Natural Magic

Chapter 36 - Defeat

Blue fire rained down on the buildings of Hurraggh. Another screech split the air.

“It’s attacking the city!” came a panicked cry. The Merrowcrack Khan pointed helplessly.

The golden dot which issued them forth soared furiously over the adobe buildings as the orcs watched on silently.

Kairon turned to the on looking orcs, to his panel of khans consumed by fear, to Justafar who returned the glance coolly. Some of the Hurraggh citizens were remotely interested in the flamebeast, but most had shifted their attention back to the fight. No one screamed. No one rushed to gather possessions from burning buildings.

The fight had turned out everyone. Mothers carried babies, and even those who passed for the frail among orcs were in attendance.

Kairon started marching towards Justafar, saying, “We need your team assembled. The beast is loose, do you not see?”

Merrowcrack, Boldbreak, and Bloodboil, dressed in finest regalia for the event, had elbowed and shouldered their way to the ring. “Stop the fight! Stop the fight! Quickly, to the city!”

Justafar held up a hand in response, stopping Kairon, the Khans, and those observing the fight, before pointing at the rope circle Kairon was about to cross.

“You’re binding me with this struggle for dominance? Here? Now?” Kairon asked intensely.

“Skullcrush, you have some nerve! Our city is in danger! All that food going to waste!” The Khans backed him up with nods and murmurs.

A voice came from behind Kairon and the crowd’s attention shifted. Penelope was standing again, taking a ready pose.

“This is more important,” she said.

Kairon held his arms out in an expansive gesture.

“Look at yourself. You’re broken, having thrown your body upon rocks. Will you not surrender and spare us all the time it would take me to wear you down completely?”

Merrowcrack chuckled, “Child, you have some persistence, I’ll grant you that. But no one has defeated Lord Kairon.” He glanced nervously at Kairon.

“Are you afraid?” she asked, ignoring Merrowcrack’s jeers.

After a beat to process this, Kairon said, “If I am afraid, I am afraid for these people’s livelihoods.”

“My Lord,” Merrowcrack started, trying to hold him back by his arm.

He shrugged the orc off and started walking slowly towards Penelope.

“If I am afraid, I am afraid of what you are throwing away.”

He stopped just out of her reach, but well within his.

“If I am afraid, I am afraid for you.”

Penelope did not flinch as he neared.

“Well, I am afraid,” she said, keeping her eyes on his hands and center of mass, “I am afraid of what you’re doing to my people.”

Kairon chuckled. It sounded breathy, like he was out of practice.

“What do you think I’m doing to the orcs of this city? What malfeasance am I performing? Do you think me a corrupt official?” He held a hand delicately to his chest and chuckled again.

“We are thriving, child!” Merrowcrack called to her. “We live with excess, no longer just meal to meal. Let’s put this nonsense away and save what we’ve built!”

“I think you’re twisting them,” Penelope announced for all to hear, “I think you’re making us into something we’re not.”

A building in the distance collapsed, its structure giving away to heat and deformity.