Alphande'
Battle of Wills

I didn’t encounter any resistance from either claws of the Northern and Southern tribes. When I called the war chiefs of both tribes together they seemed intent on listening and doing what I instructed without question. I suppose that was what having power meant. I could understand why Gedric would hold on to it for so long as the feeling was quite intoxicating. However, as intoxicating as it was I didn’t know how long I would have their support. I knew doubt lingered about my youth and ability to lead. The most scepticism I sensed came from the claws of Au Valley. Few of them I knew well as they had come to my father’s shop for netting. They held me in some amount of contempt for the death of Gedric. How had the netter’s hatchling become the bufrak?

I didn’t fear them though as I had the support of the northern claws who were more curious and held me in higher esteem. War was their way of life. I was respected for I killed not only one, but two Bufrakis in a day. That was what prompted my decision to attack the humans. I needed the focus to be off me and put towards the greater good. The camp was excited by my crowning kills and all wanted glory for themselves.

The humans were unprepared when we attacked. It was only a day since the siege begun and already we had half of their city burning.

We started our attack against the men with skin of copper that came from the south in the giant boats with cloth wings. They were true men of war unlike the puny northerners. Our best swimmers were sent out while most of them slept. Fires raged on the wooden vessels and before they knew what was happening, half of their fleet was damaged beyond repair. Many of the men escaped, but we had caused them to be without many weapons and food.

From the sea we moved to land, destroying piers so that new ships couldn’t dock. The war horns were sounded causing more confusion. They divided their forces to defend both the inner city and the outskirts.

“What is the latest in the city?” I asked Harfr as we met with men on the council of war.

“They are gathering strength as the men from the winged boats have joined the fight. They are proving to be more worthy opponents as we had expected. The others can hardly swing a twig much less a sword. The sea belongs to us and we are gaining ground on the east. The battle is being pushed into the centre of the city.”

“And what of the human king?”

“The coward hides behind the walls of the castle and bodies of his men. He has yet to be found.” said Hitesh another northern claw.

“That should be our main focus now, capture the king and dispose of him.” Most of the expressions showed that they agreed with me. I got up from the table. “I will need a horse.”

“Bufrak you intend to fight?” asked Harfr.

“You looked surprised Harfr.”

“Your injuries…”

“Are minor and you have trained me better than anyone else could. Victory cannot truly be mine if I take no part in the battle. I have rested enough. One hand is not much of a handicap, it just means I will kill five men instead of ten with a single stroke of an axe.”

“Of course,” he smiled pleased that I had mentioned that he was responsible for the training that caused me to win the throne from two Bufrakis in a single day. “And if you were still under my tutelage I would have it no other way bufrak.” he bowed.

“Claws we go and claim our victory!” the table echoed with bellows of agreement and the sound of wood against wood as tour axe handles pounded on the table.

As much as I enjoyed the feeling of air under my lifted scales and the release of rage that came with each kill the fight with the humans was still wearing away my strength. Puny these human fighters were but their numbers were great. I was driven by bloodlust and rage as one by one I ended the life of all who came before me. My vanity caused me to take a tally but after one hundred and fifty men, I’d lost count. My shoulder muscles ached but it was a good pain, and I pushed through it as I was getting closer to my goal.

My party was pushing close to the wall of the king’s hold. The fighters thinned and I saw the reason. “Take cover!” I shouted and pointed to the top of the wall. “Above us came a cloud of arrows thick enough to blot out the sky. I crouched low and held my shield above my head. A number of missiles thudded over my head like hail on wooded roof. Around me I could see those who hadn’t responded quickly enough been struck down and fastened to the ground as more of the arrows pierced their bodies.

Harfr was not too far behind me and heard my warning. He had not escaped the assault unscathed as he had an arrow stuck in his arm and two in his thigh. He seemed more annoyed than hurt. As soon as the barrage was over he made his annoyance known to the two soldiers that were in his way as he cut through the torso of one and then broke the breastbone of another as he stepped into his chest. He then pulled the missiles from his flesh and discarded them on the bloody ground.

I caught his attention and pointed to the wooden doors that closed off the castle courtyard. He nodded once as he went to arrange for the battering ram to move forward.

Ladders were laid against the walls and claws scaled the walls to take control of the higher vantage point. The humans fought back as some of the ladders were pushed off and some claws fell to their ends. Those who made it to the top repaid the favour as they flung those they caught over the wall.

I could see a path being cut through the fighting as twelve claws moved toward the gate. Some human soldiers ran towards them but like insects they were brushed aside and trampled under our feet. The sound of the ram against the gates resounded like the drums of Bunrukis that first called our village to war. Again the ram hit against the gate but the reinforced door hardly moved. A third time the men ran forward but the gates suddenly opened and before they could stop the ram slipped from their hands and landed before a man seated on a glorious black stallion. He wore a crown of polished silver which was a stark contrast against his flowing black hair and matching armour. His eyes flashed with a form of danger and command I had never seen in a human. Around me I noticed that the spirits of the humans were immediately lifted as a loud cheer rang out amongst them.

I knew immediately that this was the king. Hitesh was wrong. This man was no coward. He was completely mad—as which man in his right mind would come to face an army with no guards around him.

The surprise of the human king’s entrance wore off and two claws ran forward. The human displayed no sign of fear as he caught one of them by the throat and lifted him easily from the ground, broke his neck and flung him aside as if he weighed no more than a dried twig. He dispatched of the other just as quickly; in one second he was holding the claw and in the other he held a sword which he used to chop the other in half. His eyes flicked forwards as two more claws came to face him and they too were cut down just as mercilessly.

I found Harfr who like me watched the man. This was no regular human we could tell. He seemed to enjoy the kill just as much as a northern claw. As his eyes flashed with mirth as he watched the spirits of the injured, leave this life and enter the next.

Confidently he strode forward daring someone else to approach him but most of the claws had suddenly become apprehensive, all except Harfr. He was wiser than the others and unlike the rest, who had gone for a direct approach, attacked the stallion, unseating the man. He however didn’t fall from the rearing beast, but landed gracefully on both legs. Harfr attacked first, swinging his axe at the man’s torso. He responded well and fended off the blow as if it were a mere feather against his sword. Again Harfr went forward and again his blow was deflected and it became worse as he was unarmed. The fight did not go on for much longer as he chopped Harfr from his left shoulder to his right hip.

Anger surged through me and I didn’t wait long to advance as he was still revelling in his kill, it gave me enough time to box the sword from his hand and hit him across the face with the handle of my axe. The blow should have broken his neck but it only caused him to turn his head away and then snapped back to stare at me.

“You lizards don’t seem to learn.” he said in cool, but deadly anger. He gripped me by the shoulder in a tight grip that seemed to paralyse me. “I know who you are Bufrak Dominic.” he said clearly in the tongue of the Ulgana. He smiled as he saw the shock that was plastered on my face. “One of your men pointed you out to me.”

“A claw would never betray our cause.”

“He didn’t betray you. He simply answered what was asked of him and though unwilling, he complied. The same way you will too.”

“Never!” I said,

“You will.” he said calmly and even though I fought against it, I could feel the ebbing of my mental fortitude.

“You have the gems.” I said as I realised what was happening.

“I have all of them.” he said loosening his hold and dropping his arms. “I could have easily killed you Bufrak Dominic, but it is more prudent that I keep you alive for now. Your clan has lost two leaders recently and the loss of another would destabilize them further. A destabilized workforce is of absolutely no use to me. As it is, you Verdans have placed quite a dent in the number of men in my army and it will be up to you to repair that. You see instead of fighting against each other, we will now become partners.”

“You wish to partner with us? I thought you wanted to see our kind removed forever from this land.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself, that part too will come. But after you have helped me to crush my enemies once and for all, until then we will be partners.”

Every part of my will wished to lash out against this man but when it came down to it, the steel of my will had frayed into silken strands. I was his.

He continued, “You will take point as general of your kind in my army. A very great honour indeed. Are these terms agreeable to you?”

“They are not,” I spat.

“Yet you will comply.” he said scornfully. “It is customary among my kind to seal an agreement with the shaking of hands. You help me to kill my enemies and in return I will kill you and all your kind in the quickest way possible, do we have an agreement?”

“If you ever lose the gems, you shall regret the day you emerged from your mother’s belly as I personally shall gut you with my bare hands.” I said taking his hand.

“It is agreed then.” he smirked and then let go of my hands. “I wouldn’t worry too much about the gems as you shall never replace them. You shall never have the time to look. Bufrak.” he bowed and then he walked back towards his castle.

By now the fighting seemed to come to a halt as word spread every claw and human stopped fighting and watched the exchange. There was something different in the demeanour of each claw as without being spoken to their wills were rearranged. I walked towards the gate of the city and one by one every claw followed.