chapter 13- Natives of the realm

(vaxus)

Within the red stronghold.

"Do my men have no honor, no shame? I come back after my travels to the far west, and what do I hear? Civil war in my own brotherhood, not for power, but betrayal. Fools, the lot of you!" I shouted.

"Commander, I tried to stop it, but the opposition was led by none other than Gorberg. He rallied the people up with the dream of paradise and tricked them. He can't offer them anything, remember Commander Vaxus, he was from the High Sanctum. It was expected of him to betray the brotherhood," Forolent said, a hunchbacked goblin. Instead of the usual green color, his skin was white and grayish. "We have chained him up and put him in custody. He is not armed, and all that followed him are in the same condition, Commander. We can't harm too many of our people, like you said - we are family, bound not by blood but by spirit. Your words, remember?"

"I remember, Forolent. I have duties I need to attend to after. I need to meet the main man himself." I clad myself in a dark fur cloak. The city that was once the most populated stronghold on the surface levels is now sparsely in ruins. The sky was black, the streets filled with beasts and men of every kind. Above, dark clouds lit with ominous flashes, clapping every once in a while. The houses abandoned, there wasn't much humanity or any living thing in sight. Yet, it didn't mean all was lost. We had built ourselves up from the chaos. Sure, we came from slums and outposts outside the main stronghold, but we were conquerors, survivors - we were the brotherhood.

I reached the dark keep where we have many culprits and captives in our grasp. We could use it for negotiation if need be, but I need to meet an old friend. I wasn't sure what his deal was, but if he got in contact with the Storm King, then that means that man has known about us for a while. Gorberg might have leaked intelligence of our bases, our hideouts, or our weapons.

"Commander." "Commander," the patrolling guards saluted me. They weren't clad in armor, armor slows one down. Instead they are clad in dark fashion, cloaks and hats, and masks, holding rifles in their arms. "Be at ease, men."

Opening the door, I came face to face with what seemed like a half-dead man. His face was black and blue from the beating, his eye socket hollow. He could barely be recognized anymore.

Sigh Looking at the sight, it haunted me just how much my men are willing to betray me even when they know the laws our brotherhood upholds.

"Gorberg, I expected better. I expec-" "You expected what? Once you left, you abandoned us to fend for ourselves. Half your force was lost. Those mist clawers came and breached our walls. It took days to retake it back, and now you're here, still intact, taking command? What right do you have to stand before us? Tell me, WHAT RIGHT?" He screamed the last part, anger exacerbated in his voice. I knew this man was lost, but I needed him back. I needed my friend back.

"Look, I left to find the last hope for all of us. I need- No, we all needed this chance." "So did you find it, or was it a waste of your time? Tell me, oh great commander."

I stayed silent. I wasn't sure whether to tell him. I needed to lie and say I didn't, but I wanted to give him hope, that spark back once more before the great battle that might occur.

"I didn't find anything. Waste of my time," I lied. It wasn't unfamiliar to me.. I had done so many times as commander, yet it still hurt.

"YEAH, a fucking waste of all our times, believing in some bullshit like yours. The brotherhood isn't a rebellious force, or even a force at all, just lowly-born with nowhere better to go but to gang up against a system that has downgraded all of you all your lives. But unlike your false hope, I was given real hope, my chance to go back home, go back to my house."

"So you choose the King's side over us." "I choose my family, my blood," he said. "You did not make the right choice you choose wrong. Your house, your noble lineage, have been castrated since the first dawn uplifting. They've disgraced their house for many years. They are violent, selfish, and afraid to face the real world. I thought you were better. You were banished by them, for in their words being 'weak', but I know what their definition of weak is - someone with a heart. You have a heart, my friend. I have seen it, I have witnessed it. Don't fight it, be who you are."