Sinful Pride - Volume 1 Chapter 19 Demands

Noon. Keita and the rest of the party arrived at Bloodguard.

“This is Bloodguard?” Keita couldn’t help than ask.

“You are the one with the map you know.” Lia remarked.

“I mean… This is Bloodguard but…” the stronghold made Keita fall in a daze. “It used to be…” he said before stopping himself.

“Used to be what?” Lia asked him.

“Nothing, never mind.” he quickly responded.

The stronghold was in ruins. The walls were overgrown with vegetation and while the stone walls still stood they were full of cracks and holes.

‘200 years is a long time for the world to change.’ Keita thought the words he spoke in the past. ‘This is a shell of it’s former glory…’

He felt saddened. This fort was the symbol of the many wars humans and Demons waged. It had changed hands many times over the long years of battle and was supposed to be the most well defended stronghold in the human realm. Now it was just ruin. Forgotten and abandoned.

“At least we know the Orcs are here” Reika’s voice brought him back in reality. She pointed at the fort.

A ranger’s eyes were truly outstanding. Keita and the others had to stare for a long time before they made out banners and spikes at the top of the walls. The spikes had human heads on them. A way to intimidate would be conquers.

“Let’s go.” Keita said resolutely and the others quietly followed.

They made their way towards the gate. It was new. A hulking metal gate, crudely made by the Orcs. They weren’t craftsmen after all but the gate was intimidating enough to make everyone think that no battering ram could penetrate it.

Two Orc guards were standing there. They readied their weapons but didn’t move from their posts. The Orcs on the wall were looking, ready to throw javelins at them at any time.

“Lia.” Keita gave the signal to the young Mage.

“Comprehend Languages : Orcish.” she chanted the spell. A faint, small magic circle formed in front Keita’s mouth and then disappeared.

Comprehend Languages was a relatively new spell. Made for the humans for negotiating with other races. It was easier to master than actually learning other languages and many Militia mages learned it to get information from other creatures such as Goblins, Orcs and Dragonborn.

“I have come here to speak to your leader. Tell her I am the brown-haired kid.” called Keita at their language.

The two guards looked each other. They knew what to do in this kind of situation but they had never met a human calling for their leader. If it was an Orc or a Demon they would not have hesitated but why was a human coming to speak to them? If it was to negotiate terms, they needed to have their general decide whether to hear them or not – or just kill them. They whispered among themselves before one of them entered the half opened gate and left.

The fort was huge. It took some time before Keita felt Wrath’s magic power behind the walls.

“Get back. She might attack on sight.” he told the others. He did say he came to talk but with Wrath’s personality, she was unpredictable. He gripped his blade and regretted not using Haste and Shroud before. If he did now, he could alert the guards on the wall.

“What the hell is this?” he heard Reika’s terrified voice behind him. She was pale and visibly sweating. “Nao we need to get out of here. Now!” she yelled.

The others looked at Reika with confused eyes. Keita though, understood her bizarre behavior.

“So you can feel magic power too? Now that I think about it, you said something about it when we talked. It’s a good ability to have as a ranger.” Keita said without looking at her.

“You…” she stammered in her speech. Her characteristic playful tone was replaced with one of fear. “You actually plan to fight… that?” she said.

Keita just nodded his head. The others didn’t know what to think of this. Sensing magic power without it being used for a skill was a talent only few possessed but they could guess the enemy’s power from Reika’s reaction.

“Just get back. If you stay close to me, I won’t be able to guarantee your safety.” he told the others and they took their distance.

“I thought you were a bit touched in the head after what you said at the inn but I was wrong.” Reika said as she laughed awkwardly. “You are completely insane!”

Keita did not answer. His eyes were glued to the metal gates. He felt the brown dirt with his feet and prepared for combat at any second. Wrath was just behind those gates with an army of Orcs next to her.

She had her helmet in one hand. Her dark purple full plate armor shinned in the sunlight. Her humongous double axe was hanging behind her back. She was not ready. If Keita attacked now, he could take her head.

“So you came.” she said. “You said to my men you want to talk. What do you want?” Wrath was staring at him with her red eyes, radiating strength.

Keita was speechless. This isn’t the Wrath he knew. She was calm, collected, focused. He expected her to attack right away after what happened the last time they met. Something was different. Something changed.

“I am here to challenge you in single combat.” he said. He pushed his thought in the corner of his head. He could not be distracted when fighting Wrath.

“I see. That’s why you came…” Wrath remarked. She wore a weird expression. Something Keita couldn’t remember ever seeing before. “Your demands?”

“Your Orcs get out of human lands, the way the came and release any slaves you took from the humans lands.” said Keita. The victor of single combat could make one demand to the defeated in Orc culture. Usually since it was a fight between a clan leader and someone else, that demand was to take his place and the leader could demand anything from his family. It was after all a battle to the death so demanding something for the opponent to do, wouldn’t make sense.

“You are an outsider. You have no right to challenge me unless you have something of equal value for me to demand from you.” said Wrath. She was still calm as ever.

“What do you want?” Keita did not know about such rules. He was no expert in Orc culture and only knew the few things he heard from Wrath.

“Let’s see… You have no weapon of value so I guess the only thing left for me to have after we are done is your corpse. I guess that will do. When I win I will take your corpse back with me to the Demon realm.” she said.

“You want to turn me into a Demon?” asked Keita. This was a fate he did not desire. He didn’t want to go back. If he did he wasn’t sure he could keep his pride in check. It would be just a repeat of what happened 200 years ago. He had no clue where Wrath found the idea of turning him into a Demon but with the Demon Lord’s help, she could do it.

“This is my demand. It’s not a bad deal. You won’t remember anything after. Besides if you are not confident you can win, you can always go back. We won’t give chase. Do you accept or not?” Wrath said with a smug smile. She was taunting Keita and it was working.

Keita was angry. It was the first time Wrath’s words affected him. He knew though that his pride was just acting up. He tried to calm himself and think with a clear mind.

“I accept.”