Fleas - Songs of the Gnolls I

THIRST 4.10

Dawn had barely broken when they set out. The hard, prickly grasses of the savannah did not make for a good breakfast. Going hungry would be worse. The dry wind blew dust particles mercilessly over him, drying his nose and eyes. According to Huauau, the hyaenid who had planned part of the escape, they would soon rejoin his tribe. Scourge of Mankind didn't quite trust him. Perhaps it was because of his very opposite nature. Huauau was a carnivore, and Scourge was meat.

An avian landed in front of him. Its anthropomorphic appearance was almost zero; instead of arms, it had large black wings, instead of legs, it had thin legs of an almost grayish yellow. And its eyes were two buttons, even blacker than the rest of its body. Surprisingly clear words came out of its beak.

"I see them. The tribe is over that hill. We will reach them in a short time."

"Go and warn them of our presence."

The avian took flight. It cawed like the crows above, and the others responded. A dozen of them went to the front, the rest hovered over the Imperial army. Scourge hated to speak human words, but alas, they had no language. Each species spoke in its own sounds. Hyaenids laughed and growled. Avians croaked and whistled. The trolls made long, low, almost imperceptible sounds. And the taurids... well, he was the only one left. He remembered the words, but they were words that matched the peace, the green of the grass, the warmth of the summer and the passing of the days. Even if there was another taurid, they could not talk about war, blood and death.

When they reached the top of the hill, the tribe came into view. Huauau ran to meet them. He was followed by Grwal and Mahrrat, two females who were eternally silent because their tongues had been cut out. After a few steps, both armies stopped, as if there was some kind of barrier between them. They all looked at each other, waiting for something, an aggression, a wave, a word... Huauau stood in the middle of the barrier and called to both leaders. Scourge approached him. On the other side, a female hyaenid with a huge sword, perhaps belonging to a legendary giant, but broken in the middle, answered the call. She looked eager. The fingers of her free hand flexed and stretched as if squeezing an invisible ball.

"You must be the emperor I've heard so much about. The gladiator who rose up against his masters and freed our own. Though it was too late for two of them, or at least their tongues."

"Many others lost more than that. The times were as they were meant to be. They call me the Scourge of Mankind."

The hyaenid laughed.

"Strange name."

"It is a promise."

"I understand. I am Helirah the Imposing. My voice reigns supreme in this tribe."

There was a clash of glances. It was natural for this to happen when disparate groups came together. Scourge had to bridge the gap with a show of force. He held out his hand. Helirah shook it. She was the first to squeeze. Her claws dug into the hard taurid skin as her smile grew. Scourge returned the favor, increasing the pressure. He had no desire to hurt her, but she, stubborn as she was, would not give in. He could not discern even a hint of pain in her eyes. She had reached her limit, but she would not give in. Scourge pushed a little harder. There was a crunching sound, she felt Helirah's hand tremble as her little finger slipped out of place. It still lingered... Resigned, he let go. She raised her hand and, with a sure and merciless movement, returned the finger to its place.

"You can break every bone in my body and I still won't kneel."

She turned away. The rest of the tribe gave her a standing ovation. Huauau looked at him and raised his shoulders in confusion.

Scourge thought he had put the worst of his problems behind, but he had just realized that the differences between the species in the Red Moon Empire posed an even greater danger than the humans themselves. He had to find a way to unite them all. And he would not do it by force, because that hyaenid would die before surrender. He had seen it in her fearless eyes. For a moment, he felt weak.