Open Chronicles An Open Hand

[Naghi]

Naghi stared down into the courtyard.

His gaze was fixed on the people below, watching as they bellowed and screamed. A few guardsmen around the courtyard joined in, though those that stood on the balcony dared not move.

Pity.

Had they stood by him he would have allowed them to live, now Toirbheartan would be reduced to little more than ash. His head shook in disappointment, noting something within the crowd. A figure that was not moving, not chanting the same as others.

Glowing orange eyes fixed on the person, lips thinning slightly as he stared at them. His head cocked to the side, and then he broke off his gaze and headed back into the palace. "Dianaimh, I suggest you prepare your magics."

Some of the Guards stared expectantly.

"They will soon break down the Palace gates." He looked around the empty room, stalking to where he had left his axe. "I want each man I slaughter brought back to my side."

He slowly looked around the room, peering at the Guardsmen. "Every one of them."

They gripped their weapons nervously, watching in fear as his axe began to glow a soft red.

 

[Dianaimh Ui Muirgheal]

Dianaimh couldn't believe what she was hearing. The two of them against an entire town?

"It takes time" she began to protest, "I could scorch half the town to ash but it all takes time". She shut up as the giant stalked by with thundering steps to retrieve his axe. From outside they could hear the chanting grow in intensity and volume.

She gripped her staff tighter, looking at the gates. She had no desire to be burnt at the stake, or see her head mounted on a spike over the town walls.

 

[Naghi]

Naghi glanced back at the witch, his face as stern as that of a parent looking at a child that had soiled his only pair of pants. "I will grant you that time."

There was a fierce deathly glow to his axe, the weapon almost igniting as the Half-Giant looked around the room to the guards.

Most of them were shaking now. Naghi could practically taste their fear, the way they shifted and moved in their armor, how they moved about and looked to any route of escape. His gaze fell on them, the Captain of the Guard attempting to slide behind a pillar.

"And so will they!" His voice boomed in the hall."Any man that joins with me today will stand among riches by the end of the week."

Some of the guards looked up, staring at the Half-Giant. "This I promise. Stand with me, and your fate shall be that of Kings."

More than a few of the guards nodded their heads, hands stilling on their weapons.

 

[Heike Eisen]

The giant left the balcony.

And all around Heike the crowd continued chanting: "TOIRB-HEAR-TAN! TOIRB-HEAR-TAN!"

Boxed in as she was in the mass of people, she couldn't move. Not without a needless expenditure of blood to leap up and away.

Heike lowered her eyes to the open doors of the Governor's hall, visibility of it mostly obscured by sea of raised and banging fists. The emissaries would in time come whimpering and with their tails tucked between their legs from the hall, and they would leave the town. She'd no doubt that they would return with the army of orcs they had so threatened Toirbheartan with.

Let them. For even though this outcome, too, was already decided by the countless interwoven strings of the world's transpirings--destiny--at the very least the citizens of Toirbheartan would have their liberty. There was no state more wretched than that of the willing slave, cowed into such by fear.

They could be spared that much.

And Heike could hold true to her word to Emma. Slay as many war-like orcs in her name as she could.

Heike waited. Watched. The crowd near deafening.