Aru’Gal had always been small for an orc of his clan. The day he was born the shaman’s had to decide if he was to live or to be thrown off the mountain as a deformed piece of meat.
It was his father who made the final choice and let the boy live.
There was never a day where Aru’Gal carried much muscle either. His weapon of choice had been a spear for the longest time and the Khan’s sword he got would have almost been a dagger to someone like Bruna.
It was easy to whisper that he lacked the brains of a true hunter. Because unlike many he didn’t follow the whispers once he heard them. Often enough he had used them himself to guide others on the path that would serve him. To pits of snakes or rivers of poison.
And yet he was one of two who had slain the Dragon. Against his own belief he looked at the falling corpse below. For a second it felt like he would die. As the fires in his eyes vanished. He thought he would be cast away. Even if the ancestors wouldn’t be devoured now, he would not find peace among them. The only choice was to never die. He chuckled at the thought while the fire in his eyes and his heart returned. It had turned back before most of the others and his carried a different flame. He was no heir of hatred, but a champion of malice.
Then a sigh went through the land and the other darklings opened their eyes again. His own darted over to Bruna and the weapon he still held in hand, even while his eyes had been dark.
They were back on Dustfang and he knew his judgement would come. He thought to take the reins of Sha’Raph, or to throw Bruna down. But neither would have ended well. He looked back at the creature Raimond and felt even his stare. It knew what kind of man he was and he hated it for it.
Finally his eyes allowed him to gaze below. The Dragon’s gigantic body still fell down and down. Until it crashed. They were close to the boiling sea and the shatter of its body hitting the ground rippled through the earth and casted waves across the sea. The mountains shook one last time that day and the sun shining its last rays beyond the western mountains.
Then he heard them, his people Their roars and cheers, from the caves and the valley to the shores. Even Greenskins and Ogres cheered from the mountains around their land.
He raised his weapon and Bruna did the same. He looked over to his once brother and for a moment he wished he was a different man. An equal.
Even as Khan he was met with glares and words of mockery but he would change that.
While he kept his sword raised he glanced down to where the rune had melted. Even after the fight and the dragons crash, it was still intact. His heart raced at the possibility.
A black piece of the ashen storm flew by and cut his cheek. He huffed at the pain but ignored it. Even they wouldn’t be left with a choice for he would make one.
There were two paths this day. He could die by the hands of Bruna and those that would follow him. Or he would end this day ascended. Guiding his people into a true new era of conquest.
He wasn’t foolish enough to believe his chances high, and yet neither had been their chances to slay the dragon.
As they came closer back to the windhall he looked over to Bruna and finally the beast looked back. Slowly the smile of victory vanished and made room for the glaring hatred left in his eyes.
Sha’Raph landed at the Hall and Aru’Gal was the first to jump down. Bruna followed, his gaze never leaving the snake.
Sha’Raph saw that the other riders came for the windhall and she jumped down as well. Once Sir Raimond was down she whistled and made Dustfang dash off on his own.
Mara stared at Aru’Gal while he circled the big hole in the hall's centre around the gong. Bruna stood on the other side of it.
“Great strike!” Reila exclaimed with the widest grin and pride in her eyes. Bruna grinned back at her, but Aru’Gal kept his gaze on the beast and Mara at him.
His fingertips tapped the leather on his belt that held the scroll. She looked down at it and back at him. His eyes met her and a bitter smile crossed his lips.
Ur’Back was the first rider to land back at the hall. It was never meant to hold many Wyverns so he let his fly off as well. Slowly one rider after the other came and did the same until the mountain was circled by a swarm of Wyverns and the hall’s edges filled with the Riders of Karn’Arak.
Aru’Gal looked around. Their faces of victory slowly all vanished as they saw the two dragonslayers in its centre, their swords still drawn. Both blades were eager to strike the other, to clash with their twin and ring in the new era with the sound of battle. Not against a dragon, not with a dagger at the throat, but just one orc against another.
But the snake knew that the beast was stronger. Even if his leg was still hurting, he would be a fight better be avoided than to be had.
Casually Aru’Gal threw his sword over to his left hand and used the right to punch his chest. “Shak’aruk my Riders!”
The drum of armoured fists against hardened chests answered his call. “Shak’Aruk!” Most answered in unison.
Bruna did not.
Mara did not.
And even Sha’Raph didn’t move.
That not even she did answer his call was a far bigger sting to the snake's heart than he would have liked to admit. There was a lot he wanted to say, but the poison needed to be fresh with victory.
He pointed his sword at Mara. “There is a traitor in our midst!”
Mara felt the gazes of many riders on her. She was about to shrink into herself yet felt the ancestors gaze still on her. And even some of the distant shamans. The two seers and the warlord were watching.
Bu’rack went through threw the crowd and was about to force Mara to her knees when Bruna’s voice shouted through the mountain. “Touch her and you’ll learn to fly without your mount!”
Bu’rak was not a man to be stopped, but even he did as the beast's voice echoed through the hall and the mountain.
Aru’gal pointed his sword over the hole and at Bruna. “Two traitors then.” He stated which made even the last rider realise the spark of battle inside the hall.
Bruna huffed until he couldn’t contain his anger any longer. “You still dare to play your games?!” He shouted and started to take a step onto the stone bridge over the hole and towards Aru’Gal. “Still you spit your poison!” Another step over the bridge followed more of his roars. “Everyone has seen your plots…why are you still doing this? We have slain the Dragon, we have defeated the last of our enemies and still you greed for the power on that accursed scroll!”
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Aru’Gal tapped his fingers on the leather bag around the scroll again. His gaze went around, studying the riders until it stopped at Sha’Raph.
“Shemes..” he said and looked down into the deep of the mountain. He took a step on the bridge himself. “Plots and poison..” He stopped and tried to choose his next words with care before his gaze went over to Sha’Raph. “What about you?” A hint of sorrow rang with his voice. “Are you still loyal?”
His mind echoed back to them on the mountains. When they watched the valley below and when he could let his mask slip for once.
She shook her head and what remained of his heart darkened. Then she spoke. “I was born to kill men like you.”
“Men like me..” He echoed with bitter grin. “Point at a man like me.”
“There are always man like you.” Bruna said.
“But they are always forgotten.” Mara continued.
Sha’Raph took a step closer to the hole and Aru’Gal. Her voice became a plea “Hand over the scroll…destroy it even. And we can fly away. Let them call it exile, but you will live. There might be a new life for you beyond the western seas. We can fly and find the world out there and see what it has to offer.”
Aru’Gal tried to imagine her eyes glowing below her mask. He couldn’t hold the gaze he imagined and had to look down. After a moment he returned his gaze to her. “You know what it does don’t you?” He asked and tapped the scroll on his belt. “Nothing will hurt me. Nothing will stop me. And together we can conquer everything we find in our path.” His eyes went from her to the gathered riders. “EVERYTHING!” He shouted but was answered with silence.
Sha’Raph sighed.
Bruna shouted again from the other end of the bridge. “Where is the point in conquest without challenge?!”
“Only a fool would ask that question” Aru’Gal uttered back bitterly.
“Only a weakling wouldn’t understand.” Bruna returned.
Sha’Raph shook her head. “No orc would be able to harm you. But I was born to kill you.” Her voice hushed coldly from her mask. “If you dare to delve into this sorcery, I swear I will be the dagger at your throat.”
“Why do you think you of all could harm me then?!” He shouted at Sha’Raph. Finally she stopped and took her mask off.
The riders around whispered and grunted at the ugly thing they would call a human before them. Her eyes didn’t carry any glow. Just a brown grey. Her skin was like a pigs, just like the creature Raimond and her hair was curled and cut to be tamed.
“I was born to kill you.” She repeated herself. “And should you use that scroll I will.”
Aru’Gal huffed more and more while his heart sank. Her words stung more deeply than any weapon would that day. His mind went to anger and the fire of malice glared in his eyes as he looked around. “You want to know the truth?!” He asked and stepped more over the bridge and into its centre. “You truly want to know?!”
No one answered and Aru’Gal continued. “You fools need a dragon! You want to be slaves!”
Many answered with angry huffs, others with confusion in their eyes. “You don’t want to think for yourselves, you only want to be guided at the slaughter and you want to feel like you are the strongest and mightiest!” Aru’gal reached the centre in front of the gong. “But none of you is and do you know why?! Because you are chained by traditions as you are by honour!”
His glare went over Mara to Bruna and back to Sir Raimond and Sha’Raph. Then his eyes returned to his crowd of riders. “You saw what sorcery can do! Are you truly so dim to think we can beat them without the might of a dragon?! Without a beast strong enough to force unity?!”
The wind howled through the hall and Bruna felt Defiance burn with the call of destiny.
Aru’Gal looked down at the big blade in Bruna’s hand, chuckling bitterly. “But you won’t listen. You never will! The only thing that will ever lead you is strength!”
Bruna shook his head. His words carried more calm sorrow than rage now. “You know better than anyone that it is not so.”
Aru’Gal was taken by his once brother's words. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “So here we are..” His voice had become dark and carried nothing but bitterness. Slowly he opened the bag on his belt and took the scroll out.
Some took a step forward ready to cut it out of his hands. Yet Bruna saw what he was doing.
The ancestors howled in anger at the ancient sorcery carved inside it.
“Tear me apart, or I will use it.” The snake stated ready for its demise. A few riders stepped forth before Bruna commanded through the hall. “No.” It was as if drums followed his words and the riders stopped. “This day won’t end with dishonour like you would have done.”
The eyes of the hall were set on him. Darkscale’s cloak of red was answering the wind and the final rays of the sun were cast on the mountains behind him. He was a beast of an orc and those few that remembered his father saw the flying mountain before them.
Bruna pointed behind him and down at the Dragon’s corpse. “We both have slain this prey and I Bruna’Gash son of Ara’Gash challenge you for its remains!”
Sha’Raph took her steps back from the hall's centre and followed with green cold eyes.
Aru’Gal nodded, he knew this was his last chance to achieve anything and Bruna’s honour would be his downfall once again. “I, Aru’Gal son of Cra’Gal, Khan of the north and Karn’Arak. Voice of the Dragon and doom of the south -accept your challenge.” He laid the scroll at the Gong between them and took a few steps back at the edge of the bridge once more.
The room grew silent and Sha’Raph spoke her part. “The Khan has been challenged and the nomads take witness.”
Ur’Back stepped forth from the crowd and did the same. “The Khan has been challenged and the Frostsong take witness.”
A moment of silence fell over the hall before Bruna spoke again. “The Watcher of the Bladelands was slain by me moons ago. I closed his eyes before he could take witness.”
Mara looked at her brother. There was no concern, just duty as she spoke as the shaman. She tipped the Seer’s staff at the mountain two times before she spoke. “The ancestors gather and the land will drink with the blood of the fallen. The Khan has been challenged and they take witness.”
The hall watched and the beast and the snake stared at each other. Wind and ash flew through the hall and made the mountain sing to the coming fight.
Then Mara tipped the staff at the mountain two times again.
They ran at each other over the bridge and towards the Gong in its centre. Bruna swang defiance in a wide angle at Aru’gal but the snake denied his blade to clash. He took a step to the side and hid behind the gong. From behind it he tried to stab aside of it and at Bruna’s hip yet was met with nothing but air. The beast know the snakes tricks by now and knew that Aru’Gal was too smart to simply block his attacks. He followed Aru’Gal around the Gong and swung Defiance sideways at him. Now he had no other choice but block the enormous blade with his own. The Khan’s blade and Defiance clashed and the sound of their fight echoed through the mountain. More and more ash was howling through the mountain and the snake felt how his arms almost broke by blocking the beast.
He dashed around and was pushed back over the bridge towards the edge of the hole. He chuckled widely as he held his arm in pain and spoke while Bruna slowly took steps from behind the gong. He crawled backwards and struggled to stand up. Bruna swung Defiance down at him. Weight and muscle should have cut the snake in half yet his sword still was eager for the clash and at least blocked it one more time. With a roar of the wind his blade shattered. With eyes of panic he crawled backwards while Bruna only took simply steps after him. He threw Defiance to the side and reached down to saddle on Aru’Gal. The snake could feel the beasts hand around his neck. He knew he would never say anything again and chosed his final words by instinct alone. “I would do it all again.” He declared and snarled ready for his death. Bruna’s hands closed around his neck and he spoke in unison with the whispering wind. “And I will beat you.”
The beast could feel the snakes heartbeat when it choked it to death. There was no poison, no trick and no escape. In his final moment Aru’Gal felt his fathers judging stare again. He still struggled against Bruna and tried to get him off him, but he was small for an orc of his clan. Neither did he carry much muscle and many whispered he wasn’t the smartest either.
Finally his struggle ended and the beast could feel how the snake's heartbeat faded. The fire in his eyes turned to an empty grey and the once Khan was no more. With a final huff Bruna turned his hands against each other and shattered the snake's neck. There was no trick after that.
Then he breathed and watched the western sundown. Slowly he stood up and grabbed Defiance again. He turned to look at the gathered hall and felt the ancestors touch on his skin. Before any word was allowed in the hall he stepped into its centre and the gong. He grabbed the scroll and simply tore it in two then four and many tiny pieces. The wind didn’t grace it with its touch and it simply fell down into the deep. His duty was done.
“The Khan is dead.” Mara declared and tipped the staff at the mountain again, her eyes on Bruna. His own on hers. He knew they would talk and he feared that more than the fights behind him. But before he could think more Ur’Back shouted his name. “Bruna!” “Khan!” the riders answered while punching their chests. “Bruna!” “Khan!” Sha’Raph had joined to call his name while the riders answered.
Finally Mara joined in the shouting of his name “Bruna!” “KHAN!!” The riders answered and roared his title into the mountain.
An era was over and behind them all Raimond witnessed how the Beast of the east took its crown. He would remember this day for one day, so would his people.
