Faith and Fury: Writers of the Future Submission

PART ONE

Faith and Fury

The wreckage of the caravan lay stretched out across the desert sands like a corpse. Viridia’s blood boiled looking out over the carnage. Her hand gripped her spear tightly as she took in the scene before her. She was wrapped in tan robes which flowed in the wind. She wore a bronze helmet that hid her face. Nothing she wore belonged to her. She was given the helmet a week ago. It was placed on her head by Iulian, one of the last heroes of her order. It was the last time she saw him before the Imperium assaulted their hideout. After their escape, she and her teacher were found wandering the Cassian dunes by the Gray Orcs of the Fox. It was them that wrapped them in the robes and scarves. The orcs’ ways were the only reason Viridia and her teacher still lived in the relentless desert. An old dwarf walked out from behind one of the burning carriages. Viridia knew him as Rok-Dahn, a dwarf of Bru-Tah and her teacher. His gray hair and beard were a mess, dried out by the desert winds. He wore the same robes as Viridia and had a one-handed warhammer on his belt.

“I’ve counted four carriages, over 30 people,” said Rok-Dahn. “It’s difficult to say exactly how many. The monster seems to have toyed with some of them a while.”

“So many,” said Viridia through gritted teeth. Behind her teacher was another figure clad head to toe in robes. Viridia knew this figure to be Dolgurag, the leader of the orcs that they had been traveling with for the past few days.

“The tracks are strange,” said Dolgurag. “The monster walks on two feet. It moves among the people as they flee, as if they forget it, or cannot see it during their fight.”

Viridia turned to meet Rok-Dahn’s gaze.

“What was it?” she asked.

“I can only guess,” said Rok-Dahn. Viridia maintained her piercing stare. Rok-Dahn continued. “What we’ve seen here reminds me of an entry in one of Shawl-Kahn’s hunting tomes…concerning the Usum Gal. They could use magic to deceive, and to disappear.”

“I thought they had all been slain,” said Viridia.

“There were some among our order who believed that a few res draconum might have survived,” said Rok-Dahn. Viridia looked back out over the burning carriages.

“Can you track it?” she said without turning. Rok-Dahn let out a sigh. 

“Yes,” he said.

“We must not remain here needlessly,” said Dolgurag. “My men have finished taking what was left here. If you spend any more time on the dead you may very well join them.”

“We swore an oath once,” said Viridia as if speaking to someone far away. “An oath to protect.”

“We are wasting water milling about in the midday sun,” said Dolgurag. “We must leave now.”

“Dolgurag,” said Rok-Dahn. “We’re grateful for your people’s help and for the mercy your tribe showed us, but we’ve found a beast we’ve sworn to hunt.”

“It is likely that the desert will take you if you strike out alone,” said Dolgurag. “You should remain with us.” Rok-Dahn glanced at Viridia and then back to the orc.

“Honor requires that we be elsewhere,” said the dwarf. 

Dolgurag nodded in understanding.

“May your god protect you,” said the orc. With that, he turned and walked down the dune where he joined several orcs on camelback. They moved quickly. Rok-Dahn and Viridia were alone before long.

“We better get going. The winds might cover the tracks soon.” said Rok-Dahn.

“Then let us get started.”

***

The two figures walked atop the crest of a sizable dune. Rok-Dahn was in the front finding the tracks. Their robes helped them to blend in among the dust and the sand. Only Viridia’s helm gave them away, its bronze glinting in the sun. The orcs had taught them not to travel on top of the dunes, but this is where the tracks led them. Despite being so exposed, Viridia enjoyed the view. The desert sprawled out before them endlessly like an ocean. In the far distance, towering mountaintops rose above the sands. In a way, the desolation of the desert was beautiful. She took note of this in passing, but it did little to calm her vengeful fury or to ease the twisted feeling in her gut. 

They had enough water to last them maybe three days. If their hunt took them more than a day and a half deeper into the desert, there was little hope of them finding the Orcs of the Fox once again.

“The wind is strong today,” said Viridia. “What if the tracks fade?”

“Our quarry won’t have gone far,” said Rok-Dahn. “A res draconum can’t stand the heat of the day. I believe it attacked the caravan we found at night. It’s either returned to its lair or is blending in among some local settlement.”

“Blending in?”

“Yes,” said Rok-Dahn. “The creature we hunt now has the use of dark magic. Some are said to go unseen right before your eyes, some can choose to appear as a man, in order to hide among their prey.” 

The two walked in silence for a time after this. Eventually, the tracks led them down the side of the dune. They both breathed a little easier being better hidden, but Viridia still gripped her spear firmly. She yearned to plunge it into the heart of the beast they were chasing, the beast that had torn that caravan to pieces.

Another few hours passed without another word being said between them while they traveled. Eventually, Viridia broke the silence.

“The tracks are growing more faint,” she said, with despair creeping into her voice.

“We’ll find this monster,” said Rok-Dahn reassuringly. “The Voice wills it. Tracks or no tracks, have faith!”

“I have my fury,” said Viridia. “If we can find it, fury will be enough,” Rok-Dahn grunted dismissively at this answer.

“Have you said your daily prayers today?” he asked.

“…No,” said Viridia.

“It won’t help us to neglect these things.”

“It may not help to remember them,” said Viridia. At this, Rok-Dahn stopped. He turned from the tracks to face his student.

“How long has it been since the Voice blessed the blades of our order with holy fire?” he asked.

“…Too long,” Viridia answered. 

“How many of our brothers and sisters have fallen to the Imperium in that time?”

“Too many,” said Viridia.

“In all this, have we been lacking fury?!” asked Rok-Dahn. He received no answer. “No,” he said. “We’ve been lacking faith…and we have suffered greatly for it.” He turned and began to follow the tracks once more. Viridia remained where she was.

“Faith in what!?” she shouted. “Faith in the Voice!? That he will protect us? He has not!” Rok-Dahn stopped walking. Viridia continued, “Our enemies walk freely across Aquum, our home! And we can do nothing about it!”

“We’re doing something about it now,” said Rok-Dahn. “Our enemies would have us all dead. As long as we draw breath we are doing something. What we do matters. Aquum fell because it did not keep the Voice’s commands. We will not rise back up by continuing to do what we know to be wrong!” Rok-Dahn tried to look Viridia in her eyes, but he couldn’t quite make out where they were behind her bronze helm. Eventually, Rok-Dahn returned to the tracks. He spoke to himself as he walked. “‘Return to me, and I will return to you,’”

Viridia knew the prophecy he recited. She too knew it by heart, but now her heart no longer believed its words. She stood still for a moment trying to calm herself. 

Control, she thought. I must keep control. Discipline is our greatest remaining weapon. 

She started to follow after her teacher once again as he began to scale the next dune.

***

As the sun set over the Cassian desert and a full moon rose the blistering heat of the day was replaced with a relentless cold. Viridia and Rok-Dahn had taken shelter from the chilling winds beneath a large rock formation that protruded out from the sands. The terrain was starting to contain more soil. Even though it was still very dry, some plant life was able to survive here. There were a few shrubs which were made of a collection of tough sword-shaped leaves at the base and sprouted a tall woody flowering stem from the top. Using the stems of these shrubs they were able to produce a small fire to keep them warm from the bitter cold. Viridia was sharpening her weapons. Along with her spear she had a large knife she kept hidden within her robes. She had lost her whetstone when she had fled from the hideout a week ago. She was making due by sharpening her blades with a suitably flat rock.

“That’s why I use a hammer,” said Rok-Dahn. “I always know it’s ready to do its job.”

Viridia didn’t stop sharpening her knife but Rok-Dahn thought he saw her eyes glance up at him from within the dark of her helmet.

“It is too unwieldy for me,” she said. “You are the strongest out of us, at least for now, old man.”

“Ha!” said Rok-Dahn with a grin. He suspected that Viridia was grinning as well. Rok-Dahn turned his gaze back out toward the desert, scanning the moonlit dunes for any sign of movement.

“See anything?”

“Not at the moment,” answered Rok-Dahn.

“It will be difficult taking watches,” said Viridia. “With only two of us.”

“If the beast is anywhere close it surely sees us,” said Rok-Dahn. “If we grow weary before an attack we should feign sleep for a while before any one of us truly rests.”

“What if it is not near?”

“Then we’ll continue to hunt it tomorrow,” said Rok-Dahn.

“The tracks will be gone by then,” said Viridia.

“The Voice wills that we slay this beast,” said Rok-Dahn. “We’ll find it, tracks or no tracks. Have faith.” 

Viridia sat up straight and stopped sharpening her blade for a moment. The two sat in stillness and listened to the howling of the winds and the crackling of the fire. 

“I am sorry,” she said. “For earlier.”

“It’s alright,” said Rok-Dahn. “These are dark days, and we have lost much.”

“I am so tired,” said Viridia. “I am tired of waiting, waiting to hear the Voice speak, to tell us what is right to do or which way is right to go.”

“Sometimes…we know well enough which way to go, even without hearing the Voice,” said Rok-Dahn. “We are Iudex of the Lex Legis. We speak the law and slay the wicked. Out there, we have a beast before us and we have weapons at our side. The way is clear.”

“The way is not clear!” she said. “Each day my way becomes more crooked and broken.”

She turned back to her blade and began to sharpen it against the flat rock more zealously than before. Rok-Dahn looked to the horizon. His dwarven eyes were well accustomed to the dark. The shadows of the surface could never be as consuming as those which hid deep within the world. His thoughts were troubled. A teacher must never show doubt, but he had to admit to himself that there were days long past when the path forward was so much simpler and certain. In times like these, he turned his thoughts to the prophecies. He dwelled on the promises of prophets. He spoke aloud to himself.

“It was once said, ‘The Voice calls out in the wilderness, the crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.’” He looked out over the Cassian desert. “It doesn’t get much wilder than this.”

***

No attack came in the night. They began their hunt in the early morning. The waterskins were lighter now and they had no tracks to follow. Rok-Dahn took them west. At first, they enjoyed the cool of the morning, but it wasn’t long before the sun was above them and the sands became scorching hot. They traveled a few hours further into the Cassian desert. They tried to conserve their water as much as seemed reasonable to them. Viridia started to feel heavy. She used her spear like a walking stick. Viridia’s mouth became dry and her sweat stung her eyes. Most of the time Rok-Dahn walked with his eyes closed. He prayed as they went, striving to hear the will of the Voice. 

At midday, they stopped for a moment. Rok-Dahn looked at her as if to ask ‘Shall we continue?’ She thought of the corpses that littered the ground near the caravan. The people of Aquum had once counted on the protection of the Iudex. Such a crime had to be avenged. Fury filled her heart and she nodded. They traveled on.

Halfway through the afternoon, a small whirlwind started to build far to the right of Viridia and Rok-Dahn. It became increasingly thick as it picked up the dust and sand of the desert. These occurrences were commonplace in the lands of Cassia. Usually, these twisters were short-lived but this one continued to grow and grow. Soon it was a mighty pillar of cloud before them, a cyclone traveling northwest of Rok-Dahn and Viridia. Rok-Dahn watched this and muttered to himself.

“A pillar of cloud by day…” He changed direction to follow after the twister. It led them up and over a mighty dune. As they reached the crest, Rok-Dahn gasped. They stood high above a wide-open plane. Far in the distance, barely visible, the colors of luxurious tents could just be seen. A small contingent of travelers were waiting out the heat of the day.

“It must be there!” said Rok-Dahn. “The res draconum is in that camp! There’s nowhere else for miles where it can hide from the sun!”

There was a renewed intensity in their steps as they descended the dune onto the open plane. They didn’t run. Moving too quickly might give them away. At the current distance, if they were careful, it would be some time before anyone in the camp would spot them. Viridia wrapped scarves around her helmet so that it wouldn’t shine in the sun. They both drank their fill of water. There would be fighting soon and they needed their strength. Viridia readjusted her knife within her robes to ensure that it would be well hidden.

“So it is hiding among a settlement,” she said. “How do we tell it apart from any other man?”

“It’s been some time since our order fought one,” said Rok-Dahn. “But I remember a few techniques I learned from Shawl-Kahn’s tomes before they were burned.”

“Well?”

“They’re cold-blooded like a snake. You won’t catch one out in the sun. They’ll be in the shade somewhere. If you’re able to force one to stand in the heat they won’t sweat. It’s a small detail but one you should keep an eye out for. Also, all Usum Gal are spawns of the deceiver. If they are touched by water blessed by the Voice they’ll burn.”

“Do we have any blessed water?” asked Viridia. Rok-Dahn held up a small glass vial while they walked. 

“Only a few drops left,” he said. “Just enough to test one man.”

“We need to be sure then,” she said. “Anything else?”

“Just one more thing,” said Rok-Dahn. “The quote I remember best from Shawl-Kahn’s writings is this, ‘You will know them above all else by their greed, their desire to possess. Remember that they are all that remains of the dragons.’”

“It will likely be someone in charge then,” said Viridia. “Someone who will have many things.”

“Perhaps,” said Rok-Dahn. 

In an hour they had crossed the open plain. As they drew nearer they could make out more details of the camp. There were about ten or twelve tents. They were made of many colors but most of them were the blood-red of the Cassian flag. Many soldiers walked about from tent to tent. A few of them had spotted Viridia and Rok-Dahn as they approached. Seven soldiers had gathered at the edge of the camp by the time Viridia and Rok-Dahn got within a hundred meters. Two great beetles, each the size of a carriage, flew out over the tents. Around the thorax of each of them was strapped a saddle on which sat a rider, driving his beast. The flapping underwings kicked up clouds of dust and created a deafening buzzing sound as the riders circled Viridia and Rok-Dahn. Viridia tossed down her spear and Rok-Dahn dropped his hammer. They held up their hands in submission and let the Cassians take them.

***

Four soldiers walked Viridia and Rok-Dahn through the camp at spear-point. Viridia had taken careful note of which soldier carried their weapons.

They missed the knife, she thought. I must wait for the right moment to make them regret that.

Cassian flags blew in the wind throughout the camp. They were blood red with a golden dragon in the center. There were plenty of soldiers about but few of them paid the procession any mind. Most of them seemed to assume that four men would be enough to control these strangers from the desert. They were wrong.

After a short walk, they arrived at a tent so opulent and grand that it certainly belonged to the master of the camp. The sides of the tent were open, allowing the breeze to blow through. The floor was covered in luxurious carpets and pillows. In the center of the tent, there was a short table. On it sat two things that were exceptionally valuable in the lands of Cassia. The first was a golden statue of Cassian-make which depicted a dragon, the second was a large piece of glassware filled to the brim with water.

“Thirsty?” asked a man lounging in the shade of the tent. He was a human with long black hair, a trim black goatee, and olive skin. He wore fine robes. The robes were covered in magnificent embroidery depicting dragons. Viridia knew him to be a Cassian lord. Behind him, another man stood at attention. This man appeared to be human as well. He had a short black beard and the same olive skin. This man wore tan robes like Viridia and Rok-Dahn, robes meant to weather the desert.

“That’s very generous of you,” said Rok-Dahn. “But we drank our fill once we saw the camp and knew that we were saved.”

“Saved?” asked the Cassian lord. “Surely you saw the flags. My people are not known for their hospitality, especially for dwarf-kin.”

“Surely the rumors are not true,” ventured Viridia. “That your people have returned to their barbarous practice of slaving.”

“Such ways had many advantages,” said the man standing at attention.

“In any case,” interjected Rok-Dahn. “We knew we’d be safer here than in the desert.”

“Perhaps,” said the Cassian lord. “How was it you came to be lost in the desert?”

“We were counting on meeting a caravan to the east of here for passage out of Cassia,” said Viridia. “But we were unable to find it.”

The two men inside the tent shared a glance.

“Does this caravan sound familiar to you?” asked Rok-Dahn. The two men looked back at the dwarf.

“We passed a caravan headed east several days ago,” said the Cassian lord. “It carried many wondrous things for trade.”

“Things like that statue?” asked Viridia motioning to the golden dragon.

“Yes…” said the sitting man. His answer almost sounded like the hiss of a snake. “But I know not where it is now…I’m being rude. I am Eshkar, and this man behind me is Maskim, a most trusted servant. You must join us in the shade of the tent.” Rok-Dahn and Viridia looked at one another. Their best way of finding their quarry would be to draw their suspect into the heat of the sun.

“You mean we’re to be your guests?” asked Rok-Dahn. “Surely you wouldn’t invite slaves into your tent.”

“You are not slaves yet,” said Eshkar.

“You will be if you do not accept my master’s hospitality,” said Maskim.

“We have just come in from the desert,” said Viridia. “We will dirty your fine carpets.”

“They are already somewhat dirtied,” said Eshkar. “Maskim has just returned from an errand in the desert. I insist you join me in the tent.” 

Eshkar motioned to the soldiers behind Viridia and Rok-Dahn. They felt the spear points on their backs and relented. Viridia walked into the tent and sat across the table from the reclining Cassian lord. She sat up straight with her legs crossed. Eshkar watched her intently.

“Why do you cover your face with that helmet?” 

“My reasons are my own,” said Viridia.

“Well I’m afraid I must insist that you remove it, in fact, I want to have it,” said Eshkar.

“No,” said Viridia. 

She struggled to stifle the fury in her voice. This man was likely the man they hunted, but they had to be sure.

Control, she thought. I must keep control.

“Yes,” said Eshkar firmly. He snapped his fingers at Maskim. “Maskim, remove her helmet!” Maskim walked around Eshkar toward Viridia and her teacher. Viridia surged to her feet as he drew near. The soldiers surrounding the tent stood to attention and the spears were once again pointing at Viridia and Rok-Dahn.

“Viridia…,” started Rok-Dahn. “Perhaps this isn’t the time to–”

“It’s fine!” interjected Viridia. “On with it,” she said to Maskim. 

Maskim came closer. As he began to unwrap the scarves from her helmet Viridia could feel his breath. It was hot. She looked over the details of his face. He looked to be old by human standards. Viridia could tell a great deal about this man by how he moved. His mannerisms were reminiscent of a veteran of war. She knew that Maskim was no stranger to violence. Yet strangely, his hands, arms, and face were free of scars. As she made note of this detail, the revelation came to her. There was not a bead of sweat upon his brow, the sandy scarf around his throat was perfectly dry where it touched his neck, and yet, Eshkar had said that this man had just come from the desert. Maskim placed his hands on Viridia’s helm.

“Rok-Dahn!” she said. Maskim paused.

“Yes?” said Rok-Dahn.

“This one!”

“Are you sure?” asked her teacher. He leaned forward and glanced at Maskim. Maskim glanced back with a raised brow.

“Yes!” she said.

“Very well then,” said Rok-Dahn. The old dwarf grumbled as he started to stand upright. He made a show of having a difficult time rising to his feet. Maskim stepped away from her and faced the dwarf.

“What is it, old man?” asked Maskim. Rok-Dahn gave him no answer. With a flash, his hands swung out from his robes. A small glass vial filled with water sped toward Maskim’s face. He tried to catch it but he was too slow. The vial shattered on his forehead and its contents instantly began to sear his skin. He let out an agonized scream and tripped back over the table. A puff of vapor billowed into the tent and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Viridia watched Maskim writhe on the floor. The skin on his hands and his face burned away like a mirage as the illusion faded. Maskim’s true form was revealed. His blood red scales shimmered in the sun. A reptilian tail came out from between his legs. His hands sprouted sharp claws and he had the head of a dragon or serpent.

The soldiers surrounding them were awestruck. Some of them shouted in Cassian. “The Usum Gal!” Rok-Dahn and Viridia did not waste this moment of shock. Viridia wheeled around and darted toward the soldier that held their weapons. She grabbed her teacher’s hammer from his belt and tossed it to Rok-Dahn. The soldier dropped her spear and swiped at her with his shortsword. She ducked under his desperate slash, snatched her spear out of the air in the same motion, and struck him a deadly blow. She turned back around and saw that Rok-Dahn had already dispatched two more of the soldiers.

Maskim rolled onto his belly. He crawled on all fours, his tail slithering back and forth behind him. Drool flowed through the rows of sharp teeth lining his snout. There were five more guards still standing around the tent, their spears were raised, but not at the beast.

“Kill them!” Eshkar shouted. The soldiers charged the two Iudex. Viridia let out a furious cry and the tent erupted into the dance of battle. Rok-Dahn’s hammer twirled around in circles, crushing bones each time it landed. He prayed as he fought, reciting prophecies. The tip of Viridia’s spear flashed through the air like lightning. The Cassian soldiers were no match for the Iudex and were quickly slain.

 Maskim pounced at Viridia. She tried to catch him in the air with her spear but the spearhead scraped off his hardy scales. He knocked into her, sending her flying out from the tent and rolling across the sand. When she came to a stop she desperately scrambled to her knees. She had lost hold of her spear and it now lay a few feet away from her. She looked up at Maskim just in time to see the small orange light building at the back of his throat. Viridia threw herself back to the ground just as Maskim breathed out a ball of flame over her. She screamed as the robes on her back burned away and her skin was seared.

When the flames subsided she looked back up at her foe. Steam was rising from her helmet. Maskim chuckled briefly. He remembered the dwarf too late. Rok-Dahn’s hammer caught Maskim in the back of his skull and there was a mighty crack. The beast stumbled back from Rok-Dahn. Viridia got to her feet and picked up her spear from the sand. Before she could join her teacher’s side she saw Eshkar. He had risen from the fine rugs in the tent and was walking toward her across the sand with a grim look on his face. She turned to face him. Fury once again filled her heart. She let out another battle cry and charged him. 

Just before she ran him through, he swung his right arm and splintered the haft of her spear. His left hand shot out, grasping her by the throat.

“Ack!” hacked Viridia. Eshkar lifted her off her feet with one hand. She tried to break free from his hold but his arms were like wooden beams. Eshkar’s skin shimmered like a mirage as the illusion gave way to the red scales of a res draconum.

“Viridia!” shouted Rok-Dahn. While the dwarf looked to his student, Maskim shimmered and vanished from sight. Rok-Dahn swung wildly where his opponent had been but found nothing.

“Maskim slaughtered that caravan,” hissed Eshkar. “They would not sell their golden dragon to me, so I sent him to take it.” Viridia gasped for breath. She could feel his claws digging into the flesh of her neck. “He took their lives too,” Eshkar continued. “One of my favorite things to take. Usually, I take lives by taking slaves, but since you have shed so much blood today, I think I shall follow suit.”

Viridia looked to her master. He was struggling in the battle. Maskim’s steps still kicked up dust, revealing his location, but his attacks could not be seen. Rok-Dahn could not get to his student’s side. He was losing ground and receiving blows more often than he gave them.

“Look into my eyes, fool,” said Eshkar. “I want to see the life leave you.” His grasp tightened even further. Viridia tried to thrash at him but her strength was leaving her. Darkness gathered at the edge of her vision. She looked once more toward Rok-Dahn. Her teacher’s form was getting sloppy and he bled from several wounds. As their eyes met, time seemed to slow for a moment. He mouthed the words “Have faith.”

Viridia’s arms fell limply to her side. Her vision went dark. She thought of all the missed prayers over the last week. She thought of the hate and anger she had held in her heart for her God. She thought of the burning bodies they had found at the wreckage of the caravan, the people of a land she had sworn to protect. She realized that her own skill, her fury, and her rage had not been enough. She would die failing them. She reached out to the Voice and began what she thought might be her final prayer.

Sovereign Voice, remember me. Please, Lord, strengthen me just once more and let me with one blow take vengeance on the Cassians for the people of the caravan.

For a moment, the world remained dark. A terrible cold began to take her, but then, she felt a great warmth well up inside her. She opened her eyes and saw that the darkness at the edge of her vision was fading. Eshkar showed surprise and clamped down harder on her throat. The warmth she felt inside her became a scorching heat. She realized it was coming from the knife hidden beneath her robes at her side. Her right-hand dove into her robes and drew the blade. The bronze knife was glowing red hot and burning with flame.

Holy fire!

“Iudex!” shouted Eshkar. “You should all be dead!” 

Viridia slashed her burning blade across Eshkar’s chest. It cut deep across his torso, burning its way through his scales. He dropped her and fell to the ground. She wheezed and coughed violently for air. She recovered swiftly and stood back up to face the dying beast. He had been dealt a great wound, life was leaving him. 

“We had thought your kind was gone as well,” she said in between deep breaths. “We’ll make certain this time.”

Viridia plunged the fiery blade into her foe, finishing him. She looked for her master. He was lying on the ground. Maskim stood over the dwarf ready to deal a final blow. She darted towards them and slammed into Maskim. The two of them rolled across the sand slashing at one another. The beast’s claws wounded her several times, but their strikes were nothing compared to the searing cleaves of her flaming dagger. Their violent clash ended swiftly. Viridia left Maskim lying in the dust clutching the sand.

She limped over to Rok-Dahn. Both of them were wounded. They stared at each other for a moment catching their breath.

“They’re both dead?” asked her teacher.

“Yes,” she said. Rok-Dahn looked past her, to the horizon.

“Then we’ve kept our oath,” he said. “For the first time in years, we’ve kept our oath.” Viridia reached out a hand to her teacher. He took it and she helped him rise slowly to his feet. “There will be many more soldiers here soon,” said Rok-Dahn. “Probably too many. This may be our end.”

“This may be so,”  said Viridia. “But it is not certain.” A grim smile spread across the dwarf’s face. He slowly reached down to reclaim his hammer.

“Do you have enough of your fury left to fight again?” he asked.

“No,” said Viridia. “Only faith.”

PART TWO

Shame and Glory

Dust and sand were caught up in the abrasive winds of the Cassian desert, their sting was relentless. These winds had blown for eons, carving out canyons from the rock. Viridia headed toward such a canyon seeking cover from the wind as well as from the scorching sun overhead. She sought relief not only for herself but for her dying teacher whom she carried on her back. She was better equipped for the harsh environment than he was. Every inch of her skin was protected. She wore many robes and scarves about her body. She also wore a bronze helm that hid her face in shadow. Her teacher, Rok-Dahn, was more exposed. He had no head covering, his wild gray hair and long beard blew in the wind. Heavy as the old dwarf was for Viridia to carry, she could just barely manage it since they were both unburdened by the weight of water. There had been no time to take any while they had fought their way out of the Cassian camp. It seemed that the wounds she had been dealt during that battle were superficial. They had stopped bleeding a while ago and the blood on her robes had dried. The same could not be said for her teacher.

Even so, she knew she would only be able to press on for maybe another hour or so before she too collapsed. Viridia had endured a great deal for one day. She had not expected them to make it this far. She had expected a glorious death in the Cassian camp. Instead, they had survived the fighting and now they would die shamefully in the wilderness, like wounded animals.

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am the Voice,” she said aloud in a weak raspy voice. She was praying to her God in the way her teacher had taught her, reciting prophecies. “I will strengthen you,” she continued, “Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The shade cast by the canyon wall crept over Viridia and Rok-Dahn as she took them further down into its shelter. Rock formations rose from the sand all around them. The heat was less intense here, and so was the deafening sound of the wind. Her ears adjusted to the relative quiet. She scanned for signs of life. It would be difficult for her to see any threats hiding among the boulders and caves around them, but any sound made here was amplified as it bounced off the canyon wall. Her senses were sharp and she soon realized that she and her teacher were not alone.

Viridia stopped in her tracks. The sounds of her last few steps lingered throughout the valley until the echoes ceased. She waited in the stillness for what seemed like an eternity. There it was again. The sound of a stone getting brushed aside by a step.

An animal? She thought.

She heard the step again. This was no animal. There was the sound of sentience in those steps. 

I can’t run, she thought. Not with Rok-Dahn on my back.

Viridia balanced the dwarf so that she could check her equipment with her right hand. She adjusted her robes so that her knife could be more easily drawn. She checked her teacher’s belt and found his warhammer. She tried to grasp it but her hands were weak. It slipped from her fingers and crashed into the ground. The crash resounded throughout the entire valley. There would be no hiding.

I don’t have the strength to fight, she thought. Perhaps they will talk.

With a groan, Viridia went down to one knee and leaned Rok-Dahn against a nearby boulder. Her legs almost gave out on her as she rose back to her feet. She stumbled forward out into the open and tried to look strong.

“Who goes there?” she shouted. She was met only with silence. Then there was the sound of more steps.

There are quite a few of them, she thought. I must be cautious. We have many enemies and few friends in this desert.

“I said who goes there!” she shouted again.

“You can demand no knowledge from us!” a man’s voice shouted. “Tell us who you are and why you are here!”

“We are…travelers, from an Aquumian caravan,” she said.

“What wounded you?” said the unseen speaker. She could hear them all around her now, closing in.

“A foul beast attacked us,” said Viridia. “We are all that survived. Will you not help us?”

“You tell lies,” said the unseen speaker. “Some of the dwarf’s wounds were dealt by weapons.”

It was at this time that the speaker revealed himself. He stepped out from behind a large block of sandstone. He was covered head to toe in the same tan robes as Viridia. Many figures just like him appeared all around her. Spears were raised and bows were drawn. The blade of every weapon glinted red in the sun. They were made of Rakta Rayi, the sharpened “bloodstone” used by the orc tribes. There were twice as many animals as figures that stood around her. At least two kit foxes stood by the side of each warrior. These animals were tense. Viridia knew that with a single word, they could be made to bear down on her.

The Gray Orcs of the Fox! she thought.

“Yes!” she rasped. “I told lies. I thought you were enemies.  I thought you were scouts of the Imperium Malgiliri or Cassian slavers!”

“We may still be enemies,” said the leader of the orcs. “Having enemies in kind does not make us friends.”

“I am Viridia. This is my teacher Rok-Dahn,” she said. “A week ago we were saved by the chieftain Dolgurag, a respected kinsman of yours to the east of here.” 

The orcs looked at one another. The one who had been speaking whispered with another orc beside him. Those who wielded bows relaxed, but the spearman kept their weapons raised.

“Do you not know him?” asked Viridia desperately.

“We know Dolgurag well,” said the leader. “But we cannot be sure of what you say.”

Not saved then, she thought. They may leave us here.

“Perhaps,” she tried to swallow but her throat was too dry. “Perhaps if we cannot promise the favor of Dolgurag, we can win favor with you.”

“How?”

“We are mighty warriors,” she said. “We are Iudex of the Lex Legis. Our weapons are blessed by the Voice who protects us. Is there no enemy that burdens you? Is there no beast that hunts you in this desert? We will slay it!”

A murmur spread among the orcs. Viridia could not discern how warmly her plea had been received. She lamented that she had been made to beg.

Why? She thought to the Voice. Why have you brought us so low?

“Your God does not seem to have protected you well today,” called out the leader. Viridia thought for a moment before answering. 

“He has delivered us to you,” she said in a weak voice. Her head was aching with a dull throbbing pain. Her helmet felt like it was crushing her skull. She wanted badly to cast it off but she dared not reveal her face now.

“And the Voice has placed an ally of the Iudex among this tribe!” shouted another voice from among the orc archers. 

The speaker stepped out into the clearing. He pulled back the scarves wrapped around his head to show that he was not an orc, but a human. He had dark olive skin, and a scruffy black beard. He revealed a bronze brooch pin among his robes. It was a symbol that Viridia recognized. It depicted the north star, the symbol of the Navigators, another order that had once protected the kingdom of Aquum before its fall. 

“I’ve seen how Iudex fight with my own eyes,” said the man. “She can help us. I’ll vouch for her.” The orc who had been speaking for the tribe stepped out into the clearing and faced the man.

“You will vouch for her Aedus?” asked the orc.

“I’ll do more than that,” said Aedus. “I’ll guide her there.”

“We have lost too many fighters to spare you.”

“I’m not fighting the thing,” said Aedus. “I’ll only be navigating. I’ll be back before you know it.” Viridia had been listening to this with a glazed look in her eyes. She was feeling dizzy.

“What burdens you?” she asked weakly. The orc and the man turned to face her.

“I am Orinuuk,” said the orc. “I speak for this tribe since our chieftain was taken. Several days ago, we were found and attacked by the Imperium. They had with them a great sand troll. We lost many good fighters in the battle.”

“What do you ask of me?” asked Viridia. Her vision was getting blurry. She had to win them over quickly.

“Aedus,” Orinuuk motioned to the man. “Tracked them back to their camp. Aedus learned that several of our fighters still lived, among them was our chieftain Bagra. Perhaps they will execute them as a show of strength to the other orc tribes, or perhaps they intend to sell them as slaves to the Cassians. Either way, they are beyond our reach. Perhaps if you are such a great warrior you can do what we think to be impossible, defeat the troll, and save the prisoners.” 

Viridia thought for a moment. A battle against this enemy would likely be her last, but she could see no other way forward for herself and her teacher.

“I will do this. I will help you. Look after the dwarf until I return.”

“We have enough water to keep the dwarf for three days,” said Orinuuk. “We struggle to provide for our own elders and wounded. After three days, if you have not returned, he will be left to the desert. I wish these times were not so desperate,”

“Fair,” said Viridia in what was almost a whisper. She was starting to sway in the wind.

“Then we’re bound to each other,” said Aedus. “I’ll take her as soon as she’s ready.”

“Good,” said Virida. She finally released the desperate hold of her strength. She fell forward and was unconscious before her helmet crashed into the dust.

***

When Viridia awoke she was lying on her back. Her hands shot to her face and found that her helmet was still covering it.

“We never took it off,” said Aedus. 

Viridia breathed a little easier. She was lying on the floor of a cave. The air was cool.

“Is it because of your ancestry?” asked Aedus. Viridia turned to look at him. He was sitting on a rock beside her sharpening his dagger.

“If you never removed it then how could you know of my ancestry?”

“I was a Navigator,” said Aedus with a grin. “It was my job to pick up on these things.”

“Was?” she asked gloomily.

“The Order’s long gone. You knew that. No one to guide, no kingdom to represent. The gray orcs are my people now.”

“I…understand,” said Virdia. Aedus nodded.

“I think I know why you hide your face,” he said. “You were wise to do it. But you probably don’t need to keep it up. Most of these orcs don’t hate all of your people, just the ones who…” he paused as Viridia met his gaze. “I see,” he said.

“Where is Rok-Dahn?” asked Viridia.

“The dwarf? He’s safe. Still out like a light though. We closed his wounds. He’ll get just enough water to live until you return.”

“I want to see him,” she said. As she tried to sit up a wave of dizziness came over her and she had to wait a moment before trying to stand.

“You should stay down,” said Aedus. “You’ll be needing your strength tomorrow.”

“We are leaving today,” said Viridia. She grunted as she forced herself to her feet. “The Imperium could slay their prisoners at any moment. We have no time to waste.”

“Fine,” said Aedus. “This way.” 

He got up and walked toward the entrance of the cave. Viridia steadied herself on the wall for a few seconds before following after him. As she walked out into the day she saw that it was early morning. The sun had not fully risen and it wasn’t yet so insufferable to stand outside. They were still in the canyon. There were a few orc tents set up, but most of the orcs that Vridia could see seemed to be dwelling in caves along the canyon wall. She followed Aedus through the camp. They passed by orc women and children among the warriors. Few orcs walked without weapons about them. Even some of the children had at least a bloodstone dagger on their hips. Most of the orcs that Viridia passed were accompanied by a kit fox. All orcs had a way with taming beasts and gray orcs especially liked foxes.

Eventually, Aedus came to a stop outside one of the cave dwellings. He motioned inside. Viridia entered. She soon found her teacher Rok-Dahn. He was lying among several old and wounded orcs. He looked as if he might be dead. She knelt down beside him and checked to see if he was still breathing. He was, but very softly. Viridia grasped his hand firmly and recited a quick prayer of protection under her breath. She took one final moment to look upon him for what she thought might be the last time.

“Take care teacher,” she said with despair in her voice before walking back out of the cave. Aedus and the orc Orinuuk were waiting for her.

“Like I said,” said Aedus. “He’s alive. They’ll keep him that way as long as they can.”

“When will you be leaving?” asked Orinuuk.

“As soon as I have a spear and some water,” said Viridia.

“You will not be resting any longer?” asked Orinuuk in surprise.

“There is little time,” said Viridia. “It is already an impossible task, let us not make the way harder.” Orinuuk nodded and a grin spread across his face.

“You show spirit Iudex,” said the orc. “Take my spear.” The orc held out his bloodstone spear with both hands. Viridia paused and then took it very gently. The red volcanic glass of the Rakta Rayi  shimmered in the sun like obsidian as she turned it.

“I am honored,” she said.

“I’ve already packed enough water for the both of us,” said Aedus.

“Very well then Navigator,” she said. Aedus straightened up a bit at the mention of his former title. Viridia took a moment to remember the ancient words. 

“Duce Ad Tutius Cras,” she said.

“A safer tomorrow?” chuckled Aedus. “Not likely.”

***

By the time the sun reached its zenith Viridia and Aedus had left the canyon far behind them. They made excellent progress in their travels. Aedus knew where to tread. He knew how to avoid troublesome brush and how to scale and descend mighty dunes with great speed. They traveled for five hours before resting. They took cover from the sun in the shade of the skull of a mighty dragon. The beast had been gargantuan. Its skull alone was as tall as a great tower. Viridia and Aedus would have been like ants in the beast’s wake. For a while Viridia and Aedus ate and drank in contemplative silence.

“How much farther?” she asked. Aedus held up a finger while he finished chewing. He swallowed.

“The Imperium soldiers that have our chieftain are quartered in a Cassian settlement not far from here,” he said. “We’ll be there by sundown.”

“How many of them will we be facing?”

“You’ll have to deal with at least thirty men and a sand troll,” said Aedus. Viridia’s face was hidden beneath her helm but she cocked her head in a sufficiently questioning manner. Aedus responded, “I’m just getting you there. You saw how many children, wounded, and elderly our tribe has. We’ve lost too many of our fighters to risk losing me. This is your fight.”

“I cannot call upon your honor as a Navigator?” she asked.

“Honor!” chuckled Aedus. “Honor was a thing of the Iudex or the Orators. Navigators just got the job done.” There was a break in their conversation and for a few minutes, the only sound was the whistling of the wind through the dragon’s skull.

“Do you know of any more surviving Iudex?” asked Aedus. “Are you and the dwarf, it?”

“We may be,” she said with a sigh. “There were several more in a hidden stronghold on the edge of the Cassian desert. The Imperium found us a week ago. Rok-Dahn and I are the only two I can be certain escaped.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Aedus.

“Thank you,” she said. “Perhaps you cannot help me in the battle, but can you promise to do what you can for Rok-Dahn? I know the tribe is desperate but even if I should fail, he must live!”

“If you should fail it won’t just be Rok-Dahn who dies,” said Aedus. “The survival of the orc tribe, my tribe, is hanging by a thread. The loss of our chieftain was a great blow. Bagra is a wise leader and she is like a mother to many of us. I’m helping you because I believe you are our only chance of getting her back! I hope you care about saving us too.”

“Yes,” said Viridia. “You’re right, I am sorry.”

“Why just him and not you?” asked Aedus.

“What?”

“Why must only Rok-Dahn live? Why do you throw your life away?”

“He has lived for more than two centuries,” she said. “There are so many of our scriptures and prophecies that he has memorized, whose scrolls have been lost or burned. That knowledge would die with him.”

“Still,” said Aedus. “Your death would not also be a loss? One of the last two Iudex?”

Viridia turned to face the desert. She thought for a long time before answering him.

“I am not certain the Voice has any great plans for me,” she said. “When I first became a Iudex I thought the Voice would soon restore us. But it has not been so. We have only fallen farther. If Rok-Dahn lives our order may rise again one day. As for me…I have never seen our days of glory. Perhaps I never will. Perhaps I have lived too shamefully to be worthy of seeing them.”

“That’s pretty grim,” said Aedus. “I’d expected the Voice’s chosen to have a little more hope.”

Viridia recalled a prophecy she had learned from Rok-Dahn. She spoke without turning.

“‘But Aquum shall be saved by the Voice with an everlasting salvation: you shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.’”

She turned back to meet Aedus’ gaze.

“I will do all that I can for your kinsmen,” she said. “Please promise me you’ll do the same for Rok-Dahn.”

“I’ll do what I can for him,” said Aedus. “But I make no promises.”

“Very well,” said Viridia, her voice full of sorrow. She shouldered her pack and rose to her feet. “Let’s keep moving.”

***

The Imperium’s soldiers were stationed at a small Cassian settlement named Kisurra. On a dune to the east of Kisurra, an ancient tower of pure white stone loomed. It was a ruin of the Auditorum empire. No one alive remembered how the old empire had fallen. The tower had resisted eons of the desert’s cutting winds. The sun had set over the Cassian desert and the white stone shone in the light of the moon. Presently, Aedus and Viridia used the tower as cover from which to look over the forces of the Imperium.

Most of the soldiers were living in tents on the south side of the town. On the edge of the Imperium camp, there were four wooden cages where the orc prisoners were kept. It was clear that during the day the cages offered no shade and the prisoners were made to burn in the sun. Not too far from where the cages were, loomed the bulk of the troll. Viridia might not have noticed it if Aedus had not pointed it out to her. Much of the troll was made of sandstone. In the dark of the night, it looked almost like a rock formation. Only the subtle movement of the troll’s breathing gave away the fact that it was alive. There was a large carapace strapped to its back that a soldier could ride on. Virdia was sure this was one of the largest trolls she had ever seen.

Its mind must have broken long ago, she thought. I wonder what its name was.

“Looks like they haven’t added to their number,” said Aedus. “Still, thirty Imperium fighters will be difficult to overcome. What’s your plan?”

Viridia thought in silence for a few minutes. She turned over various ways forward in her mind, few of them seemed wise.

“Would it be enough just to get the prisoners to this tower?” she asked. “Could you get them home from here?”

“Some of the orcs might be injured. If the Imperium was close behind they would soon cut us all down.”

“What if someone was holding them back, buying you time?” asked Viridia. Aedus met her gaze.

“Maybe,” he said. “That might do it.”

“Would that be enough for the tribe to protect Rok-Dahn?” she asked. “Would it be enough for you to tell them of what I did?”

“Yes…that would be enough.”

“Very well,” said Viridia as she readied herself for battle. “It seems that Orinuuk will not reclaim his spear.”

“He’ll be glad to know it was put to good use,” said Aedus. “Good luck.”

Without another word, Viridia was off. She swiftly descended the tower. As she crept through the dark sands toward the Imperium camp she slung her spear across her back and drew her dagger. 

It seemed to her that she was able to pass through the clearing between the tower and the town while remaining unseen. She took a deep breath and stepped into the camp. Two guards stood between her and the first cage where the orcs were kept. The imperium soldiers wore purple tunics under black splinted-iron armor. Like Viridia, they hid their faces. Their black iron helmets contained bronze masks shaped like human skulls.

She waited until they had their backs to her before creeping up behind the closest soldier. She had to be quiet. If she was swarmed with enemies before the orcs were free then it would all be for nothing. In one motion, she came up behind the soldier, thrust her left hand under the skull mask, and grabbed the soldier by the mouth. He was unable to shout as she wrestled him to the ground and quickly dispatched him with her dagger. The second guard heard the scuffle, but he turned too late to dodge the spear that was already sailing through the air. It caught him in the chest and he collapsed into the dust. 

As Viridia retrieved her spear she heard a weak groan a little ways behind her. She turned to see that a third guard had stepped out from a tent and spotted her, but before he cried out several arrows struck him. Viridia looked across the clearing toward the Auditorum tower just in time to see Aedus ducking back behind the tower’s parapet. She grinned beneath her helm and then quickly got back to work.

The brief skirmish had been enough to wake some of the gray orcs. The ones who still slumbered were quickly stirred. Viridia approached the first of the four cages.

“Where is your chieftain Bagra?” she whispered. The orcs pointed to the fourth cage. Viridia closed her eyes and drew her dagger. She thought of the heat and power she felt during her battle with Eshkar. 

Lend me your strength again, she prayed. I believe it is your will that these orcs go free.

As soon as she opened her eyes her dagger flared up. The long bronze blade of the dagger glowed white hot and flame spouted out from it. As Viridia passed each cage she cleaved through the iron locks with her dagger. When she came to the last cage she saw that there was only one orc in it. The orc was sitting up straight but did not react to Viridia’s presence. Viridia knew her to be an orc chieftain by the markings on her robes.

“Chieftain, we must leave now,” said Viridia. “Aedus waits for you at the white tower.”

“You must leave without me,” said Bagra. “I will only be a burden to the others.”

“What do you mean…” Viridia saw Bagra’s leg as the orc turned around. The leg was covered in blood-soaked robes.

“It is wounded,” said Bagra. “The wound has festered for many days. I cannot walk and they will have to run.” As Bagra said this, Viridia could hear the sounds of soldiers rousing throughout the camp. They didn’t have long. Viridia knelt down beside the chieftain and placed a hand on her leg. She began to pray.

Exalted Voice, I have heard of days when your Iudex could heal such wounds in an instant. Please lend me that strength now.

Then Viridia began to speak scriptures aloud. As she did her hand glowed with a radiant light. It shone brightly in the dark.

“Those who plunder you shall become plunder,” she said. “And all who prey upon you I will make prey. For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds, so says the Voice.” As Viridia spoke Bagra’s eyes widened. The orc chieftain rose to her feet. She shifted her weight back and forth and her face was full of astonishment.

“It is as if it was never wounded!” exclaimed Bagra inspecting her leg. “Who are you who heals in such a way?”
Viridia stood up. She could feel that healing had come over her body as well. The aches and pains of the last few days of relentless travel were gone. She no longer felt the wounds she gained during her battle with Eshkar. For a moment Bagra’s astonishment filled her heart with pride, something she had not felt in many years.

“I am a Iudex of the Lex Legis. A servant of the Voice,” said Viridia. “The glory of this healing light is his.” 

She left the cage. Most of the orcs had already fled, but two had stayed behind to help their chieftain. Viridia gave them a nod as she passed them. A mass of Imperium soldiers were now out of their tents and into their armor. Bagra rallied the last of the gray orcs and fled into the desert behind Viridia. Before Viridia, there were over a dozen Imperium soldiers. Their shortswords and spears were drawn. The moonlight reflected off their bronze skull masks. Viridia held her long fiery dagger in her left hand and Orinuuk’s bloodstone spear in her right. She felt fresh. She charged.

As soon as she clashed with the enemy she could tell that these were mighty foes. They were far more disciplined than the soldiers in the Cassian camp. Though they were many, they attacked as one. Every time Viridia engaged with them her life balanced on the edge of a knife. She worked her way through the horde of foes. The tips of their weapons were like drops of rain. Viridia attacked from a distance with her spear to hold them back, then when an opening appeared she would close in and cleave with her flaming dagger. Even a single strike from the dagger could melt through iron armor and send a man to his grave. Still, each time she attacked she received a few cuts of her own.

Eventually, there was a brief break in the fighting. Six imperium soldiers lay dead and a few more were wounded. Viridia had been dealt many wounds but she stood tall, seemingly unfazed. The combatants caught their breath. Clouds of condensation puffed through their skull masks in the cool night air. By this time the whole camp was awake. Dozens of soldiers were surrounding Viridia.

“Behold, the whirlwind of the Voice goes forth with fury!” She shouted. “A continuing whirlwind; It will fall violently on the head of the wicked!”

Though she was outnumbered, the soldiers were wary. The guards in the Cassian camp had charged recklessly at Viridia with religious zeal. These soldiers kept their distance when they could. It had been their fathers who had conquered this land, back when the Iudex were plentiful and every one of their blades was blessed with holy fire. The men who Viridia fought now had been told stories of those battles since they were young. They were finding out that those stories had been true.

“Stay back from her!” shouted a voice from the dark. The soldiers surrounding Viridia obeyed the order and slowly backed off. The mass of enemies parted and Virdia could see the speaker. She could tell that he was an officer by the red cape he wore and by his helm. His skull mask was made of gold and a purple plume crested his helmet. He walked with a slight limp toward the sand troll. As he approached it the troll stirred, but it could not stand for it was tied down.

“You speak of your Voice’s fury,’ said the officer. He spoke with a gravelly voice that showed his age. “I have seen many of your order die calling out for their Voice. He is a weak God and he has brought you here to fall.”

The officer climbed up the sand troll. He seated himself in the carapace strapped to the troll’s back and cut two of the ropes that held the troll down. The soldiers around Viridia rushed back much farther than before. They were giving her and the troll a wide berth.

They must not be able to control it very well, she thought.

“Stay back men,” said the officer. “She will slay no more of us.”

Sand poured off of the troll as it rose creating a billowing cloud. Viridia coughed as the dust and sand blew over her. When the cloud cleared the troll towered over Viridia. The troll’s eyes were focused on her. It had metal hooks in its mouth attached to leather straps held by the Imperium officer. He used these straps to direct the beast.

If I could just grab hold of those straps, she thought.

 Viridia charged first. She slashed at the beast with her spear in an attempt to keep it at a safe distance. She struggled to find flesh between the segments of natural stone armor. The officer pulled one of his straps and the troll swung at Viridia with a fist the size of a horse. She tried to dive out of the way, but the troll’s fist caught her legs, sending her tumbling across the sand.

Viridia shot back to her feet just in time to avoid being flattened by the troll. She could feel that one of her legs was injured. Every movement shot intense pain up her thigh, but she couldn’t afford to stay still. She rolled and dived away from the troll, slashing at it with her spear. Each step the troll took shook the ground. All around her, the skull masks of the soldiers glared at her. She expected them to jeer but they watched her in silence.

Keeping her distance wasn’t working. She started trying to strike her foe with the dagger. This required getting closer and taking more risks. Eventually, she saw an opening. She ducked under the troll and landed a slash on either leg. Each strike from her burning dagger cleaved through the rocky armor and tore into the flesh of the beast. It let out a mighty roar, then without command from the officer, it lashed out with its fist. Viridia was too close to doge. It struck her directly, sending her soaring through the air over the circle of soldiers. The leather strap holding her helmet to her head snapped and it went flying off in another direction. Viridia’s landing was softened somewhat as she fell into a tent, which then collapsed around her.

Viridia lay sprawled across the ground coughing up blood. She had lost hold of her weapons and could feel that she was deeply wounded. She could hear the Imperium officer cackling and the thuds of the troll’s steps as it slowly approached.

This will be my end, she thought. Bagra and the orcs escaped. Aedus will guide them home.

Viridia brought herself up to her knees. She closed her eyes and waited for death.

Rok-Dahn will live, she thought. The orc tribe will survive and the Iudex may live on. It is no great loss that I alone will perish.

NO

It was not something she heard so much as it was felt. The word reverberated through her very bones, convicting her that what she had just thought was wrong. Her eyes shot open. It was then she noticed the flame. The tent was burning all around her and the air was filled with smoke. She had lost hold of the dagger but it still burned. She found it among the flaming ruins of the tent and took hold of it. Its blade glowed hotter than it had before. Rok-Dahn’s survival had been secured and yet the Voice still blessed her blade with holy fire.

“This is for me!” she gasped. “That I may live!”

She looked around and found the orc spear. As soon as she took it up in her left hand its spearpoint also burst into flame. She slowly rose to her feet. The fire of the burning tent was all around her casting light on the green leathery skin of her exposed face. Her bronze-tipped tusks glinted in the light of the flame. The troll was only ten feet away from her now. The officer peered over the top of the beast.

“An orc!” he said. “An orc Iudex? Why are you helping the gray orcs? Where is your tribe greenskin?”

“My tribe is far from this place,” she said. “but the Voice is very near.”

It was then that she saw Aedus sneaking up behind the troll. He had come back for her. She cried out in righteous fury and charged the troll. Every step was excruciating. Her leg was gravely injured. Still, she was able to duck under a swipe from the beast. Once she was close she slashed the beast several times with her blazing weapons. They found their marks and dealt severe blows to its rocky hide. The troll roared and started to thrash about at random. The officer on top struggled to control the beast.

Aedus aimed and let loose several arrows at the officer. He put one into a place his armor didn’t cover and the officer fell from the carapace. After that Aedus rushed forward, lept into the air, and pulled on one of the hanging leather straps attached to the hooks in the troll’s mouth. This caused the troll to wheel around and begin thrashing at the mass of Imperium soldiers. Aedus rushed through the chaos toward Viridia. 

“We’ve gotta leave now!”

Viridia nodded and turned to run with him but nearly collapsed. Her injuries were growing more severe and she could no longer stand on her own. Aedus returned to her side and helped her to her feet. He let her lean on him as they limped toward the desert. Most of the Imperium forces were preoccupied with combatting the sand troll and fighting the fire which was spreading throughout the tents of the camp. Only a few soldiers took notice of Aedus and Viridia. These men were quickly dispatched.

“Why did you come back?” she asked. “How will Bagra return?”

“I told them to meet us at the dragon skull,” said Aedus. “I wouldn’t’ve stepped in if I didn’t think you would win.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “You may not think so, but I thought you deserved to get out of this too.”

Once they had put a few dunes between themselves and the camp Aedus noticed Viridia’s face was exposed.

“Well there’s no hiding your ancestry now,” he said. “I don’t envy you breaking the news to Bagra that she was saved by one of your kind.”

“I am what I am,” said Viridia. “Let Bagra say what she will say. I will live in shame no longer.”

Behind them, deep in the camp, among the chaos, Viridia’s helmet lay half buried in the sand. Eventually, the bronze helm was trampled and flattened by the rampaging troll.

PART THREE

Truth and Justice

The armies of two tyrants met on an open plain in the lands of Cassia. They met under the sun of a new dawn, a sun that had erased the bitter cold of the night from the desert, and a sun that brought forth the relentless heat of the day. These were the armies of Cassia and of the Imperium Malgiliri. Between them stood their leaders, the Cassian lord Shakir and the Imperium officer Golyath.

The Cassian lord was a short man. He had dark olive skin and a trim black goatee. He wore magnificent blood-red robes. He had a shrewd cold-blooded look in his eye. His calculating gaze searched the sand as he spoke as if he always expected to find an enemy hiding over the next dune.

The Imperium officer stood over nine feet tall. He was not a man, but a giant, a Nephilim. His armor had been made to accommodate his size and so had his weapons. There was a calmness about him that came from the knowledge that he could kill whoever he was speaking with.

“Our prey continues to elude my scouts,” said the giant.

“We caught one last night,” said the Cassian, Shakir. “An orc.”

“Really? Bring them out now.” 

Shakir loathed that it was not a request. The giant Golyath had never once addressed him with his proper title. Still, he obliged and motioned to his men. A single gray-skinned orc was dragged out from the tents of the Cassian slavers. The orc wore nothing but blood-stained rags and he showed many signs of torture.

“Ah,” said the giant dismissively. “This is not the one we hunt. The Iudex is said to be a woman and a greenskin orc.”

“Yes I know,” said the Cassian sharply.  “But she fought your detachment to rescue gray orcs. This is one of them.” The Cassian turned over the orc’s arm. “His forearm bears the brand of Malgiliri.”

“Ah,” said Golyath. “Have you broken him yet? Has he told you where his tribe is hiding?”

“Not yet.”

“Let my people have him then, our torturers do not fail.”

“Very well,” said the Cassian lord, biting his tongue.

“There is another prisoner you should know about,” said the giant. “We caught this one nearly two weeks ago. I believe he is also Iudex, perhaps an ally to our prey.” 

As Golyath said this he gave a signal to his men and a figure was dragged out from the mass of Imperium soldiers. He was a human. It was clear that he too had been tortured, though he was farther along in the process.

“With your prisoner, we will find our prey. With our prisoner, we will draw her out.”

“The sooner the Iudex who defied our rule is slain the better!” said the Cassian. 

The Nephilim eyed the Cassian sharply at the mention of “our rule.” He had a distinct feeling that the Cassian snake told lies or half-truths each time he spoke. He didn’t like trusting the Cassians but he needed the men. The only thing he trusted him on was their mutual need for this Iudex to be dealt with.

Unbeknownst to either of them the Iudex they spoke of watched them now. Far off from the two armies, Viridia and Aedus lay atop the crest of a dune. She clenched her hands in fists of rage, for she recognized the man the giant had brought out.

“Iullus,” she said under her breath. She started to bring herself to her feet but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“You know that man?” asked Aedus.

“He is a hero of my order,” she said. “A Iudex like me. He does not deserve to be left to those brutes!”

“There’s nothing you can do for him now.”

“He cannot be left behind!” said Viridia.

“I know how you feel Viridia!” said Aedus. “That orc down there is named Makki. He is a good fighter and a friend of mine for many years. But he’s as good as dead now. So are we if we face the enemy alone! The ones we can still save are back at the canyon!”

“Yes…yes you speak truth,” she said. She looked longingly at the man known as Iullus while they dragged him back among the Imperium tents.

 “The canyon…we must get back to the tribe,” she said.

“I just hope that Bagra and the others haven’t been caught with all these patrols about,” said Aedus.

“She hasn’t…she is closer to the canyon than us.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“They would have brought her out if they had her.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he said. “She may very well be there already. She doesn’t have to drag you around.” Aedus stood up and helped Viridia to her feet. Viridia’s leg was badly injured after her battle with the troll. It pained her to walk. It had significantly slowed the two of them down.

“If I am such a burden why do you not leave me?” said Viridia with a smirk.

“I don’t know,” said Aedus with a chuckle. “Maybe the desert heat is keeping me from thinking clearly. Maybe I wanna see you explain to Bagra that a greenskin orc saved her hide.”

The two of them slowly backed down the dune. As soon as Aedus turned from Viridia and started taking the lead her smile faded. Ever since she had cast off her helmet and heard the Voice speak she had been thinking more clearly. It felt as if some wisdom of the Voice lingered in her heart, like reverberations. She wished nothing more than to charge down onto the plain and spill the blood of Iullus’ captors. But she sensed that this was not the Voice’s will. Strangely, she felt that the path to saving Iullus led back to the canyon. There were still many things that were unclear to Viridia. But she suspected she knew why the Voice was leading her down this path. She was going to have to convince the Gray Orcs of the Fox to stand and fight.

***

The Gray Orcs of the Fox prepared to flee. There was not much to pack. Orcs tended to travel light. The tribe set about storing their belongings on the backs of their camels or in sacks tied around the necks of their foxes. The greatest problem the tribe faced was that they were burdened with too many wounded and elderly. The chieftain Bagra sat in one of the highest caves along the canyon wall. Her scouts had drawn a map in the sand for her. They had done their best to predict the patrols of the enemy. There were so many. Next to the map, there were a handful of captured Cassian flags. If they flew them they might be able to avoid the enemy for a time, as long as they didn’t get too close. It seemed unlikely to Bagra that they could completely escape those that hunted them now. For many hours she had been considering a grim alternative, leaving some orcs behind. She had yet to choose a single name when Orinuuk entered the cave. She could tell that he was uneasy.

“What troubles you?”

“The Iudex Viridia approaches the canyon,” said Orinuuk.

“Is Aedus with her?”

“Yes.”

“Then this is good news,” she said.

“It is not so simple,” said Orinuuk. “You need to come and see it yourself.”

Bagra and Orinuuk stepped through the entrance of the cave just in time to see Viridia and Aedus enter the canyon. Every orc turned and saw them. Viridia no longer wore her helm. Her skin was as green as a blade of grass. As each gray orc saw her, a palpable feeling of tension settled over the camp. The work of every orc ceased. Bagra let out a weary sigh before she and Orinuuk descended the canyon wall to meet the Iudex. Aedus was helping Viridia to walk but as they drew near the tribe she pushed off him. The last time she entered this canyon she had tried to hide her injuries. She had tried to look strong. Now her limp was obvious to every orc. She wanted them to see that she was hurting.

I must choose my words carefully, she thought. There will be no second chance to win them over.

“Has your chieftain returned safely?” asked Viridia. The echo of her voice bounced off the high canyon walls. Her words were heard clearly by all in the canyon. The tension subsided ever so slightly as the tribe was reminded of what Viridia had done for them.

“Yes she has greenskin,” said Orinuuk as he and Bagra pushed their way to the front of the crowd.

They will not less this pass easily.

“Yes,” said Viridia. “I will hide the truth of things no longer. I am what I am. I am a greenskin orc, a daughter of Baramorr.”

“Of what tribe?” asked Bagra sternly. Viridia met her gaze.

“I was born among the humans of Aquum,” she said. “Though I did choose to live among my kind for a time, the Green Orcs of the Boar.”

“The Boar!” gasped Orinuuk. It felt as if the whole tribe reeled back at this revelation.

“You lived among murderers and savages, Iudex!” said Orinuuk.

“Do you know of the strife between the Boar and the Fox?” asked Bagra.

“Yes, I know what they did to your people,” said Viridia.

The chieftain of the gray orcs walked past her kinsman and into the opening between Viridia and the tribe. Orinuuk followed closely behind, never leaving the side of his chieftain.

“It bodes poorly for something this great to be shrouded from us, Viridia,” said Bagra. “The Green Orcs of the Boar have long been our enemy. It is because of them that our people have been made to wallow in this desolate place.”

“No,” said Viridia.

“No?” questioned Bagra.

“You are not in this place because any enemy made you,” she said. “The Gray Orcs of the Fox have long been hounded by great enemies, the tribe of the Boar, Cassian slavers, and now the Imperium. But you are in this place because this is where your people are strongest. Many have tried to annihilate your people, but in this desert, none have succeeded! The Cassian desert swallows up great armies, but in it, the Gray Orcs of the Fox strike where they please!”

The chieftain knew her people well. She could feel their hearts beginning to swell with pride. Bagra could only guess what this Iudex wanted from them.

“Perhaps,” said Bagra. “But today it would please me not to strike. Today our tribe is weakened by many lost battles. Today we must flee.”

“Our people did not always have to flee.”

“Our people?” scoffed Orinuuk.

“The orc tribes were not always divided!” said Viridia. “When they fought as one they dominated the lands of Aquum!”

“Enough,” said Bagra. “Speak plainly. What is it you seek from us?”

“The hunting parties of the Cassians and the Imperium have joined. They draw near even now,” called out Viridia.

“She’s right,” said Aedus. “I’ve seen them myself. We’ve all left too many tracks for their scouts to miss us. They might arrive within the day.”

“With as many wounded as you have, how can you hope to outrun them?” asked Viridia.

Bagra leaned in close.

“We cannot,” whispered Bagra. “The Fox will chew off its leg to escape the trap of the hunter. Today we will have to leave some of our own behind.”

Viridia noticed Orinuuk’s fists clench.

“Stand and fight,” whispered Viridia. “Do not let your enemies slaughter even more of you. Leave me but twenty fighting orcs and we will make our enemies prey.”

“We may have but twenty fighting orcs in our whole tribe. Even if you were to outmatch those who hunt us, what would it achieve? The Imperium will only send more men.”

“Twenty orcs that overcame the Imperium would be twenty orcs other orcs might join,” said Viridia. “How many other tribes are there in this desert alone? The time for mere survival is over! It is time to take back this land!”

Viridia could see her words beginning to sway Bagra and Orinuuk. Orinuuk  no longer looked at her with the hate he had before. Viridia turned once again to the tribe.

“Cassia and Malgiliri together are a great threat. But there is a weakness in their union. The Imperium thinks Cassia to be just another conquered province, but Cassia will never be satisfied serving. They both know this. They both know that someday they must hunt each other. Their men will march against us while standing alongside enemies.”

Viridia looked over the faces of the tribe. They were the faces of bitter people, survivors. They had seen many defeats and years of hardship. It took a great deal of pride to make a life in this desert. She saw herself in their eyes. Then her eye was drawn by a movement at the back of the crowd. There stood Rok-Dahn. The old dwarf moved slowly and with the use of a walking stick, but he was alive. The sight of her teacher filled her like a breath of fresh air. She decided now was the time for the final push.

“I know that I am asking much of you,” she said. “But this is a chance to strike back against our enemies! To take something from those who have taken so much from us! It is a leap of faith, but the Voice has been rewarding leaps of faith in recent days.”

“We do not worship your Voice here,” said Orinuuk.

“The Voice healed Bagra’s leg!” said Aedus. “She wouldn’t have made it home without that miracle.”

“Yes! And there may be more miracles!” shouted Viridia. “I believe the Voice is with us. I believe we will see many wonders like these:”

Viridia shut her eyes and prayed. She touched her hand to her injured leg to heal it like she had with Bagra. But there was no light and she was not healed. Viridia opened her eyes and stared at her leg in confusion. A few silent moments passed before the crowd realized that Viridia had expected something that had not come to pass.

“I am sorry Viridia,” said Bagra. “We owe a great debt to you, you are welcome to travel with us, which is no small thing for me to offer an orc of the boar, but I will not risk my tribe in this way. It would take a miracle indeed for the fox to overcome the Imperium.”

Bagra turned and walked back the way she had come. The orcs slowly went back to their duties. The crowd dispersed. Orinuuk remained. Viridia looked at him. She drew the bloodstone spear that he had given to her a few days prior. She held it out to him with two hands.

“This is yours,” she said.

“Did you put it to good use?” he asked.

“I killed a few.”

“At least nine dead, by my count,” said Aedus.

“Impressive,” said Orinuuk. “Keep it, you’re going to need it.”

***

A short while later Viridia and her teacher were reunited in the shade of a cave. She took the old dwarf up in a fierce embrace. At first, Rok-Dahn was taken off guard by the intensity of the gesture but he soon returned the embrace in kind.

“I feared you might perish before I returned,” said Viridia.

“It seems the Voice may still have some use for me,” said the dwarf. “I’m glad to see you’re alright as well. I’ve heard strange tales from the orcs you rescued.”

“Yes,” said Viridia. “The Voice is working wonders through the Iudex again.”

“Amazing,” he said. “I can see that you’ve come far these past few days. I’m proud of you, Viridia.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

Viridia leaned back against the wall of the cave. She let herself relax for a brief moment.

“I hear that you haven’t yet slayed enough of the Imperium and you’re wanting more,” he said. “How can I help?”

“I am no longer sure,” she said, placing a hand on her forehead. “It seemed so clear to me that we needed to stand and fight, but there are too many for me to face alone.”

“Well for one, you won’t be alone,” said Rok-Dahn. “I’ll be there, and if you’re truly following where the Voice is leading you, then he’ll be there too.”

“Rok-Dahn…you are in no condition to fight.”

“I didn’t say I would be at the front. There’s something I’m going to try. But Viridia, for years you had no notion of what the will of the Voice was in your life. Now you know where he calls you. You have to have the faith to follow.”

“You have not seen the great number of the enemy that is coming.”

“I have lived for over two hundred years. I have seen many great armies. I have seen great armies succeed, and I have seen them fall,” the dwarf paused as he recalled an old scripture. “Viridia, you must prepare yourself for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Voice.”

Viridia let out a long sigh before picking herself up.

“You speak truth,” she said. “I know what I must do, but If we hope to see tomorrow then the Voice had better send a miracle…a big one.”

***

The armies of Cassia and Malgilri kicked up a great cloud of dust behind them as they raced across the desert. They were rapidly approaching the canyon of the gray orcs but the entrance was not yet in view. The Nephilim, Golyath rode in a massive chariot drawn by four horses. The Cassian lord Shakir rode on the back of a camel. Another Cassian came up beside him and said something in his ear. Shakir barked an order at him and the man rode off.

“Report,” said the Nephilim.

“Typically I am addressed as my lord or Sire, especially when something is asked of me.”

“Interesting,” said the Nephilim.

Curse him! thought Shakir.

“My scout says that there are tracks all around this canyon. They have yet to lay eyes on the tribe but they have sighted one figure standing at the entrance.”

“Is it our prey?”

“She is wearing the right robes, and she is a greenskin.”

“Ah,” said the giant. “Promising.”

Before long their destination came into view. There stood a lone figure. It was Viridia. She was facing her approaching enemy, her scarves and robes blowing furiously in the wind. Her spear was slung over her shoulder and her dagger was drawn. As she waited, another figure stepped out of the canyon and walked up beside her.

“I thought you would be with your people,” said Viridia.

“They’ll be fine,” said Aedus. “I’m needed here more.”

“You may not see them again,” said Viridia.

“I said before that I wouldn’t have come back for you if I didn’t think you could win,” said Aedus resolutely. He looked over the forces of the enemy. They were getting close. There may have been as many as thirty soldiers of the Imperium in those chariots and no less than forty Cassians.

“So…uh,” Aedus continued. “What are you going to do?”

“I only know what I am going to try,” said Viridia. She placed her hand on her injured leg and tried to heal it again. Nothing changed.

Very well, she thought. Not yet, a little more faith.

The sound of the charging enemy calvary was almost deafening now. The soldiers began to cry out for their horses and camels to halt. The line of troops stopped nearly sixty feet away from where Viridia and Aedus stood. A single chariot rode out ahead of the Imperium line. It was Golyath. His purple tunic blew in the wind. His iron armor was thick.

“Are you Iudex?” he called out to Viridia.

“Yes, I am. I am the same one that slew the Cassian lord Eshkar. I am the same one who fought against the sand troll.”

“Then I believe you shall recognize this man.” he signaled to his men and a few soldiers dragged out the beaten and battered Iullus. Viridia’s heart raced at the sight of her old friend, but she held back the rage. She appeared unfazed.

“For whatever it’s worth,” said the giant. “your friend may recognize this one.”

The captured gray orc was also dragged out.

“Makki,” growled Aedus.

“Surrender yourselves peacefully or I’ll have each of these men killed where they stand.” 

As the giant said this the soldiers standing on either side of the prisoners drew their shortswords and held them against the prisoners’ throats.

“Viridia…” Iullus called out in a weak voice. “Why have you come? Now we’ll all die”

“Iullus! Shouted Viridia. “Have faith!”

“Submit now or he dies!” screamed Shakir.

Have faith, she thought. There is no way forward without the will of the Voice.

Viridia reached down with her left hand to try and heal her leg one last time. Several moments of silent terror passed as nothing happened, but then…a warmth, a warmth like she had felt during her battle with Eshkar. The warmth started in her hand and then it spread through her whole body. She opened her eyes and looked down to see her hand radiating light. Her leg had been healed, and she knew that soon she would have to run.

A mighty wind came from behind Viridia and blasted past her. It roared. It kicked up dust and sand so that every man had to raise a hand over his eyes. Moments ago the heat of the desert had been sweltering, but with this wind came a refreshing coolness in the air. Viridia saw that a shadow was sweeping across the battlefield. She turned to look behind her and saw massive black storm clouds billowing across the sky. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed. The clouds moved faster than she had ever seen clouds move before, and she had never seen clouds like these in Cassia.

Far above them all, atop the canyon wall, Rok-Dahn prayed and held his walking stick over his head.

“Rain,” he said.

The heavens opened up over the canyon. These lands had been a dry and desolate place for centuries, now they were being drenched by rainfall. The rain came down in waves so thick that Viridia could no longer see the line of soldiers. Then there was a flash of lightning and the kneeling figure of Iullus was highlighted.

RUN

To Viridia, the command was more concussive than the thunder booming high above her. But she didn’t falter. She shared a glance with Aedus before they both took off. They sprinted straight toward their enemy. The Cassians and the legionaries of Malgiliri were so astonished by the rain that they failed to notice Viridia’s and Aedus’ charge until they were upon them. Aedus loosed two arrows. Each one found a gap in the armor of the soldiers on either side of the gray orc Makki. Viridia came upon the two soldiers holding Iullus. Her dagger flashed with fire and she slashed at them. The soldiers stumbled back from Iullus clutching their chests and throats. Viridia thrust her shoulder into Iullus’ gut and hoisted him up over her shoulders in one rapid movement. The orc known as Makki sprung to his feet. Without missing a beat the four of them immediately started sprinting back toward the canyon.

“Shoot them down!” screamed the Cassian Lord over the deafening gale. 

Several soldiers raised their bows and fired. Just as they did the rain fell harder and the wind blew stronger. Bowstrings slipped and arrows were blown off course. All around Viridia arrows fell, but none found flesh.

The soldiers began to fervently urge their beasts to follow after them. The Nephilim smelled a trap and tried to hold them back, but there was no stopping the horses and camels. They were frightened by the storm and they could tell they were being driven by panicking men. Soon everyone was making a mad dash for the canyon.

Far away, along the crest of a mighty dune, the Gray Orcs of the Fox watched. They watched a storm the likes of which they had never seen before raging over the canyon. Bagra stood at the front of the tribe. Beside her stood Orinuuk and twenty gray orcs prepared for battle.

“By the goddess,” gasped Orinuuk. “Viridia spoke true.”

There was a wild hope in Bagra’s eyes. Her people had survived by avoiding large battles, by choosing only to fight when they knew they could win. But such a miracle foretold the coming of great things. Some things are worth more than mere survival.

“Go,” she whispered.

Orinuuk grinned wide. He along with his twenty fighting orcs mounted their camels and took off riding across the dunes toward the canyon. Each one pulled their scarves and head wraps over their skin so that no one could discern what race they were. A few of them unfurled flags as they rode. They were blood red with golden dragons in the center, captured flags of Cassia. Beside each warrior ran two kit foxes. The foxes fell behind so that they were hidden in the dust cloud kicked up by the camels.

By this time, Viridia and her allies had made it within the canyon They weaved in between boulders and rock formations which slowed the chariots and camels behind them. Eventually, they had descended far enough into the canyon that the walls rose high above them. Viridia led them to the east wall and they desperately began climbing to escape their pursuers. Viridia furiously scrambled up the rock, helping Iullus as best as she could. When the enemy reached the bottom of the cliff they began to fire arrows and hurl javelins. As they did this, the wind and rain once again increased, sending most of the missiles back down on the enemy. However, one javelin buried itself deep in the back of the gray orc Makki. He screamed as he fell into the swords of the enemy.

“Makki!” shouted Aedus.

“Keep climbing!” shouted Viridia.

The horses, chariots, and camels of the enemy were getting choked among the rocks and boulders. At the back of their formation, Orinuuk’s orcs were preparing to attack. Orinuuk sent ten of his orcs along the canyon wall. They began to fire arrows at the Imperium soldiers from above. Orinuuk and his ten remaining orcs lept directly into the fray. Their foxes ran between the legs of the enemy tearing at the flesh of their heels. The Gray Orcs of the Fox were flying Cassian flags and they only struck Imperium soldiers. This sowed confusion among the ranks of the enemy. The Legionaries began to fear that the Cassians were turning on them. Some Legionaries began to strike at Cassians.

Back at the cliffs, Virdia, Aedus, and Iullus had reached the top of the cliff face. As they caught their breath, the rain fell harder and hail began to fall. The enemy below them struggled to climb the rock wall. Viridia looked down with satisfaction. Then the giant Golyath muscled his way through the ranks. He locked eyes with Viridia and began to climb. Even with rain and hail crashing into him, Golyath rose against the storm.

This is it, thought Viridia. Just me and their leader where all can see. Perhaps if I cut off the head the body will break.

Aedus ran up beside her with both his shortswords drawn.

“I can handle the giant! Support your tribe with your bow!” she said. 

He nodded in understanding and sheathed his swords.

“Good luck!”

He ran off, drawing his bow, and releasing several arrows into the canyon as he ran.

“I can’t believe the Voice is working miracles again,” said Iullus as he leaned against a rock.

“Our lack of faith is why he has not been,” said Viridia without taking her eyes off the climbing giant.

Down below the fighting was fierce and chaotic.. The orc archers that stood atop the canyon wall could not be shot at from the floor, it would mean looking up into the rain and hail. The orcs on the ground were smart and fought defensively to drag out the fighting. The longer it went on the more the Imperium soldiers began to fight with the Cassians. As a few of the orcs began to fall, the Cassian lord Shakir approached one of their corpses through the melee. He pulled the headwrap from the fallen orc. Realizing that they had been fooled he went to shout but no sound came. Aedus had shot him in the throat. He shot him again. As Shakir fell he caught a glimpse of Golyath finally reaching the top of the cliff and facing Viridia.

“Today the last of the Lex Legis will be wiped out!” shouted Golyath. “Today the worship of your ‘Voice’ ends!”

“No,” she said. “On this day the Voice will deliver you into my hands! On this very day I will give the carcasses of your army to the wild animals and the whole world will know that there is a God in Aquum!”

She drew her bloodstone spear. Its spearhead lit up with flame. The flame evaporated the falling rain creating a cloud of vapor that rose from the point. Golyath drew his massive shield and mighty javelin. The duel had begun.

Their attacks were fierce. Iullus struggled to keep track of their movements. Golyath did not use his strength as a crutch. He attacked swiftly and intelligently. They each took turns inflicting each other with minor wounds, neither landing any truly crushing blows. Even though his armor was thick, Golyath feared that one direct strike from Viridia’s burning blade might finish him. Viridia knew that Golyath’s massive javelin could do the same to her with a single blow.

The two of them went round in circles slowly wearing down the other’s resolve. Finally sensing weakness, Golyath spun around and swept Viridia’s legs out from under her. Her spear went sliding across the rock. Golyath threw his shield to the side and wrapped his left fist around her throat. With one hand he lifted her into the air and slammed her body against the cliff face.

“Iullus, run!” screamed Viridia.

“Yes, run Iullus!” said Golyath. “Make it more sporting.”

Iullus slowly lifted himself to his feet.

“The Voice will look after me!” pleaded Viridia.

“Yes…yes he will,” whispered Iullus.

While still holding Viridia against the wall, Golyath aimed at Iullus with his javelin. Iullus tore a strip of cloth from the bloody rags he wore and picked up a single stone. Just as Golyath was about to hurl his javelin, Viridia drew her dagger and stabbed into the giant’s forearm. He roared in pain and turned back to her. He tried to run her through with the javelin but she let go of the dagger and caught the haft of the polearm mid-strike. The point of Golyath’s weapon hovered inches away from Viridia’s side. Golyath grinned as he began to force the weapon forward. Every one of Viridia’s muscles tensed as she tried to hold it back. She was no match for the strength of the giant and the javelin began to dig into her side. 

Behind them, Iullus placed his stone inside the rag, which he had made into a sling. The stone began to glow white hot. There was a sharp hissing sound as Iullus whirled the sling around through the evaporating rain. He hurled the stone at Golyath. As it whistled through the air it ignited in holy flame. Golyath turned just in time to catch a glimpse of it before it buried itself in his forehead. The giant fell.

Viridia fell to the ground gasping for breath. She took the giant’s sword and cut off his head. She and Iullus stood atop the cliff and held up the trophy. When the legionnaires saw that their hero was dead they turned and fled. The Cassians that were left followed suit. Many of their horses were left behind. The rain subsided as the enemy disappeared into the desert. Orinuuk and the surviving gray orcs cheered at their retreat.

“We are victorious!” cried Viridia. Tears began to stream down her face. She had believed that she would be delivered, but to see it happen meant a great deal. It was then that great wisdom fell on Virdia from the Voice. A word came to her concerning Aquum and the Orcs of the Fox.

“This is what the Voice says,” she prophesied. “‘It shall come to pass, that I will break the yoke from your neck, and I will burst your bonds; foreigners shall no longer enslave you. At that time,’ declares the Voice, ‘I will be the God of all in Aquum and they will be my people. Those who survive the sword will find favor in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Aquum. I will build you up again.’”

Viridia paused for a moment to catch her breath. Speaking the words of the Voice had brought her to her knees. Iullus and Aedus looked at her with awe.

“Send runners at once!” shouted Viridia. “You have no shortage of horses now! Send word to every orc tribe that dwells in this desert. Tell them of our victory! Tell them of the promise of the Voice! Tell them that justice is coming to these lands!”

The End