Fiction Killer Angel's short stories

Warriors and Gardeners
(april-may 2023, theme was "War and Peace" ; this story was 3rd on 4)

Some stats:
this was my 22th story in this competition, and my 10th consecutive podium.

Spoiler: Warriors and Gardeners

Warriors and Gardeners

I am Kai-Loq, the Oldblood.
Let me tell you about Khutak, the kroxigor. He was a kroxigor as many others, until the final day of the great battle for the geomantic web. When the Great Pylons activated, finally closing the Warp Rift, immense magical energies were released. Mountains went shattered, entire armies vanished in a moment, and the essence of many things changed forever. Khutak was among the latter.
Some said he was an abomination, some other that he was blessed by the Old Ones. Either way, there was no one like him…



The morning sun was warming the large steps of the temple pyramid, wrapped in a light mist produced by the humidity of the night that was inexorably evaporating. The birds-of-paradise songs greeted what promised to be a hot day.
On one of the upper terraces, facing the morning sun, the heat was becoming pleasantly intense. Khutak was working on his stone garden. The massive kroxigor was wearing a linen tunic, and moved with calm attention among the arabesques of the garden, occasionally moving the stones.
Today, the rounded, white pebbles made a galaxy with spiral arms extending from the central core; nebulae of gray gravel enveloped the resplendent white, and at the edges, nuclei of black obsidian at times sucked in the sunlight, and at times returned it with dazzling force, according to the orientation of the smooth faces.
The statue of the Old One Xokha, which once stood on the large parapet, facing the city, long ago had been moved and turned, so that it did not cast shadow on the terrace and at the same time contemplated the garden (moving the statue had created some confusion among the skink priests, but a decree by Lord Tehupacli himself had given free reign to Khutak to do whatever he pleased on that terrace, so the statue was left in its new position).

Khutak would have liked to sit and contemplate the garden. It was now encapsulating a moment of clarity and beauty, that would have been gone when, fatally, the symmetry with the stars would have ceased. Everything changes, and beauty is to follow the flow of changes, to guide this flow in an ordinary pattern. Armony toward enthropy. Such a beautiful concept to ponder on… but this was not the time. More mundane tasks were at hand.
He couldn't see them yet, but he could hear them. The claws on the stone of a saurus warriors, preceded by the delicate steps of the attendant skink who was escorting through the pyramid. The saurus had a impetuous step, you could feel the repressed emotions. Kai-Loq, the young leader of the third regiment of the eastern spawn.

And indeed, here he was. Kai-Loq. The skink acolyte bowed formally.
“Revered Khutak, I hereby…”
“Thank you. No need to waste the officier’s time with protocol. I’ll take care of our guest”
The skink bowed again, and retreated out of sight. Khutak knew he would have remained in the vicinity.

Kai-Loq approached the massive kroxigor, grinning while doing so.
“Today you won't make fun of me. Today you will learn to respect those who are your superior by rights of spawning”.
“Bold words. In this place, I’m not only your teacher, but I am your commander. You came here too soon.”
“I came at the exact time I was to be here!”
“Which nonetheless is too soon. Now wait”.

Khutak knelt slowly. One of the stones was out of place. He moved it slightly, then again, and again, and again, finally returning it to its original position. He began to look at him from another angle.
Then he looked almost absently Kai-Loq. He was standing still, apparently at attention... but he was unable to control the imperceptible shaking of his tail, nor to stifle the pheromones of the fight.
The saurus’ nostrils flared.
“Permission to speak, Sir!”
Khutak rose on his feet.
“Denied. There’s a time for words, and a time for action. You cannot speak if your mind is set on war. Your words would be clouded by blood. Words must come from a crystal mind.”
“Then make me fight!”
“We have already begun. Follow me”

The kroxigor moved across the stone galaxy, toward a dark side. In a corner, outside the border of the garden, there was a table with a map and a series of tokens.
“As you can see, we are fighting near the Realm of Shadows. You are commanding a host of warriors and 3 knights’ squadrons, and you have the support of salamanders. Your opponent is a force of undead. They hold this fortified line and you know how their units are placed, thanks to your terradons scouting. However, you also know they have a certain amount of reserves, probably a couple of elite units and a commander, but you have no idea where they are. Show me how you are going to assault this position.”

Kay-Loq looked at the map, pondering his options. Both the left and the right flank were filled by tokens, representing the undead troops. Behind the main line, there were the overturned tokens… the reserve forces. Some of those tokens would have been empty, so it was a matter to guess where the reinforcements were placed.
He focused his attention to the main line…the right flank was stronger, the troops were more numerous and they could easily bog down his cavalry in a prolonged combat. And the overturned tokens on the right, were placed near to the front units, increasing the sensation of a threatening flank.
The left flank was weaker. Sure, there were several units, but each was made up by a few undead. the cavalry units would have slammed into them, eliminating them one by one, while the slow-moving troops on the right flank could not help.
It was so inviting… However, even if the overturned tokens in the rear were kept at a greater distance, those tokens were exactly in place for a countercharge.

“You want me to attack the left flank, but I saw your trap. You know what? I’m gonna crush the right flank… your skeletons will slow me, but they have not the strenght to cut down my sauri, and i have the support of the salamanders. Let’s do this fight, your reserves are on the left, too far to help a fight on the right, and when they will be here, my knights will be already free, ready to dictate their charge.”
Khutak looked at the map, silently.
“Come on, teacher. Are you unhappy? Didn't I bite your bait? Lord Tehupacli may let you live in the pyramid, but I am a Saurus warrior, and you are not”.

Khutak sighed, and turned the tokens on the left.
They were empty.

“Unfortunately for you, near the realm of Shadows things are rarely what they seem. Even the traps.”
Khutak turned the tokens on the right. The reserves were there.
“The necromancer raises the casualties you inflicted on those skeletons. The Grave Guards pile in directly on your knights.”

Kai-Loq fell to his knees. He clawed at the edge of the table, looking at the map and the meat grinder in which he had thrown his troops to die.
“Again… you did it again…”
“Yes. Do you wanna know why you losed?”
“No. The teachings of a lesson don’t matter in the next one. Each time you fight differently. Each time the result is the same. I don’t deserve my rank”.
“Don’t say nonsense. Do you wanna know why you losed? The real reason why you keep losing?”

Kai-Loq looked at Khutak directly in his eyes.
“Yes. Please”.
“Because you are obsessed by your opponent. Me, in this case. You want to demonstrate that you are better. Stop it. It clouds your judgement. There’s only one thing worse than a commander that don't take decisions. A commander that takes the decisions the enemy wants.”
“You tried to guess what my plan was, you tried to play me. That’s a good attitude, but it will be your final goal. First, you must master yourself. Learn caution, as no plan survives the contact with the enemy. Learn how to adapt, improvise and overcome. Up ‘til now I’ve teached you defeat. Every commander must know defeat, so that he will be able to recognize it from afar. The next time, i want you to show me how really good you are.”

Kai-Loq rose, and nodded.
“Aye Sir. I will do it.”
Khutak made a gesture.
“I expect no less. Now you can go”.
Khutak watched the young officer moving toward the exit. The skink acolyte was already there.

“Khutak, you really should lead troops in battle”
The High Priest Kilipak had entered by one of the inner doors and had watched the final part of the training session, keeping his distance, and was only now approaching.
“There’s no need for my talents on the field. I’d rather stay here, in my stone garden”
“I respectfully disagree”
“You know? the warmbloods have a saying: it’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war”

Kilipak blinked several times, trying to focus on the weird concept.
“It makes no sense. Warriors make war, gardeners tend the harvest. Why should you mix the two things?”
"Because the warmbloods don't follow the Great Plan, and don't know that everything has its place"
"They don't, but you do! A warrior in a garden is wrong"
“I certainly agree with you”
“Then why are you here? You clearly are a warrior”
“Because, my friend, it all depends on the kind of crop you are growing…”

 

Lycanthrope Blues (summer 2023 poetry duel - lost 4 votes vs 5)

Spoiler: Lycanthrope Blues

LYCANTHROPE BLUES

When the chaos moon shines in the dark
Deep inside me, it ignites a spark
I can feel as it stirs, right under my skin
something awakened by that malignant green

I remember the day, when fate rolled a dice
bitten by Moulder’s mutated, twisted mice
the packmaster cried “a new curse you will bear!”
of the truth of these words, I was not yet aware

I feel the fur, growing between my scales
I feel the blood, pumping through my veins
and I wonder if I am a sort of a new breed
but the thought is now gone, as I just need to feed

…
the scent, the stealth, the chase
a cry, a shield, a mace
the blood, the flesh, the taste
so good, again, with haste
…

When I’m again myself, the night has bygone
but from dusk to dawn, what have i done?
my scales and my claws are covered by gore
a child of the Old Ones, I know I’m no more

As always I think “if I could erase the past…”
but I laugh at myself, I know the truth at last
cause I’m addicted to this dream, I’m lucidly insane
as I now only crave, for the moon to rise again

Comment by @Y'ttar Scaletail , the author of the other poem:

 

The Nightbringer
(July - August 2023, theme was "Hidden in plain sight" and this was the winning story on 4)

Updated stats:
this was my 23th story in this competition and the 8th victory.

Spoiler: The Nightbringer

THE NIGHTBRINGER


The Teacher
"Chaos is our enemy. Every threat we face is driven by a single thing…. Chaos."
The skink priest looked at the class. Almost fifty skinks had their eyes fixed on him… acolyte priests, scouts, scribes. Every one of them was giving him full attention. It's always satisfying when no student lets itself be distracted by flies or the pleasant rays of the sun.
"On a certain level you all know the four Gods of Chaos, their fields of influence and the danger of their corruption."
Many skinks' heads nodded in acknowledgment.
"But these daemons are not the first chaotic threat to the Great Plan. Before Chaos manifested in its true form, even before we were created, there were different entities… sworn enemies of the Slanns. They were called the C'Tan."
"These creatures were not made of Chaos, but derived their powers from it. They wanted to feed from the energies of the stars and the souls of the living beings. They held a strength capable of erasing entire planets, but their weapons were also deception, treachery and subterfuge. As the Chaos daemons, each one of them was a master in a particular field of expertise… and the most dangerous of them was called The Nightbringer."
A hand was raised.
"But Teacher Qui-Chin… I've heard that these so called C'tan are no more since millennia. Is that true? and if so, why should we study them?".
"That's a good question. Are they no more? They are mentioned in the ancient plaques… and time is fickle when you mess with chaos. I think it's better to know our enemies, even the ones that we think are dead. Now, to talk about the Nightbringer, it is said it was cloaked in shadows, and that it was the one with the greater connection to chaos…"

The Acolyte
When the lesson ended, the terradons already stopped chasing the morning ascending air currents. Time literally flew, while listening to the passionate exposition of Qui-Chin.
The acolyte was impressed "I never saw Qui-Chin so involved in an argument, not even during the lessons on the daemons of plague…"
The other students were chattering about the C'Tan, their ancient machinations, their tactics of corruption. Every one of them was clearly left impressed by the lesson.
"Yes, he was very passionate about it…"

The Teacher
The lessons about the C'Tan had been a success, from a professional point of view. Every student had been actively involved, every one of them questioned him.
An inquisitive mind is a mind eager for knowledge. Knowledge is power. They need to know what Chaos is capable of…
"Teacher Qui-Chin? May I have a word with you?"
Qui-Chin stopped his lucubration. In front of him there was a young skink, with the ornamental feathers that qualified him as an acolyte priest, destined to future service in the Vaults of the Ancient Knowledge.
"Acolyte Fren-Shui… what can I do for you?"
"Your lessons are very interesting, but I would like to delve into the topic. Is there some text I could refer to?"
"Again? it's not the first time you're asking me something more. You already have what's needed… further details could be redundant. After all, the C'Tan are only a very hypothetical threat."
"Yes but… please?".
An inquisitive mind is a mind eager for knowledge.
"mmm… I could grant you access to a couple of books I've used as references. After all, one day you will have to guard our Vaults. I will prepare a letter".

The Acolyte
Fren-Shui was finally in the Vaults. Yes, he could not have accessed the Vaults, the request was for the books, a consecrated priest should have given them to Fren-Shui.
It had been necessary to forge the permit a little. It had been risky, but it was the only way.
Fren-Shui looked at the two useless books in front of him. Then he looked at the corridors that gave the access at the most secret volumes and artefacts.
Now, my teacher, let's see what you real references are, and why you're so enamoured with these C'Tan…

The Teacher
"…and this is why the warmbloods are so susceptible to the lures by the deamons of pleasure. Now, I hope you will study your notes, because the next time you will be questioned."
The students rose and begun to leave the hall, discussing the lesson.
A brilliant class. The next leaders will know Chaos, and all its fascinating promises.
Qui-Chin moved toward the exit. Maybe he didn't noticed the pair of eyes fixed on his back.

The Acolyte
Fren-Shui looked at the teacher that was going away.
Teacher? yes, maybe you are a teacher… but what kind of teaching you're insinuating in us? I've read some of the ancient text, and not even all of them. Not the most obscure ones, the ones that you've learned. You were right… the Nightbringer cloaks itself in shadows, so that no one can see it.
Fren-Shui was filled by frustration and bitterness.
I've tried to talk with a couple of friends, the ones more open minded. I was forced to mimic irony, but nonetheless they refuses to see it… they don't correlate the passion when you were talking about the C'Tan and your indifference when you treat the chaos gods. They don't see behind your mask, even when I show them all the clues. What did you say? "creatures born from chaos always reveal themselves, but creatures that embraced it can hide its influence".
Fren-Shui was alone, and the rays of the sun were not able to warm his soul.
You are a prominent skink in our temple city. I'm just an acolyte. Dear Old Ones, what can I do?

The Teacher and the Acolyte
Qui-Chin was used to receive students in his chambers, especially the most brilliant ones; the saurus guards were used to this behavior, so they paid no particular attention to this particular student.
Qui-Chin was very surprised when Fren-Shui drew a dagger that was hidden in his vest, stabbing him… again, and again, and again.
Unable to cast a spell, all he could do was cry for help, gurgling in his own blood while the student raised the dagger for another furious stab.
Fren-Shui did not stop when his teacher was clearly dead, nor when the guards broke into the chamber. He knew the shards of the C’Tan could live after the apparent dead of the C’Tan itself, so he could not take a risk with one of their servants.
Old Ones, I will be killed for this. But at least You know… please accept my spirit and let me swim again in the spawning pools.
The weapons of the guards descended on him.

The High Priest and the Keeper of the Vaults
The high ranking skinks were in one of the inner chambers of the Temple. What happened had had dramatic repercussions on the daily life of the city, and the planning of the activities had been upset. It was vital to keep things quiet as much as possible, and give a… tranquilizing explanation to what happened, something that would allow the muddy waters to clear.
“So, this is it?”
“Yes. The acolyte entered the Vaults thanks to an altered request, apparently bribed by himself. The guardian failed to notice it”
“…and he put his eyes on forbidden texts. The ones capable to alter a weak mind.”
“It won’t happen no more, revered High Priest. From now on, any access to the Vaults will be granted only by me.”
“Yes. But now we’ll have to mourn the loss of a great Priest and a promising student. Because we weren’t paying enough attention.”
“He was just a student among many other ones… who would have thought that something was eroding its sanity? Who could have knew?”
The High Priest gave a bitter smile.
“It is said that in those books still lies a spark of the ancient C’Tan. If that’s true, the Nightbringer knew”

Well, i wanted to do a story like this one, with the usual interference by chaos (Tzeentch?)... but it sounded too clichè, with no real new element. I wanted something original.
Suddenly i recalled the 40k lore, the war in heaven and the great clash between the C'Tan and the Old Ones.
The C'tan were a perfect new element, a 40k piece that could fit into the ancient lore of the fantasy universe, set before the birth of the lizardmen.
After all, why not? if chaos trascends time, space and dimensions, i could very well imagine a fantasy version of the C'Tan (with the difference that here they lost the war)

the idea was there, i just needed to find a suitable C'Tan as "puppeteer"... and who better than the @NIGHTBRINGER ?
i liked the idea because it came naturally and was functional to the story, and that's the different between a character that works and a character that is forcefully stretched into the narration.
It paid off.


Other people's reviews

 

A matter of Faith
(Jan-feb 2024, theme was "Divine Intervention" ; this story endend at the second place on 4 entries)

Some stats:
this was my 24th story in this competition, and my 12th consecutive podium.

Spoiler: A matter of Faith

A Matter of Faith

The man was wearing a worn tunic and leather boots which in a distant time may have been of reasonable quality. He was bent over the remains of a burnt wagon, and when he stood up he was not at all satisfied.
“A spark hit the black powder in the carriage. The ashes are completely cold, the smoke we saw yesterday must have been the last dying embers”
“Yes, and judging by the maggots on the corpses we were three days late”
The other man was wearing a greenish tunic, which could blend in with the forest background more due to the brown mold stains than the actual color. He was holding a sliver of obsidian in his hand.
“It was the lizard devils.”
"Obvious. I fear that our Constable will have to do without reinforcements from Sudburg."
“Judging by the number of bodies, quite a few survived. the tracks indicate that they went West.”
The first man shrugged and spat on the ground.
“Poor bastards. Let's go back to Port Reaver."

------

The jungle procession proceeded at a steady pace. The long line of bound prisoners moved along the path traced by the dinosaurs who led the march, flanked by saurian warriors. The wounded who had not been able to keep up, had been left behind... and their screams, muffled by the clanking of large jaws, had cast a dark aura of fear among the prisoners. Sergeant Hans had tried to protest, and he was indifferently slaughtered. No one else had complained. Everyone marched to the pace dictated by the lizard devils.


Fortunately, captors’ indifference applied much more widely.
No one seemed to care if the prisoners talked to each other, and soon Father Rutger monopolized the survivors' attention. Litanies that normally echoed in the cathedrals of the Empire now filled the undergrowth of Lustria.
“What is the duty of the faithful?”
“to obey Sigmar's Will”
“What is Sigmar's will?”
“that we fight in His name”
“What is the reward of those who fight in His name?”
"the glory"
“Who will get the Glory?”
“the faithful”
“What is the duty of the Faithful?...”
It was a reassuring thought. The procession of desperate people clung to the hope of those words, to the possibility of still being able to fight in Sigmar's name. All except one.


“I don't mean to pray, Rutger. I need my breath to walk, I won't waste it invoking nothingness."
Night had fallen on the jungle and interrupted the march. The men, exhausted, tried to rest and regain their strength…. not an easy task, tormented as they were by mosquitoes and all the other nocturnal insects to which their captors seemed immune. Only Father Rutger seemed tireless, moving among the men to comfort and encourage them.
“I'm sorry to hear you say that, Karl. You should not give up hope. Sigmar always listens to us.”
He received a laugh in response. "Really? look around. This is hell on earth. Sigmar does not arrive here. There never was."
“I looked around Karl, and I see a beautiful night sky. The stars shine only in the deepest night. When do you think miracles can happen, if not when those who have faith are put to the test in the most dramatic circumstances?”
“The Gods don't care about us, father. We are like ants in their eyes. You are deluded."
“And you are a defeatist. Faith keeps your comrades alive. If you don't want to pray for your salvation, at least don't belittle their courage."
Karl looked bitterly at Father Rutger's back, as he walked away to spread false hopes among the collapsed bodies.
Even if they are still breathing, they are already dead. They would be better off accepting reality and calling upon Morr, rather than Sigmar. Another entity indifferent to our fates, but at least it would be more themed.


The nightmarish march lasted for 10 days. The prisoners, from almost forty had been reduced to half.
The ordeal had dug a wedge between Karl and his companions. Little by little the need to find a reason to survive had imbued men with a religious fervor worthy of a team of flagellants.
Sigmar would send a sign. Sigmar would manifest himself. Sigmar would not abandon them.
The broken nose had taught Karl that it was unwise to doubt salvation.
In the eyes of those who were once his companions, he was a dangerous miscreant. Karl, for his part, had no illusions. This was not a land of gods. It was a land of beasts and savagery and death. And no imperial citizen had ever returned alive from that jungle thanks to divine intervention.


When they finally reached the city at the eleventh dawn, Karl didn't even have the strength to laugh.
The scale and proportions of the buildings were an inconceivable enormity. The outer walls alone were composed of countless blocks, each the size of a war chariot.
Towering stepped pyramids, taller than Altdorf Cathedral stood dotting the landscape, visible through the large fronds of immense centuries-old plants that grew freely in the city... a lush tangle of vegetation which however did not extend even with a single leaf along the immense, perfectly paved avenues, flanked by enormous columns depicting feathered serpents, with fangs as tall as a man.
And if the architecture was inconceivably infernal, the inhabitants of the city completed the nightmare. Winged creatures circled lazily around the tallest pyramids, while countless lizard devils crowded to follow the procession, forming a bizarre multicolored parade, some smaller than Karl, adorned with feathers, moving nimbly around other reptiles as large as a warhorse, crocodiles with arms as thick as the trunk of a small oak tree.
What hope of salvation could there be in that place? What god could manifest himself in the heart of chaos?
We are not even ants. An ant at least can be annoying, but we are nothing.


Although it was a bitter consolation, Karl felt a petty satisfaction in seeing the faith and trust of his companions crumble and weaken little by little. Father Rutger's face became more and more ashen with every step... and even his exhortations had now taken on a different tone, they no longer promised survival.
“Do not be afraid, my brothers. Faith will save our souls”
"If you say so"
"Yes, certainly. Sigmar is walking alongside us."


Growing voices accompanied them to their destination.
The crowd had gathered around a square, adorned with serpentine statues. The center of the square was occupied by a stepped pyramid, just a few meters high, at the top of which stood some small lizard devils, covered with colored feathers, gold ornaments and necklaces with sparkling jewels... pagan priests, evidently.
On the pyramid and all around, simple snakes could also be seen, apparently indifferent to the chaos that reigned around them. The men were made to kneel, and the priests said something to the crowd, which immediately calmed down, starting a sort of unison invocation, alternating with the declamations of the priests on the pyramid. It didn't take a genius to understand that this was a religious ceremony.
“Sigmar certainly won't let his followers be sacrificed to non-existent deities by these superstitious primitives…”
"Shut up…"


Then it began.
Four warriors took the first victim, holding him by the arms and legs and carrying him towards the top of the pyramid. The poor guy was desperately shaking, shouting and jerking with all the strength of desperation, to no avail. Having reached the top, they held him immobile while the priest uttered some litany, then the man was thrown to the ground... and disappeared.
There must have been some sort of well, because the sound of landing was heard after a couple of seconds. For a moment there was silence, then the screaming began. The screams didn't last for long. Father Rutger bowed his head and closed his eyes.
“Sigmar, help us.”


The warriors headed back to the waiting men. The first in line began to agitate, held still by the guards at his side. Karl, far behind, stood up.
"I'm going first! Take me!”
Then he looked hard at Father Rutger.
“I'll show you how a man dies”.
Karl walked steadily towards the warriors who had just descended from the pyramid. The saurians, confused, waded towards their priests, and one of them nodded. They moved aside slightly and let Karl pass, who spontaneously climbed the steps, now accompanied by the towering warriors, almost like a guard of honor. Karl then reached the top of the pyramid and, in fact, a black hole opened in front of him, from which came slow waves of warm humidity, mixed with a strong smell of musk. Karl looked into the priest's eyes… yellow with serpentine pupils. The priest intoned the same short litany.
When he finished, Karl jumped down.


At the bottom of the well there was a stone floor, covered with leaves and dirt and logs. All around, hundreds of snakes were moving slowly, hypnotically. A tangle of serpentine bodies was metodically dismembering the first man's corpse.
For a moment, nothing happened... then from the darkness emerged the head of an enormous reptile, a meter wide, with its eyes fixed on Karl's, while its forked tongue darted out, cutting the air.
Karl couldn't look away… then he felt it. The presence.
Something lurked in those eyes, something ancient, immense and impossible.
A series of images passed through Karl's mind, like a burning meteor… eons of sacrifices. Fangs dripping poison, countless pyramids scattered on this and other worlds, on other universes, infinite scaly bodies connected to a single entity.
Sotek.
And Sotek was there, at that moment. Aware of his presence, through the gaze of the primordial boa that reigned in that cave. And Karl knew that there, in that place, there was a God who recognized him as a living being, a God who was not indifferent, a God who cared about him. A God who craved for his blood, his flesh... and his soul.
It was only then that Karl finally screamed.

Other people's reviews:

 

Friends and Foes

Apr-may 2024: Theme was "Tactic and Strategy" ; this story won the competition, sharing the prize with @thedarkfourth , as it was a draw even after a tie-breaker round. It's my 9th victory!

Spoiler: Friends and Foes

FRIENDS AND FOES

High Priest Tek'totiki stood in the Sacred Chamber of Meditation, where Lord Temmu, Master of the Temple-City of Tunk-Xha, normally resided. It had now been almost fifty cycles since Lord Temmu last interacted with the skink priests, but this was the norm.
Also that morning, as he had done for twenty cycles now, Tek'totiki read the weekly reports to his Master. The celestial signs, the activities of the spawning pools, the communications from other temple cities, the reports from the scouts about activities of the enemies of the Great Plan, fortunately limited to a series of minor raids by the skaven along the routes of the outer borders.
Satisfied at having once again fulfilled his duty, Tek'totiki headed outwards, to return to the rest of his activities. It was only when he was almost to the door that a voice in his mind startled him.

“Raids of little importance, but particularly coordinated, I would say”
Tek'totiki whirled around, eyes wide. Lord Temmu, floating on his palanquin, had not moved. But his eyes were open.
“Summon Commander Kra-Gar. I have to entrust you with a mission."


The first battle – The swamps of Xo-than

“It’s a trap”
Kra-Gar gazed out over the damp, foggy expanse. Hygrophilous plants stretched as far as the eye could see, surrounding enormous mangroves and bushes of blade grass, the favorite lair of crested anacondas.
The Scar Veteran patted his cold one's side, eyeing skeptically what would normally be a great route for the troops.
“It certainly is, Commander. The enemy is waiting for us, reports of chameleon skinks are clear… or maybe…. it just seems so"
Kra-Gar just stared at Tek'totiki, which was trying to rearrange his thoughts.
“Lord Temmu has divined the enemy's camp. He himself showed us this path. Our cowardly foe, he loves subterfuge. Maybe they are showing us what they were planning for us to see. And perhaps they can deceive our senses, but not those of Lord Temmu"
Kra-Gar nodded.
“Let's move forward, the 3rd cohort will lead the way, I want the salamanders to cover the flanks.”
It was only when half the contingent was already scattered among the mangroves that the air was filled with greenish globes and lightnings; the first saurian screams arose, and with them a cacophony of squeaks from beyond the edge of the tree line. Many more than those predicted by the scouts.
Kra-Gar and Tek-totiki stared at each other, bewildered. It really was a trap.


The second battle – The Southern crossroads

Kra-Gar and Tek'totiki hadn't spoken much since the Xo-tan debacle. The expedition that was supposed to eliminate the threat to the outer borders had turned into a disastrous retreat; the patrols had been called back to reinforce the retreating contingent, and only stopped near the Crossroads.
Tek'totiki could not shake the feeling that he had made a terrible mistake, that he had grossly and incorrectly interpreted Lord Temmu's infallible guidance. And he knew that was Kra-Gar's thinking too, except that he was too disciplined a warrior to hold anything against Lord Temmu’s envoy.
Fortunately, reinforcements from the rear had also arrived, recomposing an army that was now even larger than the one defeated two weeks earlier. The crossroads was a great place to fight; not only was it a strategic point for the communications of the temple city, but precisely because of the converging roads, it was the most natural place to favor the arrival of the enemy, refreshed by the recent victory.
it was only a matter of planning the defense.

“Are you sure you understood it correctly?”
Kra-Gar scratched his head thoughtfully as he stared at the layout of his troops as outlined by Tek'totiki. His question was rhetorical. The Scar Veteran was present when Tek'totiki spoke under a trance, with the Voice of Lord Temmu.
“Is there something bothering you?”
Kra-Gar looked around, making sure the sentries on guard were not too close, then spoke in a low tone.
“Our center is well protected, on the right wing we can respond and reorganize effectively... but the left flank makes no sense. We have troops placed side by side but who do not support each other, our shooting barely covers a third of the front and if we need reinforcements, the closest units are slow and would be forced to cross our own shooting arch. If they attack us from the South-East we are in serious trouble, moreso because we have few scouts who can warn us. This deployment is not only weak... it is dangerous, and our enemy is far from a fool."
Tek'totiki had no answer.

After two days the skaven attack came. Slow at first, then with steadily increasing pressure. Low-ranking troops massing senselessly and hopelessly against the center and right flank.
Tek'totiki was relieved. It was evident that Lord Temmu had foreseen where the attack would come from and his orders had taken that into account. Kra-Gar sent the cold ones units to harass and encircle the enemy troops.
It was only when it seemed that the enemy would be repelled, that the drums and horns on the left signaled the danger. War machines, hordes of hooded figures and armored troops emerged from the South-eastern forest, heading inexorably towards the lines of the lizardmen.


The third battle – The lesser Temple of Huanchi

The retreat had been long and bloody, the rearguards decimated by the relentless attacks of the skaven.
The escape had stopped at the temple in the southern quadrant, dedicated to Huanchi. It was a minor building, part of the ring of citadels that surround the temple-city of Tunk-Xha.
The defense would be established there... not only was it unthinkable to allow the skaven to outrage a sacred temple of the Ancients, but it was also the last obstacle to stand between the rats and Tunk-Xha.
Kra-Gar was determined and moderately satisfied. With no indications from Lord Temmu, he had arranged the troops as he saw fit; the saurian regiments on foot had barricaded themselves in the walls surrounding the temple, while all skink units, cavalry and battle dinosaurs remained outside, to contrast encirclement and ensure mobility on the flanks.
Finally the skaven arrived. They almost no longer bothered to hide, encouraged by the series of successes... The warchief's banners waved proudly, among a mass of hairy bodies which incredibly had grown even further, intoxicated by the victories.

The assault began. The Skaven army, under the careful leadership of their lord, pressed against the temple defenses with no hurry, while elite units metodically protected the flanks, countering the enveloping movements of the forces of Kra-Gar.
The Scar-Vet had reached Tek'totiki. “It’s time to strike. Gather the other priests. Weaken their flank with magic, the razordons will help you, then the stegadons will charge and open a gap for my Saurus knights."
“Fine, I'll call the priests, just giv…”
Tek'totiki’s body stiffened as Lord Temmu took possession of the vassal skink. The Slann's voice was hollow.
“Kra-Gar, orders the retreat towards the temple city. Leave the field."
Kra-Gar looked the priest in disbelief.
“My Lord…?”
“The battle is lost. Retreat toward Tunk-Xha”.
The saurus commander grabbed the skink by the throat, lifting it to eye level. For a brief moment the veteran's muscles hardened, his throat let out a low, menacing growl... then he calmed down.
"My Lord, The battle is not lost, and the regiments in the citadel cannot retreat. If we leave we condemn them to death".
“Their sacrifice will be honored. The Great Plan demands your retreat. Now”.

The possession ended as it began. Kra-Gar now held a terrified skink by the neck, which was struggling to breathe... Kra-Gar let him go.
Tek'totiki fell to the ground on his knees, coughing and panting.
“I don’t understand…I’m sorry…”
Kra-Gar didn't hear it. He was already giving the retreat orders. And as the troops marched, only the drums of the saurus warriors could be heard in the distance, slowly drowned out by the dark ringing of bells.


The battle for Tunk-Xha

When they returned to Tunk-Xha, preparations for the looming battle were already underway. Kra-Gar and the other Scar Veterans were assigned to the reserve troops, while the Oldbloods set up the main defenses.
Tek'totiki had been relieved of front line duties and assigned to support the Revered Guardian in the defense of the central pyramid, from where Lord Temmu would telepathically coordinate operations.
“I've been cut off” Tek'totiki thought bitterly. “Not that it would have made any difference.”
The skink felt drained. After days of waiting and confusing but alarming reports from scouts on terradons, dawn had finally revealed the full extent of the threat. An endless horde of Skaven was amassing, far superior to anything Tek'totiki had ever seen or imagined. The city had no hope.

Then the assault began. Tek'totiki struggled to follow the flow of the fight in the early hours. He was not bred for fight, but in his mission he had begun to appreciate and fear the organized movements of enemy troops. But in the carnage that was developing in the plain, there was nothing organised. The skaven seemingly chaotically crowded into the lizardmen's defenses in uncoordinated waves.
Tek'totiki imagined it was some trick, but the doubt slowly faded when it became clear that the defensive lines, anchored on the regiments of Temple Guards and Bastiladons, were not giving way.
It was in the early afternoon that the attackers began to falter... the front lines tried to retreat, bumping against the pressure of their own backups, massed senselessly in the center, while the pincers of the lizardmen began to close.
It was only towards evening that panic truly spread among the skaven... regiments began fighting each other to gain apparent escape routes, which were promptly blocked by the Cold Ones and Carnosaurs.
After sunset Tek'totiki was no longer able to see anything, except for salamanders’ fire, but he could hear noises and screams in the distance. The massacre lasted all night. By morning the Skaven army was no more. A lake of blood extended in front of the city, soaking hundreds of thousands of hairy bodies.

Finally, Lord Temmu exited the Inner Sanctum.
“Ah, here you are, my little Tek'totiki. Your anxiety was very strong when you returned. And even now you are troubled... why? we achieved a great victory"
Tek'totiki didn't know where to start, too many thoughts crowded into his mind. Above all, he couldn't explain what he had experienced and seen.
“My lord… I… we retreated when we could have fought, and when it seemed we had no chance, we won. What happened? their warlord had proven to be a skilled and shrewd commander, while today his leadership was confusing and suicidal."

“That's because their warlord wasn't leading them. He died two nights ago. Leading them were several commanders eager to excel, convinced only that they had to compete for the spoils of a beaten and demoralized enemy. Too many heads, too many ideas, too little experience"
Tek'totiki couldn't follow the conversation. It seemed too absurd to him.
"Died? how did he die? it wasn't us... what killed him?”

Lord Temmu smiled placidly.
“His victories killed him”
“huh? how…?”
“Success and envy are a lethal combination, in the society of our enemies. If you create the right conditions, your enemy will defeat himself. As the Great Plan wills”

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A Promise of Hope
(Jul-aug 2024, theme was "Hope and/or Despair" ; this story endend at the FIRST place on 5 entries)

Some stats:
this was my 26th story in this competition, and my 10th victory!

Spoiler: A Promise of Hope

A PROMISE OF HOPE

“just… one more… mile…”

The panting skink ran through the jungle. The pace of breathing was too fast, punctuated by a gasp every now and then.

“Oh great Huanchi… I am Te’Piki… Your humble servant… I beg you… give me the strength of the jaguar… to run… another…. mile".

The skink ran across a clearing of razor grass. When she emerged, numerous reddish scratches marked her legs, overlapping with other similar, slightly older scratches.

The skink ran awkwardly, carrying a suspiciously bloated shoulder bag, holding it in her arms so as not to bounce it.

The skink had a shield strapped to its back, and an empty scabbard at its side. The sword lost who knows where.

The skink ran.

“The top… of the hill. The top… of the hill. Then I'll look... behind. Then… I will rest.”

The top of the hill was a black ridge against the reddish sky, dazzled by the setting sun. When the skink reached it, she carefully placed her bag on the grass, then collapsed to the ground, her back resting against the trunk of a drum tree.

Panting, she looked in the direction she had come from.

The sky was boiling with greenish and purple clouds, behind the mist and the foliage of the tallest plants, the flashes of distant flames could be glimpsed… the flashes of the fire that was consuming the no more visible temple-city.

The clouds slowly expanded, no birds sang.

“I made so much noise that I must have scared them…”

Then the skink saw, from under a bush, a pair of eyes staring at him. The wide, glassy eyes of a howler monkey sprawled on the ground, motionless, its fur stained with spilled vomit.

“I have to keep running.”

---------

And the race went on. For almost a week, further and further west, always keeping the green clouds behind, always protecting the shoulder bag.

Every day a little slower than the previous one (“I should have already been at Thepulchan mangrove forest…”)

Every day with a greater need to rest ("What was that noise? I have to keep moving...")

Every day more and more hungry (“Corruption may have preceded me. I can't risk eating infected food...")

And so the flight continued, incessant, breathless. Fortunately, the skink was no longer alone. Pik'Ta'Ko, her dearest brother from the spawning pool, had joined her. He too was running away, he too was going towards the other temple city.

“I saw you die…”, Te’Piki had told him

“Don't be silly, how could I be here if I were dead?”, Pik'Ta'Ko replied.

And so they ran together for miles, remembering the days of training, the pranks on the saurus knights when they mixed the sleep flower with the food of the aggradons before the parade, the lazy swims in the Xanthi river, following the currents of warm water and try to catch by surprise the blot toads lost in their amorous serenades.

Until the warm water turned cold, and Te'Piki regained clarity. She was of course alone, with her legs immersed in the water of a swamp, in the late twilight, surrounded by the croaking of toads.

“For the Old Ones, I ended up in a swamp…”

Then Te'Piki realized.

“I'm in a swamp... it's salamander mating season. You should never go to the swamps during the salamander mating season."

The skink placed very delicately the shield on the water, like a small boat, putting the bag inside it. Then, very slowly, she began to swim, trying to disturb the waters as little as possible, trying to follow the few weak currents that could take her out of that trap.

“Caxuatn, God of predators, turn away from me the gaze of the flame-bearers. Tzunki, God of the waters, guide me through Your kingdom. Conalxa, God of shadows, hide me in Your cloak. Itzl, God of beasts, grant me to save Your children.”

And Te'Piki swam all night, silent and unable to feel her legs for the cold, letting the currents guide her, praying to Caxuatn, Tzunki, Conalxa and Itzl, until the marshes were behind her, until the first lights of dawn showed a landing place, until Te'Piki understood why she had been so lucky.

The salamanders had also arrived at the beach.

Dozens of bloated, rotting bodies… the carcasses had been carried downstream, pushed by the same currents Te'Piki had swum, piling up near the beach. No scavenger birds dared approach, only the flies were attracted by the fetid bodies.

Te'Piki left the river, and headed west.

---------

Day followed day, but time was now a blur. Sunrise behind her, sunset ahead. And in the middle a dull pain.

Something had followed Te'Piki from the swamp. Something in the water, the same something that had decreed the end of the salamanders. Something growing inside her, slowly but surely.

Since three days her breathing had become a gurgling hiss. Since two days she had been bleeding from her mouth and nose. Since a day she had felt something moving under the skin of her scratched legs that had been immersed in the water. It didn’t mattered.

Sunrise behind her.

“just… one more… mile…”

Sunset ahead.

---------

Confused memories accompanied Te'Piki. The Ritual of imprinting. The eggs that hatched, the baby aggradons that stared into her eyes, losing themselves in her gaze… her, the first living being there for them, their mother, who would protect and nourish them. And even years later, when they would have been nine feet tall seasoned killers, rode by Saurus Knights, they would have looked for Te'Piki, warbling the Song of Union.

“I’ve said stop! Don't take another step!"

Te'Piki shook herself out of her trance. She tried with difficulty to focus her gaze in front of her... the indistinct figures slowly became a skink priest, some saurus warriors and a couple of handlers with a salamander.

Te'Piki, exhausted, finally fell to his knees.

She tried to speak, despite the pain in her throat.

"I am the Chief Handler of the temple city of Xunt'la. We have been attacked by the forces of the ruinous powers"

The skink priest raised his hand, interrupting her.

"We know. Lord Baathrax is containing the plague, while we prepare the counterattack. But you brought the corruption with you... I’m sorry, but you can't continue."

He nodded towards the salamander.

“Your remains will be cleansed.”

Te'Piki nodded "I know, I’m not here to save myself."

She pushed the bag forward.

"There are two Crested Aggradons’ eggs in here. The ones we preserved from corruption, the last of their kind. Save them."

The priest looked at Te'Piki, a deep sadness in his eyes.

"Look... you've been traveling for over 2 weeks. Even if they hadn't been corrupted, and that's very difficult, there's no way anything could have survived all that time, away from the hatching grounds."

"NO!" Te'piki coughed up blood.

"No... the eggs were protected. Wrapped in enchanted cloth. The High Priest of Chotek gave them warmth, as if they never left the hatching grounds; the High Priest of Potek shielded them from the supernatural touch of Chaos. Please..."

The priest looked at the bag in front of him, thoughtfully.

"Even if it were, you've been running all this time... they will have been tossed around. The protection of the Old Ones might not have been enough. Dozens of things could have gone wrong. You're holding on to a very slim hope."

"Please... they are the last thing that remains of my city. Tell me I didn't do it all for nothing. Tell me there's a chance."

The priest remained silent. He grabbed the bag.”Such a thin hope…”

“But is there, yes?”

The priest turned his back to Te’Piki. “Yes, there is. May the Old Ones welcome you in the Celestial Spawning Pool”.

The priest went away. Te’Piki smiled, with blood tears in her eyes. The salamander closed in.

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(in the version posted here, it has been fixed the She/he. tnx )