Risha: Chapter 66

Eventually, after death covered the land, and blood soaked the water, they did surrender.

Risha stalked through the burning camp, her eyes on the Scaled Warrior who had somehow survived the battle, his head held low as he kneeled on the floor. Two warriors flanked him, blades drawn and ready.

She stared at him for a long time, her body still vibrating with adrenaline, furious that this man had refused her offer. 

“You. Look at what you caused.” Risha’s lips pulled back to expose her teeth. “I offered a hand, and you chose to bring death to both of us.”

The chieftain slowly raised his head, meeting Risha’s eyes, “I would not accept a fanged hand. Not when the Great One promises us so much more.”

Risha reached out, and grabbed his chin. She turned his head so that he looked upon the dead; warriors, women, children caught in the crossfire. “Look!” Her voice broke. “I did not want this! Your Great One brought this to you. I only want to protect my own, defend my lands. You are the invaders.” She let his chin go, then motioned to the other prisoners, “And still, I try to grant you mercy. I try!”

He looked back down to the ground and spat, his face twisted in a grimace. “Your people know nothing of mercy. Bloodthirsty savages.”

Risha knelt down so that he could not avoid her gaze. “How do you look, in my eyes? You slaughter my people to evolve. You wear the chitin of my fallen children. Tell me, who loosed the first arrow? Who drew the first blade? Who marches into my land? Answer me! Or is your blood so cold, you can no longer feel your own tongue?” 

“Should we have waited?” The man’s eyes hardened, their strange pupils narrowing. “Bloodlust grows in your orcs. They need battle, war, and your people gathered on our borders, building towers, defences, ready to strike. A life as your slaves, that was all that waited for us. The Great One saw your trickery before it began.”

Risha let out a scream of frustration, “Look at my people! Stop being so blind, you idiotic lizard. Do you see slaves? Do you see anyone that is lesser in my eyes? NO! We did not want war with you, only to protect the small peace we had.” Risha paused, stepping back and taking a deep breath. She continued in a quieter tone, “but that is lost now. Now, all that waits between our two people, is more death. What do you think I should do, chieftain? I am separated from my people, and cannot keep you as prisoners here, but I cannot have you warn them of my approach. Should I be the bloodthirsty creature you see me as? Or shall I prove to you, that I am greater than you realize?” 

He stared at her for a long time, not responding to the question, not that she expected a response. 

She stood up, and looked toward Elder Kulos and Elder Oltak, “Gather their weapons, leave them food. We march on.”

The monsters followed her orders, and Risha turned her gaze to the two surviving Drakes, both of whom were injured. One bled out and would die soon.

Risha took a deep breath, then released [Mother’s Care]. Her spirit made its way through the enemy camp, lessening wounds and stabilizing the conditions of those injured. The drakes stared at her in surprise, as their life threatening wounds healed. 

Risha did not look at the expression of the chief. She couldn’t, not while anger still burned so hot inside her.

Neither drake could fly, and the monsters in the water were injured. If Risha was lucky, they would arrive before word of their march spread. 

They marched onward, traveling through the branches of strange trees whose roots had adapted to the waters below. 

A black bird flew towards them, ducking low to the branches before landing on Elder Kulos’s arm.

Kulos urged the spider he was riding forward, reaching Risha in moments.

“News?” Risha asked, leaning low next to Kliks as the large spider climbed its way forward..

“Glo has moved to the offensive a day southwest of us.”

Risha looked to the distance, where the clouds lit up with unnatural light. If the battle was being fought, then it was time for her to strike as well. Risha urged Kliks to move faster. 

Their pace increased, giving up secrecy for speed as they hurried towards the battling forces.

It didn’t take long before the enemy noticed them. First, it was the Drakes that turned, breaking off from their battle to slow Risha’s army. They were met with arrows, and they marched forward. 

Then they met enemy clans. 

Claw met fang, and arrow met blade. Monsters were forced to fight in the swampy waters, until spiders created bridges of web to avoid the things that swam in the deep. 

Risha pushed forward, pressing the advantage of surprise. 

In the skies, roars and screeches echoed out. Birds took to the air, harrying the drakes, and assisting the two Draconic beasts that fought for Risha. 

The waters turned red with blood, and the uncoordinated forces of the enemy couldn’t turn fast enough. 

Risha led the push, her spiderlings fighting around her as her swords flew forward, pulling her through the trees and into the heart of the enemy. 

[Mother’s Ferocity] kept her going, as [Pack Leader: White] showed her the movements of her enemy. 

The spirits followed her, eager to help as she called upon them to assist the magic of her people. 

Elder Oltak suddenly found his fire hotter, his earth stronger, his wind unerring, and his ice sharp. 

Soon enough, they hit the body of the enemy forces, and on the other side, far across the waters, Risha could see Glo’s forces fighting. A pillar of purple energy, the force of his spear splitting the swampy waters, marked Glo himself. He was in the thick of the fighting, a unit of spirits taken physical form fighting beside him. Beside him, webs reached into the sky, glowing with purple spirit. They wrapped around drakes, pulling them to the ground where Klaz’zks’s fangs found them.

The enemy fell into chaos, with death on both sides.

They ran, and Risha’s people chased.

Drakes were shot from the sky and fell to the earth. Lakes of water filled with blood as the serpents inside them were killed. 

On the land, Scaled Warriors were slaughtered.

That was, until they followed too deep into the swamps.

It burst from the murk, its maw swallowing spiders whole before it fell back into the waters. Long like a snake, but with sharp ridges around its head, it stopped the chase cold. 

The swamps moved with it, drowning warriors. Risha was forced to turn her attention to the Great Wyrm. 

Risha threw Crimson, and it cut into a scale on its neck, Risha’s spirit flowing through the weapon as she tried to pull herself to it.

With a twist of its body, Risha’s sword was dislodged, and the swamps shifted again, creating a wall of earth and water that threatened to crash into Risha.

Kliks grabbed the Grand Mother and leapt high into the trees, where the tip of the wave still hit them, covering Risha in its disgusting muck.

Risha looked upon her drowning people, then further, where the enemy retreated into their swamps.

The Wyrm rose from the water, and a spear covered in spirit flew into it, shoving it back with the force it traveled. 

Saya, The Draconic Ember, dove from the sky wreathed in flames. She tackled the Wyrm, her fires burning it as it screeched in pain. 

It threw its head, dislodging The Draconic Ember, then it dove back into the water. 

[Tribal Hunter] followed it as it ran after its retreating army, but this time, Risha didn’t chase. 

There were wounded to rescue from the waters.

Hours passed as they searched the swamps, pulling injured allies and enemies alike from the water. 

Risha worked with them, shifting into [Pack Leader: Gray] to enhance her senses. The smell nearly overwhelmed her at first, but she ignored it in favor of the perception that allowed her to find those bleeding out. 

She trudged through the water, her eyes searching. She frowned as the mixture of blood and dirty water filled her boots and soaked her legs, but still pressed onwards.

She followed the blood until her eyes found a limp Scaled warrior, this one smaller than her, its side cut into. [Mother’s Care] washed over the battlefield, and here, it kept this small creature from the brink of death.

She grabbed it by the armpits, and its eyes opened as it stabbed towards her with a dagger. 

She twisted her head, deflecting the dagger with her helmet. It collapsed, dropping the dagger, having used the last of its energy for that attack.

Risha stared at the creature for a long moment, and it stared back at her in defiance as it came in and out of consciousness. 

With a snort, she continued to pull the creature out of the muck, and placed it on her back. 

It struggled weakly, but she didn’t care as she carried it back to the healing tents. She’d made the decision long ago to extend her hand to injured enemies. Even if they chose to bite that hand, she could not hold it against them. 

The walk to the healing tents was a mercifully short one.

A healer took the Scaled creature from her, and it stared at her uncomprehendingly as it was placed in bedding next to its healing kin.

Risha turned back to the waters, and continued her search. Soon after, she found a Black Lupus, somehow hidden under mud.

With a shift to [Pack Leader: Black], she used her enhanced strength to pull the creature out of the muck. He was twice her size, but she didn’t care as she carried him on her back to the tents. 

Another warrior hurried to her, helping her carry the wolf the rest of the way.

Glo noticed her there, and walked over to speak with her. 

She ignored him, instead walking back into the swamps in search for more injured.

Her general followed without hesitation, covered in the same mud she was. “Risha, we need to decide what to do next.”

Risha nodded. She paused as her eyes caught sight of purple skin, she walked over, only to find the eyes of the dead.

She continued searching, “I will send a messenger. We will offer them terms of surrender.” 

“They will refuse,” Glo said softly, “as they have every time.” 

“I know. When they refuse, we will march forward.” Risha spotted movement next to the roots of the tree. She walked forward, and a serpent, half in, half out of the water, hissed at her. 

“Calm.” Risha said, to the thing, startling it as it heard her. “The battle is over. I will heal you, as I am my own.” 

It glared at her for a long moment, then lowered its head for her to approach.

Glo tensed as she walked forward, but it didn’t strike.

Risha touched the creature, focusing [Mother’s Care]. It relaxed noticeably. 

“I have to carry you to the healers, do not fight.” It stared at her with one eye, but didn’t react as she lifted its body. It easily dwarfed her in size, but she did not care as she took step after step back to the camp. Glo’s arms joined her in carrying the creature back. It tensed at his touch, but calming words from Risha helped it relax once again. 

“They are following someone strong, Glo. I will have to prove to them that I am stronger, and then… then they will rise or fall with the decisions of their leaders.”

Glo stared at her back, tense under the weight of the large creature they carried. It carried so much weight for such a slim build.