82 Chapter 10 - Raid the Slavers (2/2)
Kenji sat there a short while and waited for his terror to fade. The experience had been horrible, NEVER had he felt so overwhelmed by something like that, even Ash's personality had largely felt like something he had allowed to happen. This? This had felt like he had no choice, the Troll's innate phobia of fire an all-consuming experience that had extinguished Kenji's ability for higher reasoning in a flash of animalistic instinct.
Even fighting the Far King in Tariak hadn't felt the same, the Hellflame having consumed him long before the true all-consuming fear could take hold. After a short time, he heard the shouts of humans and ping of loosed arrows continue, and Kenji knew he just had to suck it up.
Like being stuck with terrible players in a team match, Kenji was just going to have to make do.
Rapidly turning into the Sun Elf Queen, Kenji flittered to the human back lines and cut a pair of throats before they could so much as croak surprise. Pushed forward with a torrent of wind, Kenji stabbed another hunter through the head, before an unsouled werewolf slammed into the earth beside him.
Lit by torchlight, and with a sun elf's perception, Kenji got his first good look at the foe. Without plague sure, but those yellow pupils were pinpricks, the whites of its eyes shining like beacons, while the werewolf's mouth let loose a constant river of drool.
Howling, it attacked. Bursting upward with a rush of wind Kenji got out of the way, and had to dodge a volley of targeted arrow fire from the remaining hunters. Activating this body's invisibility ring, Kenji slipped aside to rip through another pair of throats, before activating his illusions to terrify the enemy with his sudden numbers.
”Elves! Run for it, the elves have attacked too!” the hunters screamed, and retreated along with those human reinforcements that had been pulled from other parts of the camp. All together they became strong again, arrows fired in their masses towards anyone that followed, and their armoured warriors able to hold a werewolf in place long enough for another pair of magic casters to unleash their spells.
Along with them went the Unsouled werewolves, the enemy abandoning their camp and heading down the path towards Essenark. Roaring triumphantly, Kragg landed hard into the earth beside Kenji and took off at a sprint towards a long series of iron cages.
Breaking them open, a series of starved werewolves were freed, along with a series more warriors held tight by thick iron manacles.
”Kragg wonders, you are Kenji yes? Or you are a real elf?” Kragg said towards Kenji, the other werewolves staring at him with hungry eyes. Not taken in by this body's good looks, however, Kenji was pretty confident they were thinking about how he might taste instead.
”I'm a representative of the Hero Guild,” Kenji said, pointedly adressing the werewolves as a whole. ”My name is Kenji Aztec... but I reperesent so much more than that. Tonight, you have had just my help, but if you can shake of those that seek to destroy you I can make a pact between your people and my organisation to form a lasting state of prosperity. My merchants, my warriors, my crafters and my political protection will be blessed upon your people, and never again will you be a third-rate species consigned to the label of 'resource'.” Kenji's hard truths goaded reactionary snarls, several warriors and regular Werewolves stalking closer with shining claws and bared teeth. But he had them for the moment, and pressing on Kenji was confident he could seal the deal.
”With my help, your priestess has been returned, with my help this raid has been conducted with fewer casualties than you would have otherwise, and with my GUILD'S help, this success can be turned into a long-lasting period of mutual success. Your solution to all your problems is here, now tell me, will you spurn this chance...or seize it?”
The werewolves grumbled to each other, Kenji not fluent enough in their mannerisms to know if it were good grumbling or bad. But when Kragg nodded, he assumed it was the former.
”Well said, Kragg sees wisdom in your words. You have proven yourself. With this raid we have regained some of our lost strength, now we need only food, time for the medicine to work, and finally, we shall be ready.”
Kenji was thrown off a bit by that last part but made an excellent job of appearing unphased.
”Maybe you should explain what comes next, for those that don't already know,” Kenji said gesturing towards the newly released werewolves.
”Another good idea. Of course, we will unleash a full-scale invasion on the Furbolg homeland, and wipe out that damned race from existence. Their meat will nutritious us, their medicine will heal us, their territory will provide for new hunting grounds, and with them gone we will only have one enemy. If the humans thought taking advantage of us when we were weakened was difficult, they will have no idea of what a fully powered Werewolf Pack will do to their fledgling village,” the werewolves roared agreement.
Kenji paled. These Furblogs had been borderline evil with how they had set up the werewolves to be plagued, starved, and then enslaved. But genocide? If nothing else Kenji had a hard time believing any people were wholly unified in anything.
”Perhaps a raid instead,” Kenji proposed,” if we kill whoever is in charge, I can become that person. Then I can direct the Furblog's to halt their practices, and even fabricate a peace treaty that ends with them providing medicine and food. Wouldn't that be better? Much fewer casualties on both sides that way.”
Growling filled the night air. Kenji could see it in their eyes, too many werewolves preferred retribution over keeping their people safe. Kragg didn't nod this time, merely turning back towards the caves their pack lived within.
”Kragg is Alpha no longer. Kragg will ask Tenko and the Elder for guidance, although Kragg already knows which option he prefers.” Kenji at least noted he didn't ask about Kenji's promise of becomging the Furbolg leader. Although whether that is because he deduced Kenji's abilities in battle or werewolves are just the type to accept information at face value...
Taking off with annoying speed, Kragg led his pack through the forest with a very worried Kenji speeding behind them on a gust of wind.