Thralls of a Dread Lord (1.77T)
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Retaak gazed up at the grinning form of Waachear, his worst tormentor among the caste of spawn who enforced fidelity to the Dread Lord through torture. Waachear had broken him many times, taken memory after memory from him. Just looking at Waachear made his skin crawl and bile rise in his throat.
Waachear laughed. “Ushochhushi said that you would still be feeling defiant. I’m glad he called me though. I enjoy breaking you, Wildborn. Your disgusting memories deserve to be extinguished.”
Retaak stepped toward Waachear, growling. The four Ogre Bulls moved to intercept, a wall of flesh that he could not muscle his way past.
“Shall we kill him?” asked the largest of the Bulls.
“Unnecessary,” said Waachear, smiling. “I have a leash for this dog. Stand aside and see.”
Torturers like Waachear all had some measure of Kaasukak against the Dread Lord’s servants. Waachear walked forward, grinning.
“Would you defy the Dread Lord’s will, Wildborn?” asked Waachear through an ugly grin. “You’ve tried you will against mine many times before and each and every time I have put you in your place. You are nothing to me. Come, strike at me if you dare.”
Retaak roared and leapt forward, his sword raised. Waachear, his tormentor, would die by his blade at last. And yet as he tried to finish his swing a gruesome wedge of pain seemed to drive into his skull. His arm froze. The power of Kaasukak held his blow; the pain was too much. But Retaak fought against it nonetheless.
“You never learn, Wildborn,” sneered Waachear, stepping forward. “Hold him” he said to one of the Ogres.
Retaak felt strong hands grasp him as Waachear slid forward and brought his painstick up, slamming it into Retaak’s groin. Even through the armour it hurt and Retaak felt the wind go out of him.
“Yes, that’s right, give up Wildborn,” sneered Waachear. “Perhaps this time the Dread Lord will let me kill you. Maybe the thought of what Ushochhushi has planned for your elf-friend will break you for good. I’ll let you know–“
The thought of Albyursia, good natured and wise, and Ushochhushi sent a shock of righteous anger through Retaak. He felt strong again, unexpectedly and he stared at Waachear as the Hob came in to hit him again. The Kaasukak broke as Retaak’s will proved too much for the torturer. The backlash staggered Waachear as he lunged with the painstick. Deftly, Retaak stepped out of the way of the painstick and then he grabbed the Hob’s arm, redirecting his thrust into the leg of the Ogre holding him.
The Bull grunted as the painstick hit him, ignoring most of the shock, but Retaak was in control and rammed the stick into his knee again, pulling Waachear with it. This time the Bull stumbled, the knee giving way and his great weight making it hard to regain balance. Retaak curled downward and pulling the Ogre over his shoulder and throwing him over his hip.
With surprising strength and technique, Waachear twisted out of Retaak’s grip, and as the Ogre slammed into the cobbles the Hob scrambled up the stairway leading into Uzaagwaar. Retaak leapt after him, evading the grasping hands of the other Ogres, climbing onto the stairs behind the Hob.
“I’m coming for you Waachear!” he roared and chased the torturer into the tower.
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