Freedom

[moonshadows]

 

The raptor was a giant, hide shifting subtly between every shade she’d ever seen, as though refusing to favor one over any other. His eyes glowed a vivid, primal orange, and they weighed Ryxl – who was only mildly surprised to discover herself as a scarred, blood-red raptor.

“Who does the hunter serve?” The words were a deep bellow, their meaning bypassing ears and language to echo directly in her mind.

“Hunter obeys packleader, packleader obeyes Ultimate Packleader, Ultimate Packleader obeys Gonk,” she barked out obediently, hearing the meaning directly even as the raptor sounds left her mouth.

Gonk grunted in satisfaction. “Good, little sister. Good. There is something I need you to do.”

“How can I help?”

“Hakkar’s puppet torments my children. The chosen of the other loa go to stop him, but they won’t care enough to help my children instead of killing them. Go with them. Help your brother and his pack.”

“Of course.”

Gleaming fangs grinned. “Good hunting, Bites-the-throats-of-her-foes.”

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“You’re going?” The look of concern in Thrall’s eyes reminded her of Sarok’s, back when she was in Nagrand. Like her mate, he would never tell her no, don’t go, it’s dangerous, but he still worried.

“Gonk asked me to.”

The Warchief was silent a long moment. He could order Ryxl to stay behind while the assembled priests and powerful fighters and shamans of the Horde’s trollish tribes assaulted Zul’Gurub, but to do so would be deliberately using the magic that made her his slave. As important to him as her safety was, it wasn’t important enough to do that to her. Besides, if the Raptor God had asked her to go, then her unique skills must be needed and who was he to keep her from doing for others as she had done so many times for the Horde?

“Lok’tar, Ryxl,” he said at last, giving his tacit blessing to her presence on the trip. “Good hunting.”

 

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“Ryxl! Didn’t think I’d see you here.” The young Darkspear priest of the Serpent clasped forearms with the orc as she dismounted. With only trolls aboard the ship now casting off for Stranglethorn, he didn’t bother speaking orcish.

“Gonk sent me to keep an eye on you slackers,” she teased.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” he said somberly. “Hakkar is no enemy to take lightly, and Jin’do isn’t to be underestimated, either.”

Ryxl shrugged. “Gonk didn’t seem concerned about them, but you know what it takes for him to express concern for the tribes.”

“You got that right. Well, at least we won’t have to fight the Gurubashi raptors with you along. I hear the survivors of Mandokir’s pack re-formed and they’re going to be very angry at any troll that comes near.”

A creeping cold slid down Ryxl’s spine. Suddenly, the meaning of the dream came crashing down on her. “No…he didn’t…” Without warning, she dashed for a Revantusk bone-tosser she recognized lounging on the deck.

“Ryxl!” the withered old troll woman grinned around worn tusks. “They brought me along to guide them, but I didn’t know they-“

“I need you to throw the bones,” Ryxl interrupted.

The Revantusk peered into the orc’s face, then nodded. A worn cloth bundle was withdrawn from a leather pouch, the carved bones gleaming pale as she gathered them. The buzzing mutter wasn’t quite Zandali, and not completely heard with the ears. Suddenly, the old troll’s hands flew apart and she bent over to peer at the scattered bones on the cloth.

“Blood,” she said in a firm but distant tone. “Everything is blood. The child, the mother, the lord. The lost child, found and taken and given. Two born of blood, reunited. Three become two become three. Blood and shadow. Shade of blood and blood of shade.” A shudder passed through her, and again she peered at Ryxl. “You get what you needed?”

“Shade of blood,” the younger woman muttered. “Oh, that would have been a nasty surprise. Not sure who the child is, but the mother and the lord…yeah. I got what I needed. Thank you.”

The serpent priest followed her back to where Takk lounged on the deck. “I heard some of it,” he said. “The Bloodlord?”

“You got it.”

“You’re not worried.”

Ryxl grinned at him. “You’re not worried about the Gurubashi serpents.”

The priest grinned back. “Right. Your domain. I get the point. So what are we going to do about him? He was a terror last time, I hear. Him and that raptor of his.”

“Nothing. The rest of you are going to let me handle it.” She fixed him with a stern look. “Actually, I want a strategy meeting called. I want to make sure everyone knows what’s going on. We’ll only get one shot at this.”’

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“We’re not even a day out to sea yet, and you want to talk strategy?” the Amani bear-priest growled, only to be shushed by a spindly priestess of Shadra.

“We are all here because our loa commanded us,” the Witherbark spider-priest hissed. “It is no different for her. Do you want to anger Gonk by refusing to hear the words of his…chosen messenger?”

The orc nodded her approval of the way the Witherbark avoided saying ‘priest’. “I’ll make this quick,” she said once it was clear none of the others were going to protest. “Jin’do has resurrected Bloodlord Mandokir, so there will be a strong raptor presence in Zul’Gurub. Most likely, his pack will occupy the same territory it did last time. Do any of you particularly want to fight either Mandokir or the raptors?” Shaken heads and winces all around indicated that no one did. “Then I’ll have your verbal acknowledgments that with respect to dealing with raptors, I am your packleader and you will obey my commands.”

“You are certain that you can keep the Gurubashi raptors from attacking us?” The burly tiger-priest scowled. “I can’t do the same for the tigers, and I don’t know that Bethek’s will be as obedient, either.” Beside him, the panther priestess nodded grimly.

“Tigers and panthers are independent and understand only dominance. Raptors are pack animals and understand weighing the odds of victory. I will tell them that you all are my pack. They will understand that we could be an ally, a strong one, and not want to attack such a large pack whose packleader has a fearsome name. I will tell them that Gonk sent me to help them, and they will understand that we are not an enemy.”

The priest of Shirvallah nodded. “Then you have my word…packleader.”

“And mine,” the serpent priest chimed in. “Packleader.”

“And mine, packleader,” hissed the priestess of Shadra.

One by one, all the trolls assembled gave their word.

 

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None of the trolls noticed the high keening that wound around the angry cries and pounding feet that approached from the steep trail to the right, but every raptor brought to ride perked up even as their riders dismounted and prepared to gleefully ambush the ambushers. Ryxl dismounted as well, crouching down to peer between the legs of the beasts for the tiny shape that cried out for hunters to protect the hatchling. When the scurrying form turned out to be blood red, she grinned in victory and warbled packleader reassurance. The raptor hatchling made a beeline for her while trolls slaughtered trolls. The handful of Gurubashi didn’t stand a chance. Ryxl cooed to the hatchling, who chirped back. When the combat was completed, she stood and held the small body protectively to her chest.

“My turn,” she said, and troll and raptor alike fell in behind Takk as she calmly strode in the direction the now-dead Gurubashi had come. ~Foreign pack assisted hatchling, approaches with no hostile intent to return hatchling!~ she called out.

~Hunter acknowledges foreign pack!~ came half a dozen responses from all sides.

By the time the party reached the top and crossed into the raptor section of Zul’Gurub, there were two or three dozen raptors all gathered around watching curiously.

~Packleader Bites-the-throats-of-her-foes,~ she announced. ~Returning hatchling. Offering truce-alliance. Calling packleader.~

~Packleader! Packleader!~ the Gurubashi raptors chorused while the trolls did their best to pretend they were confident and calm with raptors encircling them.

~Packleader comes,~ a deep voice belled. The raptors reacted with joy; they loved their packleader, which boded well for negotiations. ~Who approaches my pack-territory?~ came the challenge, confident without being hostile.

~Bites-the-throats-of-her-foes, from south-river-pack, under Tethis.~ Ryxl paused. ~Gonk said come, help brother-pack. Offering truce-alliance.~

The raptors parted and a tall, powerful, red-haired troll stepped out into the clearing. Everyone froze. Bloodlord Mndokir’s eyes widened at the sight of Ryxl with his Ohgan’aka in her arms.

~Bites-the-throats-of-her-foes?~ he choked out.

~Assent,~ she answered calmly enough. She hadn’t quite expected this.

~Return hatchling to the pack.~

Ryxl set the little raptor on the ground, where she ran for Mandokir’s ankles. He scooped her up and cooed reassurance.

~Gonk said come?~ he asked, a note of incredulity in his voice.

~Said help brother, help pack.~

“You’re not of the tribes,” he said in Zandali. “These…are your pack?” the hand not holding the blood-red hatchling gestured at the assembled priests, warriors, and shamans.

“They are.”

A malicious grin split his face. “Good thing for them. Jin’do binds me with his voodoo. Any troll not of the Gurubashi that comes here may not leave alive. But he welcomes any pack that would ally with me.”

“What have you gotten us into?” the bear-priest growled, and Ryxl turned her head to glare at him.

“You are a part of this pack by your own word,” she said with calm menace as Mandokir’s raptors looked on, sensing dissent in the foreign pack. “If you break your word, you will be an enemy of his pack and I won’t come to your defense because I’ve offered pack-alliance. Do you want that?”

“…no, packleader,” he said sullenly, eyes flicking to all the raptors watching him.

“You’re here to kill Jin’do,” Mandokir said, still grinning maliciously. “I’d love to help you, but I won’t. I can’t. What I can, and will, do is offer pack hospitality. Alliance. Let you pass. But I want something from you, Ryxl.” His eyes glittered.

“And that would be?”

~Take hatchling. Get with egg. Feed hatchling packleader’s strength. Hatchling and egg grow strong together.~

They stared into each other’s eyes for a long minute. He was asking her to have his child, and to feed his heart to the red hatchling. The child of Ohgan. Blood of shade, the Revantusk had said. Three become two become three.

“If it were me, and Takk, I’d want the same,” she said slowly.

~Strong packleader,~ Takk chirped unhelpfully. ~Strong hatchling from his egg.~

Mandokir grimaced briefly. “If you agree to the terms of my alliance, then come and we’ll get the first part done. Then, when you’ve destroyed Jin’do, come back and do the second part.”

 “I accept the terms. We are allied.”

~Packs allied!~ Mandokir barked, and the raptors visibly relaxed. “My pack will not harm yours,” he promised.

“Go on ahead of me,” Ryxl said to the trolls behind her.

“You won’t be offended if we deal with Jin’do without you?” the priest of Shirvallah asked with dry amusement.

“If you think you can get to him before I catch up, go for it.”

The two packleaders watched as the trolls mounted and rode back the way they came.

“I thought I was the only one,” Mandokir said quietly as the last of them vanished. “I was all for Hakkar conquering and corrupting the tribes that had rejected and abandoned me, but without Ohgan…” He shook his head. “Jin’do brought me back because my soul is a chain to keep the Blood God here, but Ohgan’aka is all that keeps me here, my only tie to Ohgan. I won’t be used like this,” he said, suddenly fierce. “You will get with my child, and feed my heart to Ohgan’aka. When the child is born, you will give her to it and I will be with Ohgan again.”

Ryxl pulled the runed dagger from her boot and stroked the dull blade, waking the spirits. “Did you want a boy, or a girl?”

He stared at her for a moment, sensing the powerful magic that emanated from the blade. “Girl,” he said with a bark of laughter. “Ohgan’aka, Mandokir’aka. Ohgan was my brother; let our children be sisters.” He looked wistfully at Takk. “He used to tell me I should find a female to have my eggs and nest with, but…” his face twisted in rage.

“No one worthy,” Ryxl said with a sympathetic nod. “As much as the tribes fall all over themselves to heap honors on me for being chosen by Gonk, they really don’t understand anything at all.”

Mandokir grinned. “They’re going to froth at our daughter.” He sobered. “You are okay with this? I don’t want to force the only one who understands.”

Ryxl gave him an amused, speculative look. “I thought I was the only one, too. I’d have done you for the novelty anyway.”

“Oh, is that so? It’s on now, sister.”

“Then take it off.”

“And put it in?”

“Why are we still talking?”

 

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~Surrender! Bites-the-throats-of-her-foes is packleader!~ Mandokir cried out as the orc atop him milked him dry, panting in satisfied exhaustion. ~Hatchling approach. Go with new packleader.~ One hand lazily scooped up the small red raptor and handed her to Ryxl. “Remember,” he said somberly through the afterglow. “Feed her my heart.”

“I will,” Ryxl said, one hand holding the raptor and the other on her womb where his seed had taken root. “I’ll name her Freedom.”

His eyes lit up. “A good name. You should go now, and help your pack. My pack will escort you and your brother.”

A few minutes later, the only living being in the raptor area of Zul’Gurub was Mandokir.

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When Ryxl rode back to the Bloodlord’s terrace with half of Mandokir’s pack in tow, she was unsurprised to see the resurrected troll was once again dead – and by his own hand, if the pool of blood and slashed forearm were any indication. Calmly, she cut his heart out and fed it to the blood-red hatchling. Then, thinking of the life growing inside her, she cut off a few choice pieces and wrapped them up to prepare and eat later. After all, it was only fitting that Freedom benefit from her father’s strength. The rest of the corpse, she tossed onto a pile of dry bedding and lit on fire.

The rest of Mandokir’s pack, which was now hers, greeted her return with happy sounds. The trolls they’d been guarding relaxed. The news that Mandokir was dead was welcome indeed. The news that the raptors would be joining them was somewhat less-well received.

“They agreed to ally with us,” Ryxl said firmly. “With Mandokir dead, I lead them and they aren’t about to go back on their word.” She grinned. “Besides, haven’t the tribes been wanting a way to keep the beasties on the Echo Isles in check?”

Protests about over-hunting and cohabitation were waved away. The raptors wouldn’t harm their new packmates, and could easily be taught how to keep herds if given stock and a bit of instruction. The issue of communication was raised, and Ryxl offered to teach willing trolls the basics of raptor speech. She also offered to teach the creation of a voodoo fetish that would bind one troll and one raptor, allowing them to communicate through thoughts and images. The idea of an entire half-tamed pack of war raptors was not unappealing.