Tyranny: Ice-Stalker

Chapter 1: The Cold North

The Bounding Vipers were most always on the move. The mountains in the north were dotted with caves in which the tribe made their homes. They were ravenous, and plagued farmers and forest-creatures alike. But rumor had spread of some strange new hunter in this pack. Where once victims would be found torn open with claws, patrols were finding arrows in poor bystanders. Traps kept being dug up in the wood.

On top of this, locals noted that attacks were becoming more desperate each winter. Eventually, they had no choice but to contact the Disfavored. The Archon of War was gracious enough to deploy a section of the Iron Walkers. Dealing with these beasts would be simple. Whatever was the cause of these strange happenings, the Disfavored would capture or slaughter it.

…

Stone-Fang panted deeply, sniffing the air again in distress. His eyes darted left and right in search of this new scent. The scent of iron, carried north on the breeze. The Alpha had never been one to worry, but these past few years had been full of exceptions and strangeness. "Ice-Stalker. Come, come. Iron on wind. Carries from the south. Many men, large army, come to rip-tear-kill. We must find them. Hunt-stalk-prey." He nodded furiously, fire in his eyes.

A boy just short of fourteen years, clad in furs and leather, crept up to the ledge scanning the pass below. A crude short-bow was shouldered with a quiver of twenty simple arrows. Ice-Stalker steeled himself as another cold breeze blew. He had grown accustomed to the winter. "Iron, Stone-Fang? We should warn Prima. Hide, keep pack safe. Not enough to kill iron warrior."

Stone-Fang growled low, squinting. "Prima safe. Pack is hidden, shadows and stone. Will not be found. We must drive off intruder! Hunt with me!"

Ice-Stalker knew better than to anger the Alpha too much. Worst case, he thought, the Prima would give him another scar. "Mhm, mhm. Let's hunt. Will scare away ironclad."

With a wicked smile from Stone-Fang, the two crept quickly and silently in the thin snow. The sun began to slowly sink as Terratus Grave drifted over the opposite horizon. They closed in on the woods, darkness now almost completely fallen. Even in the shadow, Ice-Stalker found Gravelight plenty to see by. Sure enough, Stone-Fang's tracking was impeccable. They came to a stop a few yards north of a camp. A symbol was drawn onto the side of one, what looked to be claw-marks across a circle.

Ice-Stalker paused; sure he'd seen the symbol before. He grabbed Stone-Fang's arm, pointing to it. "Look. Mark of tribe. Who are intruders?"

Stone-Fang shook his head. "Does not matter Ice-Stalker. Do your work. Give sign when you need claws. Will rip-tear-slaughter."

Hesitantly, Ice-Stalker nodded, and moved up. He watched as a man clad in grey armor left the tent he had spotted. He joined a group of similar looking men at a fire, taking a drink from one of them. Deciding the tent might be important, Ice-Stalker quickly slipped through the flap. There, he found something that caused his eyes to light up. He whispered as he picked the iron device up. "Metal-teeth… Perfect, perfect. Yes yes…" He grabbed five of them, setting one up at the entrance of the tent, before sliding out himself.

Unseen, he did the same to two other tents, and then placed two in the forest west of the camp. He set himself up in a tree in that direction, overlooking the camp. He could just barely make out Stone-Fang, and signaled for him to wait.

Not much time passed before the first trap was found. Another iron-clad went to the tent for something, and there was a sudden sound of the bear trap snapping shut and crunching bone. "GAH! KYROS' NAME! FUCK!"

The rest of the men around the tent stood up in alert. "Adamus? Are you okay?"

"SOMEONE SET UP A DAMED BEAR TRAP! GAAAAAHHH!"

One of the other men darted to the second tent Ice-Stalker had found, filled with bright cyan vials. Just as before, the trap was sprung. "WHAT THE FUCK! AHHH! HERE TOO?!"

Plenty satisfied, Ice-Stalker readied his bow, and strung an arrow. One of the soldiers stood in horror at the fire, unsure of where to go. There was a part between the helm and armor, Ice-Stalker could see the color of flesh. He let the arrow fly with a twang. The man flailed, and fell to the ground. He stained the snow red.

"Someone's in the forest! We've got some rebel fuck-wits! Ready your shields, find them!"

Rebel? Ice-Stalker wasn't sure what they meant, but was pleased with his work. Now it was Stone-Fang's turn. He howled high, as the Prima had taught. Sure enough, Stone-Fang came storming forth.

"What was that? Sounded like a ki-FUCK ME!"

Halfway through his sentence, the Iron Walker found himself face to face with a massive Beastman. A second later, he fell to the ground, throat clawed open. Stone-Fang howled in delight, charging to another one. He leapt onto him. As he tore into him, another warrior charged forward with a spear. Ice-Stalker loosed another arrow, which sunk into the soldier's side. But it wasn't enough. Ice-Stalker watched in horror, an iron spear suddenly jutting through Stone-Fang. The great Beastman let out a dying howl, slowly quieting. Stunned, Ice-Stalker clambered further up the tree, hiding from view of the camp.

"Kyros' name… A Beastman? What kind of rebels are we dealing with?!"

"Who cares! Scour the forest! Find the damn archer. And get those two fixed up."

"Right… Graven Ashe protects."

Trying to steady and quiet his breath, Ice-Stalker thought deep. He was sure he had heard that before. But from where? His travels with the Bounding Vipers had never brought him against this type of warrior. He tried best as he could to fall asleep, sad that the soldiers seemed to avoid the rest of his traps. The image of Stone-Fang didn't leave him easily.

…

Just before the sun had risen, Ice-Stalker had slipped away from the camp. He rushed north, northwest, hurrying to reach the pack's home. He had to warn the Prima of these iron warriors. He knew she would be mad that Stone-Fang had died. She would probably keep him from a few hunts.

Just as he thought of her, he stumbled past his birthplace. The stone the Prima had found him at. Young, furless, and without a pack. The Bounding Vipers had taken him in, the Prima raising him as if he were their own. To make up for his dull claws, he had stolen a farmer's weapon, and taught himself its use. He had been past this spot countless times over the years. But for some reason, this time he was drawn to halt.

There was a feeling tugging on him, as if he had forgotten something important. Sure it had something to do with these iron soldiers; he obeyed his instinct and stopped. He surveyed the area carefully. After a moment, he stepped onto the stone, turning slowly to look all around. In the distance, he saw a faint flash of color.

Or, at least, he had thought so. As Ice-Stalker surveyed the area, it was just the typical white and brown of snow and bark. But he felt a strange wave of heat for a second, coming from the east. Sure he was onto something now, he pressed onward. He walked a few minutes before he found something. A stone circle surrounded a deep hole into the earth. Curiously, he looked around for similar structures. Sure enough, scattered here and there he found squares and other shapes of stone brick. From some of them, thin sheets of wood rose with jagged and warped edges. All over this area was a web of stone in the ground, connecting all the shapes.

Unusual as this was, he was sure he had seen it before. He walked slowly around the field. "Graven Ashe… Kyros' name… Kyros…" He wasn't sure why, but saying the name, he shivered as if from instinct. Like he did when the Prima was angry. Was Kyros the Prima of this iron pack?

Somehow, this sounded right. But why did he feel that way? Why did he feel like he knew this place? Suddenly, he saw a fluttering of cloth. A spike rose from the center of the stone web, a banner drifting in the soft wind. It was old and slightly torn. Ice-Stalker rounded it, observing the color and symbol. The name still sat in his mind. As he studied the symbol, it seemed to grow louder and louder with each repetition. "Kyros…. Kyros…. Kyros… KYROS!"

He grasped his head, pain shooting through it. Why was that name so damn familiar? More importantly… Why was he so afraid? Suddenly, heat surrounded him again. He opened his eyes to a burning orang light. The sky was dark, Terratus Grave and the Interloper dancing high in the sky. All around him, wooden structures jutted from the stone foundations. Fire danced across them all.

After taking in this sudden change, Ice-Stalker spotted a crowd of terrified people. They screamed in terror as ironclad warriors butchered them with swords and spears. No one was safe from them, not men, women, or children. With a crash, an old man in robes was tossed through the door of the largest building. As he tried to rise to his knees, he looked up in horror. "Please, mercy! We have only ever served Kyros faithfully! I meant no offence to them or your Archon! I beg of you!"

The tall warrior held his blade to the man's neck. "Silence! Graven Ashe will suffer not your treacherous ideas to fester. You pass this cancerous dissent to your children and followers."

"Our children…" Ice-Stalker, ever vigilant, watched the old man's eyes dart through the buildings. Following his gaze, he spotted a woman and a small child running into the forest, through the flames. He turned back to the old man. He was smiling, but he clearly knew his story was through. "Our children will be better than us. To hell with you and your Archons. To hell with Kyr-" Before he could finish, his neck was slit, and he fell to the floor.

Wanting to escape the fire and slaughter, Ice-Stalker followed the woman and child, sprinting to find them. His feet carried him as though he had travelled the path a thousand times. He felt a sense of dread, and thought deep down he knew where they were going.

Sure enough, after a few moments of running, he came to a halt before a clearing. There, the woman had sat the child on a large stone. She nodded to him, before drawing a bronze knife and rushing back to the village. He was too far to hear, but he already knew what she had said.

"Rollin… Gods… Rollin, stay here, alright? Aunty Maroth will be here soon. I have to go help your father. No, no, don't be afraid. Never afraid. There we are. Who's my brave hero, huh? Stay here. Just an hour, I'm sure… I love you, Rollin."

There he waited. He sat for the whole night, only rousing from his stillness when a curious Beastwoman stepped out from the forest. He had always been warned about the vicious Beastmen. But he kept his promise. Never afraid.

Ice-Stalker stood again at the stone, breathing deeply. Tears stained his face, biting into him from the cold. Without pausing to steady his breath, he tore off at a sprint into the mountains. He had to find the Prima. He couldn't let it happen again.

…

Spine-Render sat back, leaning against the cold stone wall. The winter was sure to be another harsh one. The Bounding Vipers now barely filled half of these caves. They grew smaller each year. She gazed to the entrance again in mild worry. Stone-Fang and Ice-Stalker had not returned yet. Knowing the two of them, they were either finally dead or bringing back a massive prize.

With another quick smell, she felt a wave of relief. Ice-Stalker fell through the entrance to the caves, and she bounded up to him. "Ice-Stalker! Make me afraid again! Why were you gone for night? Bring home great prey? Where is Stone-Fang?" She paused, seeing Ice-Stalker trying to catch his breath, hand raised. She slumped down, waiting patiently for him to stop hacking.

"Spine-Render… Prima… I… Stone-Fang is dead. Iron soldier has killed him! Men of Kyros!"

The Prima's eyes widened, and she rose suddenly into Ice-Stalker's face. "What? Ice-Stalker, where did you hear name?"

He stared into her eyes, head shaking. "Iron soldiers speak of them. Spine-Render, I… I saw it. Fire, death, iron. Soldiers came to kill old pack. My father… Mother…" He looked up again to her, with new resolve. "They will not again."

Spine-Render shook her head, unsure of what to do. Before she could answer, one of the pack's lookouts ran in through the entrance. "Prima! Men in iron, pointed weapons! They come to kill Beastmen! Must run-hide-live!"

Nodding, she howled into the caves. As her pack rushed past her, she grabbed Ice-Stalker's shoulder. "Ice-Stalker! You and warriors fight back iron men. Come back to Prima. Yes?"

Pain clearly on his face, he looked up to her. "I was called… Rollin? What… What am I?"

A mix of anger and sadness tearing her apart, she shook him slightly. "You are Ice-Stalker. Hunter! Beastman! … Alpha."

Breathing steady, he slowly nodded. "I will fight them. Shoot-kill-slow. You must run. Take pack far."

"You will find me, yes, yes?"

He didn't answer, instead turning to walk out. He drew his bow, and nodded to his fellow warriors. They were few in number. Four Beastwomen and three Beastmen. Not counting himself of course. The numbers they faced would surely overwhelm them. But that hardly mattered. All that was important was that the pack escaped. He was ready to give his life for the Prima.

Soon enough, he saw the soldiers climbing around the edge, entering the pass. As one began to point to him, he loosed an arrow into the man's face. He fell immediately. The man following him stared shortly before drawing his sword. "Holy shit… Guys, the archer's with the Beastmen!"

"What? In the name of… Take that archer alive! Kill any beasts you find."

Barring his teeth and growling with his pack, Ice-Stalker shot again. Sixteen left. As his pack rushed forward to fight with teeth and claws, he fired again and again, trying to aim for exposed flesh. Only a few minutes passed before he realized just how futile this really was. As the soldiers butchered the last Beastwoman, Ice-Stalker realized he was out of arrows.

He stood, mind racing for a solution. He heard a rasp as one of the soldiers sheathed his blade. "Alright now, archer. Stand down, and we might be merciful." He approached slowly, fists clenched. "I have to admit, you are one talented son of a bi- GAH!"

Ice-Stalker shut him up with a smack across the face. He swung his bow like a staff, and sent the soldier to the floor, stomping his foot into the man's neck. He glared as two more charged forward, swords away. He smiled under his scarf. He tackled one, kicking the other in the gut. Though he toppled one, the man he kicked quickly righted himself. They grabbed him by his arms, dragging him off their comrade. As he kicked and fought, a metal boot was brought swiftly into his stomach.

…

At the bottom of a hastily constructed, shallow pit, Ice-Stalker paced, glaring up. The Disfavored crowd cheered and yelled, another kill for their pet wild child. Blood stained his hands, sword cast aside. Another rebel dead. He would eat well tonight. He hated them, but they had showed him much in battle. He would repay them with swift death.

At least, that's how Iron Guard Mimek thought he looked. He never liked that they dragged the kid around like this. He was something remarkable, sure. But he'd fit better in a Chorus camp than with the elite. He looked on in distaste as a Crescent Runner jogged up. She saluted. "Sir, a missive for you."

"A missive? Who sent it? Are we being summoned by the Archon?"

"No sir. Graven Ashe's orders are currently still standing. Sir… It's from the Court." She brushed the falling snow from her hair, and pulled a scroll from her bag.

Mimek nodded, somewhat in awe. "Very well. Go and eat something soldier. Graven Ashe protects."

"Yes sir." She returned the Iron Guard's salute and hurried away. As she did, Mimek opened the message. He scanned it, taking in the formality of the handwriting and voice. As he began to read properly, he prayed to Ashe that none of his men had inspired the Adjudicator's rancor.

"To the Jottenfeld Disfavored Camp's Commander. Greetings. I am Fatebinder Eloen. You may relax; your men have not broken any laws. Not that the Court is aware of, anyhow. No. I write you out of curiosity, to confirm rumors for the Adjudicator. Is it true you have found a child among the Bounding Viper pack? If this is the case, Tunon would request you send them on their way at once. He is a curiosity, and clearly a survivor. Our Archon of Justice would very much like to see this child. If this is merely a rumor, please just send a missive. The Court's Thanks."

Mimek glanced from the note to the pit. Thank Kyros. "Hey, you lot! Get that kid in his cage. We've found somewhere to send him!"

End Chapter 1…

Hey! Darth Trekkie here! I've not been writing a lot of fanfic recently. I've been doing some original writing (Darth Trekkie on FictionPress (Shameless self-promo)), and classes mean a bit of a time limitation. But recently, I've been falling in love with Tyranny and Terratus. It's much easier, I feel, to write in this world, with this story. So this will be (sort of) my experience in the game. The first few chapters will actually be the origin and conquest. There's a lot of story there that I don't really want to skip through. I hope you enjoy!