent before the pieces of the magical cage had started to evaporate mid-air. Spotting the two soldiers standing guard just outside the tent -their faces pale and expressions shocked- Rhaz swung his axe in a sideways arc that took the head clean off the shoulders of the guard that had yelled at him and Dagnyr during their romp.

Rhaz continued the swing by bringing his axe behind his head and then over the shoulder, crushing through the other guard's feeble attempt at a block and cleaving him open from head to chest. A swift kick sent the broken corpse down on the ground, accompanied by a savage, triumphant roar of delight from the berzerker.

The rest of the camp reacted swiftly, the soldiers standing up or dropping whatever they were carrying and drawing their weapons. A sergeant left in command of the dozen or so soldiers started to yell orders, telling one of the men to get a horse and inform the General that the prisoners had escaped and that the rest of them would buy the messenger some time.

A heartbeat after that the Gnoll was among them, tearing through men and metal with contemptuous ease. The hapless soldiers never even got a chance to mount any kind of resistance against the rampaging monster. Those who fought back were cut down ruthlessly and the two who tried to flee were ran down and killed just the same; first one catching a thrown greataxe to the back, the second one crushed underneath over three hundred pounds of frenzied, wildly clawing Gnoll.

The messenger, a relatively young, freckled man with blonde hair, had ran from the fight as soon as the sergeant told him to, heading towards the corral at the edge of the camp containing their horses. He tried his best to ignore the sounds of carnage and death coming from behind him as he fumbled with a saddle.

How could such a monster even exist? Why had they been tasked to guard them? Wouldn't it have been better to just kill them when they had the chance? The young soldier thought frantically as he finally managed to fasten the saddle on his steed.

A sudden, sharp pain in his back froze the soldier in his tracks. He turned his gaze down to see the bloody tip of a blade poking out of his chest, a soft voice whispering into his ear from behind "I'm sorry, but I can't let you escape, boy..."

"P-please...N-nuh..." The soldier grunted and then went limp in Dagnyr's arms, the violent action turning the rogue visible once again.

Dag cast a hurried look towards the camp proper and then released the horses to spare them from his friend's wrath before sneaking off and away from the carnage, biding his time until Rhaz came back to his senses.

By then Rhaz had carved his way through all but one of his foes. The sergeant still stood defiantly, knowing full well his best chance at survival was a direct confrontation with the frenzied warrior; running hadn't helped the others after all...

Smartly the sergeant kept deflecting and redirecting the Gnoll's attacks rather than trying to block them head-on; he had already seen the beast crush through armor and flesh alike with laughable ease.

As Rhaz swung his axe over the shoulder in an attack directed at the sergeant's head, the man letting the blow once again slide off the surface of his shield and to the ground. Seeing his opening the sergeant thrust his sword into the Gnoll's abdomen, a brief glimmer of hope sparking within him as the beast snarled in pain.

However, the soldier's hope was short lived as Rhaz twisted his body around and -ignoring the deep wound and the pain- yanked the sword from the sergeant's grip, a big, clawed paw closing around the surprised human's throat.

Rhaz dropped his axe and gripped the sergeant's head with both paws. The man let out a brief scream before his head was crushed like an egg. The Gnoll lifted the bloody corpse above his head, blood falling down on him like rain, and then slammed the corpse down on the dusty ground with a sickening crunch. With a hateful snarl he yanked the blade from his side and slammed it into the corpse of the sergeant all the way down to the hilt.

Having run out of enemies, the berzerker set on wrecking everything else in sight and when he ran out of things to break in the camp he savaged the corpses with his bare claws until they were all little more than gory mush.

Fifteen minutes of carnage later, Rhaz finally collapsed onto the ground on his hands and knees, the hellish glow of his eyes dimming and then vanishing as sarrnak finally released its grip on the Gnoll Brave.

His whole body trembled from exhaustion -both physical and mental- as he looked around at the wanton carnage all around. The scent of death and blood was drowning everything else under and he could see his paws were covered in blood and gore all the way to the elbows, a clear taste of blood in his mouth as well.

He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing, doing his best to push away his revulsion.

A tender paw on his shoulder startled Rhaz and he snapped his head about to see the smiling form of Dagnyr kneeling beside him. Yet again the Rogue had managed to make no sound during his approach.

"Are you alright?" Dag asked whilst wiping away some of the blood on Rhaz's face with a thumb. "You look like shit."

"I... Pretty much feel that way too..." Rhaz mumbled, looking away from Dag for a moment before facing his friend again "You know what I hate the most about giving in to sarrnak? The fact how good it feels... The rush of power, the uncanny sense of invincibility... And yet at the same time I'm little more than a bystander, a fucking prisoner watching everything through my own eyes without any control over my actions." Rhaz clenched his paws into fists and slammed them into the ground hard enough for Dag to feel the slight tremor "I HATE IT! AND I HATE MYSELF FOR ENJOYING IT! It... Makes me no better than a savage beast..."

Dag was silent for a moment, weighing his options for a few heartbeats before delivering a bone-rattling punch into Rhaz's jaw. Rhaz's surprised and confused expression forced Dag to struggle hard to keep himself from giggling. "Better?"

Rhaz nodded weakly and then mustered the strength for a lopsided little smile "Thanks. I needed that."

Dag returned the smile and then focused on rummaging through his magical haversack, producing a couple of healing potions from within "Drink up, big guy."

The bigger Gnoll did as he was told and downed the potions one after the other, a deep, content sigh slipping from his muzzle as the soothing warmth spread through his body and washed away all the aches and pains, his wounds sealing themselves instantly.

With the pain gone and the rush of adrenaline subsiding a deep, heavy weariness settled into Rhaz's mind and body, his limbs and eyelids feeling like lead.

"I... think I'll take a nap now..." The big lug mumbled and then flopped down on his face on the dusty ground, heavy snoring soon flowing from him.

Dag swallowed hard and tried his best to put a smile on his face. He'd wanted to get a move on as soon as possible, but now... Now it looked like they were going to delay their departure by one night at least.

"You rest now, big guy. You've earned it." Dagnyr whispered, reaching over to gently caress Rhaz's head before standing up and getting to work on making the immediate surroundings tolerable for camping, cleaning up trash and corpses and hauling firewood for a campfire.

They'd have a long trip ahead of them come next morning...