Chapter 46

Crnnch carefully placed the statuette onto the light emitter and sent the beam of coherent light into the depths of the construct. Almost immediately he was drawn into the incredible 3D image it projected around him, showing a pastoral scene and village where Yr’ch appeared to be working in harmony.

“Welcome, Crnnch,” a soft voice stated in perfect Yr’chan.

“Where is this? And who are you,” he enquired once he could find his voice.

“I am the goddess Ar-Thenna. This is the home of the free Yr’ch.”

“Free?”

“Free from Beog and the strictures he places upon the Yr’ch. Free from the doom the current regime is taking them towards.”

“Yes, I have been trained to observe patterns and see the consequences of the paths that actions will beget. Sooner or later our society will tear itself apart. We can keep expanding, but that reduces the oversight of the Beoghra who remain on Draenoric. It is not really living for those on the outer worlds and already our enemies have set in motion plans to bring us down ... successfully.”

“They are not the enemy of my Yr’ch. They will live in peace with them and allow them to grow, but not conquer.”

“We were made to conquer!” some of the old lessons from the reformatory came back before he could think to stop them.

“And what has it brought you? Sterile worlds with your people existing, not living.”

“That is true enough,” he sighed.

“And what of the destiny of the Akhhlognuisi, the Crach, the Enterlech, even the Vultoq? What of the other races whose destiny you extinguished when you did not have to?”

“We were told we had to conquer ... Beog himself demanded it!”

“And what does Beog get out of it?”

“I ... do not know...”

“Power, Crnnch. He gets power. Yet does he use it for his people, making their lives better?”

“No...”

“He hoards it; doling out pitiful amounts, just enough to keep the Beoghra in charge. The self-same Beoghra who live in splendour on Draenoric in their palaces with their servants and who wipe out the Yr’ch should they decide they are a means to an end as they did on Craachan,” the goddess stated, putting Crnnch’s worst fears into words.

“There are those on the Beoghra who realise this. They would speak to you, if you are willing,” Crnnch eventually replied.

“I cannot go to Draenoric. That is the world of Beog and I am not powerful enough to face him yet.”

“You admit weakness?”

“I speak only truth. One day Beog and I will have a reckoning. Today is not that day, nor will it be tomorrow. I am not all powerful, not all seeing. I am merciful; I care for my people and ensure they live good lives as true Yr’ch should.”

“A god who does not lie would be a good start,” Crnnch nodded.

“The inquisitor returns, we will speak again. Go with the blessing of Ar-Thenna,” the voice said as Crnnch felt suffused by warmth and a feeling that he had not ever experienced before since the time he was taken from his mother to be ‘educated’ by the regime. He felt loved.

“Did you manage to scan him?” Roxanne asked Athena.

“Yes, I gave the details to the Seers, but that shield is not going to be easy to duplicate. Though hopefully Crnnch will not be an enemy to worry much about for much longer.”

“We should be able to get something to break it though,” Jemima added.

“Good, Crnnch is not the only Seeker,” Roxanne nodded. “How is your work coming along?” this to Athena.

“Very well, the new handmaids have settled in well and the population is establishing a pattern I hope to make the norm. Pugard is now my equivalent of a mayor and fusses about making the village ‘aesthetically’ pleasant to look at and live in. Frunt is happy as my new high priest and the Orcs are happy to have him explain the ‘book of Athena’ in terms they can use in their daily lives, something neither I nor Gregorius were able to do so well.”

“Why was that?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Too much bowing and scraping,” she chuckled. “I have an effect on ordinary Orcs and Gregorius was feared as my prophet. Frunt is just a fussy old priest with a knack for using the book to bring out the best in the Orcs.”

“How many now?”

“Just over a thousand, a mere drop in the ocean,” Athena sighed.

“You may well get more from Blensop,” Roxanne added.

“Will need another village; but yes, I’m prepared for that, as is Gregorius.”

“There’s a place for you both with the team who are after the original Orb, if you want it?”

“Might be best, not like you can guarantee word won’t get out and a Thaumaturge turns up. I’d be surprised if they didn’t have contingency plans by now. Though Crnnch didn’t know of any.”

“Their higher society seems very compartmentalised,” Jemima mused. “A lot of one hand not knowing what the other is doing.”

“Yes, I got that impression too,” Athena nodded. “Society on Draenoric is stratified. Three higher classes, Thaumaturges, Technologists and Military. There are a good few lower classes, but they are there to serve and, if good enough, worm their way into the upper classes. It’s very competitive according to Crnnch, once chosen into a class by some sort of process, that’s it, you’re in it for life.”

“All ... souled?” Arch asked.

“Most of them. The cloning tanks are all located on Draenoric, including, I suspect, the original subjects and they have a couple of hordes ready to go in case they need them. They can grow a full military horde in about a month.”

“We’ll need to prioritise those, if or when we get around to Draenoric,” Arch nodded.

“Will be a while unless we face something unusual in the plan ... such as the Higher Powers getting personally involved,” Roxanne replied.

“Let’s hope not,” I added with a wry smile.

“Aye, I doubt anyone would come out of that scenario well, our goddess here included,” Roxanne chuckled.

“Very true, once you’re in the big leagues, a life is such a tiny immaterial thing to most of them. I should know, I was one, yet I do hope my fall from grace wised me up and I’ll be a better Power, if or when I return to that form,” Athena shrugged.

“Amen to that,” Roxanne nodded.

“So they are led by a goddess?” Brnnt asked Crnnch when they held their weekly meeting.

“She did not say,” Crnnch shrugged.

“She must be in charge, surely?” Karkol mused.

“The feeling I got, and it’s only a feeling, is that this is some form of co-operative venture against us. A venture that would leave this Ar-Thenna in charge, but not necessarily the driving force behind it. She did admit to not knowing all, nor being all powerful,” Crnnch carefully replied.

The two Archimandrites were quiet, clearly deep in thought before Brnnt turned and nodded to Crnnch. “Your perception seems wise. It would be folly to be presumptuous of a Power we know little about.”

“Indeed, it would require a great deal of ability to attack us in the variety of ways that they have,” Karkol agreed. “Ways which do not match those of the Power we do know, nor the races we have observed.”

“She alluded to her intent to cast Beog down, but not until her power at least matches his. I got the feeling the number of worshippers she currently has is low,” Crnnch added.

“We must try to rectify that,” Karkol nodded. “I take it that you intend to follow her?”

“Yes, revered Archimandrites, I do.”

“As will we. It will be a pleasure to serve a goddess who is at least competent,” Brnnt chuckled.

“That said, be cautious, Seeker. Discovery of your new ... allegiance will only lead to your ... and our, deaths and the possible destruction of our race. The task we now give you is to aid our new goddess, Ar-Thenna, to enable her to achieve her goal and save as many of our people as is possible,” Karkol added. “Do not take undue risks, but if she requests aid, help her with all your abilities. We will do our level best to keep this idiot Inquisitor away from you as we intend to draw him into an investigation of Archimandrite Chusok.”

“Yes, revered Archimandrites. It will be a pleasure to assist in saving our race,” Crnnch replied before he was dismissed.

“It seems strange...” Karkol began.

“Strange?” Brnnt asked into the silence.

“To have hope, brother.”

“Yes, brother, it is indeed. Now, let us prepare to have this Inquisitor start investigating Chusok ... in the name of the Most High, naturally.”

“All is prepared?” Roxanne asked as the various teams were assembling.

“Yes, Mage Roxanne,” came several replies.

“Right, let’s unleash hell on Blensop and may God have mercy on our souls for the price the innocent may pay.”

Hidden portals were opened to the various sites we had targeted for ground force action. The various teams and their scouts and defenders streamed through them into the diverse locations we had chosen.

My team were part of the effort against the master Orb and on this occasion had Seers Jemima and Abi with us along with Arch and Roxanne. I wasn’t sure how they managed it, but the Seers had wangled their way into danger yet again, though I could tell Roxanne (amongst others) wasn’t any too happy about it. Still we were in position to attack the deep base where the master Orb was. As far as I could tell, we were undetected. I watched the outside of the base intently as the countdown reached the appointed moment and felt the immense electromagnetic pulse sweep over the town and the base, affecting any units not shielded or hardened via Faraday cages. Jemima and Abi then winked out, one to the inside of the base and the other to a nearby river and bored, ‘Mage Style’, a tunnel directly from one to the other.

“Risky,” I murmured to Roxanne.

“Aye, but they are apparently doing it whilst out of phase and claim we High Mages don’t have the ability to do that,” she sighed.

“Ah, did wonder.”

“Council gave the go ahead, hence the wait as there was no way I was going to sanction it.”

“Can understand why,” I chuckled, seeing the wry grins of my team and a few others.

Jemima and Abi winked back into view, grinning like Cheshire cats, “All done, the base is flooding,” Jemima stated.

“Sometimes I think you only give answers that enable you to have fun,” I chuckled.

“Couldn’t possibly comment,” Jemima replied to the background of a snort from Roxanne at her answer.

“Lenna, lead the way!” Roxanne commanded as our group swept towards the doors of the deep underground bunker complex.

The doors were rapidly disintegrated and collapsed as a massive backflow of water gushed out of them, bringing along a mass of dead Orcs who had been caught out by the powerful flood of water that had poured into the base.