Thralls of a Dread Lord (1.22T)
Welcome to my weekly serial. This is a rough draft that I am working on, for your reading pleasure.
It is a fairly grim tale, so be warned.
Here is the first post from this series.
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As the Seneschal of the Dread Lord, Ushochhushi had Kaasukak, which could force obedience in any of The Spawn, or even kill them. Kaasukak was the bane of Retaak’s existence, the chain which bound him eternally to The Spawn even if he had been born free of it.
Among the many used of Kaasukak were oaths. An Oath of this kind could bind a Spawn to silence or force them to commit to a particular course of action. Resisting the oath usually meant pain and death, although there were those who were strong enough to overcome it. Many of the Dread Lord’s favoured servants had broken the bonds of their former masters and taken their place, including some said The Dark Lord himself.
Ushochhushi rose, curved swords scabbarded in easy reach. “Kneel, my… agents,” he intoned, raising his long arms.
They knelt. Retaak last of all.
“I, Ushochhushi, Seneschal of Bemachhorak invoke the power of the Dread Lords,” he said, voice raising. “Witness this oath and bind Retaak, Uyage, Ashoktyaar, Kuzat, and Uyaashie to me.”
Retaak felt it then, a tugging in his mind, as unmistakable as it was repulsive to him. Some spawn welcomed Kaasukak, but Retaak could not accept the invisible leash. He fought against it instinctively, at first, and the familiar burning pain that came with trying to thwart it washed over him.
Ushochhushi grinned and the pain intensified as they locked wills.
But Retaak mastered his own desire to rebel, looking down with feigned meekness and submitting to the Seneschal’s Kaasukak. Ushochhushi, surprised at first, continued, his words resonating in the five spawn kneeling before him.
“You will perform the task that I ask of you. Infiltrate the fortress Greyrock in Elf settlement of Oystkivat . Use Gurgumaar’s attack to hide your passage as you can. Recover the prisoner named Albyursia Pástyamóz, a she-elf who is being held in the dungeons. Bring her to the tower Uzagwaar and deliver her to me alive and unspoiled. Speak nothing of this and accomplish this task at all costs. Do you obey?”
“We obey.” they spoke in unison. The words felt dragged forth from Retaak, like some part of him pulled forth by Waachear’s cruel tongs.
The weight of the oath fell upon them then, tightening like the coils of a serpent and crushing them like an avalanche. Retaak felt the wind driven from him and for a moment he felt nothing else, save for the power of Kaasukak, the doom of his kind, and the struggle to breathe again.
When he could see again, Retaak saw Ushochhushi standing over them, smiling. His elf slaves were at his side again, bearing water for his new agents.
The oath was made.
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