Prophecy

Nero, Fiore and Griffin looked upon the Litchen Hoard's village, lit up with great blazing fires that let fly clouds of orange embers that skirmished in the night sky, a night sky that much to Nero's wonder, contained two dimly lit moons "Phobos and Deimos, that's gonna take some getting used to..." Nero whispered to himself, smiling at the otherworldly sight, Fiore took Nero by the arm, pointing excitedly up at the tall stone spire on which Chief Ulsa resided, seeing how it now glowed with golden stones, it's summit glowing with a great flaming brazier, giving it the appearance of a gigantic glowing torch

"Look, Nero, Cheiftan Ulsa is ready for the Ritual of Bloodkinship!" Fiore exclaimed with Joy, Griffin leaned in

"What did she say?" She asked curiously, Nero had only just realised... though He had learned their language, Griff had not, this could serve to be slightly awkward, playing translator for Her

"The Ritual is ready, I should head up there I guess?" Nero said, shrugging at Griff who merely smiled at his clear nervousness

"Hmmm, listen, I have a couple of things to take care of, I will meet with You a little later," Griffin said softly, raising her helmet up, Nero watched with curiosity, surely it wouldn't fit with Her horns in the way? Yet, as she slipped the Beaked Helmet over her forehead, the carvings on her Horns glowed an ominous orange, their form thinning and wavering until they faded away, the silver fitting smoothly over her head, Her horns apparently all but gone. Griffin looked at him through the lenses on her helmet, Nero had little doubt that she was probably still smiling at him

"I'll explain in while, go on, best not to keep the Chief waiting." She said, Her voice sounding oddly deeper and darker from within the confines of Her mask, Nero nodded, looking at Griffin's silver form one last time before waving her off, travelling with Fiore through the camp which was even more seeped in the mayhem of celebration, the Litchen Men and women jumping and dancing, a light blueish liquid that Nero was sure was Boora spilling over their heavy wooden cups.

He watched as the Litchen Women would swoon at him, biting their dark lips and puffing out their busts as He passed, presenting themselves to him in their skimpy tribal outfits, a few even threw themselves at his feet, worshipping in tones that were simultaneously hopeful and lustful, begging him to take them as a mate, Fiore hastening in dragging him away swiftly.

Nero had to keep Fiore from falling over as she pulled him along, He was more than experienced with dealing with drunk people, Max and Aaron never could hold their liquor, He was especially doubtful that she could climb the stairway, though she quickly solved that for him when she leapt onto him, wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly so that He could carry Her with him.

Fiore's body pressed against his torso, her smiling and giggling face pushed against his cheek "You are so great, Warwolf..." She slurred into his ear

"Thanks, Fiore, I think You're great too," He said, climbing the stairs carefully, tumbling down these bad boys would not end well.

"You do! Greater than that Griff Griff woman, Fioremika can't compare to Her, she's... sexy and *Hiccup* Strong, She has shiny armour..." She said, her voice swollen with sorrow, Nero paused, stopping midstep to look her dead in the eyes

"Are You Deaf and Blind?" He said seriously, Fiore flushing at his sudden aggression "What part of You isn't sexy, those thighs, these boobs, You're a Knockout!" He said confidently, Fiore raised an eyebrow

"Why would I be giving Knockouts?" Fiore asked innocently, Nero rolled his eyes touching her cheeks softly

"What I'm trying to say, is that You are Beautiful, I saw You in Karzkja, You kicked ass, so that makes You strong too. Fioremika is just as amazing as Griffin, there's no need to intimidated." He assured with all of his ability, Fiore flushed furiously, pressing her lip together as she tried to blink away tears "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned that He had broken some other unknown

"No one has... ever been so nice to me." She whispered, hugging him tightly as she sniffled "Your Fioremika Loves You, Nero." She whispered gently, He... really liked Fiore, she made him feel warm inside, it was strange, He didn't recall ever having someone this devoted to him, He wrapped his arms around her, burying his cheek in her long Silver hair. The little heart to heart seemed to sober Fiore up a bit, lowering herself down from him and taking his hand "Come... Ulsa is waiting, Warwolf." She said, face beet red, her smile never faltering as she guided Nero up the stairway to the Spire's top.

Nero paused as they reached to spire's top... and, well it certainly devoured all of Nero's attention looking in awe at the sight before him.

The entire space was decorated in those strange golden crystals, slotted into the carved arches where Colour glass also hang, bathing the space in beams of shifting Golds, Blues and Purple. Hung upon the walls were many silken cloths of ruby red that swayed in the cool night air.

Every single warrior of the Hoard was present, Nero looking on with wide-eyed as He saw that they wore no clothing, but had painted their nude bodies with Azure chalk and Violet paint, their hair whipping widely as they danced rhythmically in a tight circle, chanting incoherently as the great brazier above blazed with its rapturous inferno.

Half intrigued, half weirded out, Nero felt Fiore stand up on her tiptoes to his him on the cheek whispering a simple "Good luck, Sweet Warrior." Before scuttling off back down the stairs. Nero couldn't tear his eyes away from the whirlwind of naked bodies, unsure of just to make of the sight, He was however suddenly fixed with the eyes of the dancing Warriors who all came to an immediate halt, starring at him momentarily before an especially athletic and familiar Warrior stepped forward.

Baj, Her one good eye staring conspicuously as she approached him, knelt elegantly at his feet "Great Warwolf, Son of our great Sovereign, why have You come?" She spoke ceremoniously, the other Warriors staring expectantly.

Nero swallowed "This... ought to be interesting." Gathering his courage and taking a deep breath, He played along "For the Bloodkinship Ritual." He said, sounding quite stoic and surprising himself. Baj's lips arched into a wide smile, all four of her arms raising widely

"You have come to become One with Ulsa, Chieftan of the Great Hoard; the Largest and most powerful Litchen Tribe to ever Be!?" She called to him

"I Have." He said resolutely, despite the slight nervous fluttering in his stomach. Baj suddenly stomped her feet hard on the ground below, clapping her hands rhythmically after turning to the warrior

"Ush'akka, Ush'akka, K'illik ala Horaa!? (Warriors, Warriors, Who conjoins with Hoard!?)" She called in a chanting tone. The Warrior's mirrored her movement, stomping hard and clapping their hands in rhythm

"Vaako-Vollukar, Vaako-Vollukar!! (The Warwolf, The Warwolf!!)" They sang in response, their feet stomping to the rhythm as they hummed and whistled in their strange tones, slowly separating to show what they had been surrounding in their circle.

In the centre of the group, laid upon a large bed of soft black furs and Blue silk blankets, was Chief Ulsa, dressed in a loose tribal garb that came down to her knees, the white fabric stitched with patterns that resembled overlapping sand dunes.

Paired with a necklace of pure gold, that lay across her neck, paired with a tall, azure blue ritual crown that's sharp ridges jutted in all directions, resembling the rising sun.

Instead of inside being loose and the other being braided, Ulsa instead had her hair tied in one long intricate braid, the overlapping Red and white shining in the heavy firelight. Like the other parts of her that Nero could see, Her face was painted with white and blue chalk, the patterns like ocean waves, highlighting her high cheekbones, cute nose and wide lips that had been painted black.

Ulsa's eyes fixed on Nero, though Her stare was soft, her face gently as she tested her eye upon him.

She looked really beautiful, in a strange primal sort of way, so much so that He nearly didn't notice Baj, marching to the Spire's edge as the Warrior's sang, tearing away one of the long coverings of red silk to reveal the village bellow, the sea of tents and fire pits, dancing bodies and singing voices all coming to a halt as Baj called to them

"HOARD OF FALLGRIM; THE UNTOUCHED VALLEY, HEAR ME!" Baj cried, her voice echoing through the fire shadowed Valley, hundred's of thousands of Litchen voices booming in a call to attention at Baj's command.

Nero remained frozen in place, but listened keenly as Baj's song tickled his ears, her voice entwined with darkness and finality, Her words slow and haunting as her voice sank down and sprang back up in an echo-like bird carried high on a powerful current.

"From the Lips of Old Ghi'la I speak the work of the Children: Long is the day overcome by the night, the Void that shrouds our ilk in comforting shadow. Our sovereign watches from above, his body Black and vast like the ocean's of myth, his many fiery eyes watching from the sky. Brothers, sisters, Ghi'la whispers that He scowls at our pain and suffers Everlong at our hardship so that He cannot even shed tears to heal this Rust stricken land.

He sits on his throne in the ether, his Son and his daughter: Daimot and Philla, drowned in the abyss of the father's infinite body, letting free crimson whispers into the cracks of the Shaman's mind, muttering to Ghi'la of our saviour's coming!" She sang, the Litchen bellow, all looking above in awe and prayer

"And just as Shaman Ghi'la whispered, the Third child has finally come, wrapped in the red Fiore of War, a wolf who's hunt began in the Eye of the Father, descending to Yrden, to Join our Great Hoard, Bring forth the Rain and flood the sands with sea's of Azure, Liberating Marte from the Red Whore and fill the Wombs of the deserving as He mounts the World!"

This song of the Litchen God; the Sovereign they called him, something about it sat paradoxically in Nero's gut. On one side He thought it mad, A god who was the sky, the moons his children, Nero the third cast down to save the world "What kind of God sends his son to do his dirty work?"

He thought to himself, though as his mind slipped, to his other side, His mind stormed in a hurricane of the grandiose stories he had grown up with, all those days where He would sneak off to the library and Eye-candy, reading of eldritch gods of Greece and Iceland, of Ancient Egypt and old England.

The Song made his mind conjure pictures of a Black God in the sky, millions of fire laden eyes, his loyal children looking down in unison as they whispered to mortals of his prophesied coming.

But these thoughts were put aside by Nero since Baj had left the Spire's edge to Her mother.

Ulsa's eyes had never left him, watching him keenly as Baj knelt by her side, picking her mother up by the arms, the two standing beside one another, Her daughter speaking softly to Her mother who seemed to refuse to tear her eyes from Nero "Chietan Ulsa, Who do You conjoin with our Hoard?"

"The Warwolf." Ulsa said, holding her arms out for him.

Nero felt his feet move to meet the beckoning, it was insane how natural this all felt, just going with the flow as He moved past the still humming Warriors to meet Ulsa.

She looked stunning in this light, a most natural beauty, a mix of soft beauty and barbaric savagery, Nero stared down at Ulsa's face, taking in Her dual beauty as Baj spoke her word

"Speak the ancient words without fear of the dark, without regret and with absolute sincerity," Baj whispered. Ulsa spoke in her strong tone as Baj pulled three a decorated dagger, brandishing the blade upon her mother who freely offered her hand

"Nero, Warwolf of the Sovereign, will You mix of our blood's and in our union become one?" She asked softly, Nero nodded resolutely

"I will." He said, watching as Baj slid the blade's edge across Ulsa's palm, drawing blood.

"Will You mate with me, Share with me Your favour and share with me the Power of the Hoard?" She asked. Nero smiled stoically, his mind distracted by nothing as He spoke

"I will." Nero said strongly, making no effort to halt her as Baj took his hand and slid its edge across his palm, the pain mixed with his erupting scarlet blood barely pulling him from the moment as He looked into Ulsa's eyes.

"With the exchange of Blood, Ulsa and Nero will become One." Baj chanted with the other's around them, watching as Nero raised his hand, pressing him bleeding palm into Ulsa's, their blood's conjoining as the pain began to waver and the Singing voices drew into an eery silence.