Disclamer: This is a non-profit fanbased fictional composition. Heroes of Might and Magic and all of its related properties belong to Ubisoft. StarCraft and all of its related properties belong to Blizzard Entertainment.
Osimon had spent what he estimated were several hours of hiking through the dense marshy flora. The telepathic signal he had picked up became stronger with each step he made forward, but the closer he got, the infested terran managed to distinguish its essence.
Whatever was the source of the signal it was extremely primitive and weak compared to the control he had over the Zerg...for a few short minutes.
The time of his trek was not spent on just following the signal. As the sun of whatever world he was currently on began to set, more and more information that was locked away in his mind was released and processed.
There was still much of it to pass through his thoughts, but Osimon had at least managed to inform himself of the most important topics, concerning what had transpired before his "awakening". He was programmed to receive all of Kerrigan's memories the moment she lost connection with the Swarm, while he would remain in a dormant state within the cocoon, completely hidden from the Queen of Blades herself, in order to prevent Amon, the fallen Xel'Naga, from spreading his influence to him.
His original assumption that Kerrigan was dead soon gave in to doubt as he relived her final hours as leader of the Swarm. The Terrans that had invaded Char used a Xel'Naga artefact that wiped out most of the Zerg on and around the planet, but they speculated that it would de-infest Kerrigan, instead of killing her.
That seemed to be the more likely case to him. Another thing he deduced from analyzing Kerrigan's memories was that the artefact did more than just cleanse her of the infestation, it also burned away the faint influence Amon had over her. Following that logic he reached the conclusion that the effect of the artefact affected him as well, but only on a mental basis.
From what Osimon could feel, there was nothing enforcing its will over his own, so it was a good guess that if Amon ever had any influence over him it was removed. But another thing which enforced the theory that the artefact affected him were memories he was not supposed to have.
Somehow the energy nova had broken a mental barrier, encrypted within the zerg genes he now had, which resulted in several key memories of the Overmind himself, leaking right into Osimon's own mind. The most rattling of which was a vision the once great ruler of the Zerg had about the future, should Kerrigan, and subsequently Osimon, be removed as leaders of the Swarm.
The infested terran did not know whether he was the only "back up plan" the Overmind had left behind, or if there were other Kings and Queens of Blades that were left to command the Zerg in their stead and protect them from the Hybrid. Such knowledge, should it have ever existed, must have died along with the Overmind.
However, the belief that there were others like him, that were not discovered by the Hybrid as he was, was the insignificant but immeasurably important sliver of hope he had for the survival of the universe. It was also the driving force that prevented him from falling to despair.
Along with the Zerg leaders' invaluable information, Osimon had also managed to regain the memories of his life before the infestation. He was indeed a ghost, but that knowledge greatly confused him. Looking back on his life, he was left with the impression that he was too..."compassionate", for a lack of a better word coming to his mind at the time, for a ghost.
The thought that perhaps that was the reason the Overmind didn't have him killed, but instead brought him in for infestation, jokingly flashed in his conscience, bringing a quick smirk on his face. But putting those thoughts aside, Osimon knew that sooner or later one of two things would inevitably happen.
Either the Hybrid would come to the world he was currently on, or he would one day have to leave with a force powerful enough to combat them.
While contemplating the second option, Osimon was bothered by something. Throughout his entire hike, other than the flora and the occasional miniature insect flying in front of his field of vision, he had seen no other signs of life. The lack of large game in such a healthy ecosystem suggested to him that something was off.
'Could it possibly have anything to do with the signal I've been following? I sense that I am almost at its source.' Osimon thought.
Shortly after he exited the woods and ended up on a small clearing. The sensation of the alien sun on his skin was rather refreshing. As he enjoyed the warm rays, his senses picked up movement far to his side. Turning his head he saw a large mass of animals herded together, their greenish skin slightly blending them with the scenery.
Osimon thought it rather strange that he detected the first animals he came across with his "normal" senses, before sensing their minds. Despite its peculiar nature, Osimon dismissed the notion, assuming that the phenomenon occurred, because the animals were in very close proximity to whatever was emitting the signal that he had followed.
That thought reminded him why he had originally come to this destination. Now this was truly bizarre. Osimon felt that he was right in front of that source, but all he saw before himself was more acres of dense woods.
'This isn't right.' He thought. 'Such a primitive form of telepathy can't possibly be used to hide psionic signals so well from something-...' The infested terran paused momentarily, before correcting himself. '...someone like me.' A faint growl of annoyance escaped him. 'I better try investigating along the tree line. If not anything I'll at least get to see what kind of creatures inhabit this particular area.' Upon thinking that, Osimon slowly walked parallel to the trees that were in front of him, in the direction of the herd.
His eyes and other senses scanned through the woods with surgical precision for any sign of whatever emited the signal, but with no success. Sighing, he decided to give his increasing nerves a rest and instead focused his attention on the creatures, which were now roughly thirty meters away from him. Osimon wasn't particularly worried about approaching any of the fauna on this world. He doubted that there was any sort of mere animal in the entirety of the cosmos that could pose a problem for someone like himself.
Now that he had a better view of the herd he saw that it consisted of roughly fifteen very large bulls. Interestingly enough instead of skin they sported what looked to be like thick green scales. The reflection of the sun's shine solidified that assumption, instead of his second thought that it might have been carapace. He also noticed some sort of greenish gas leaving their nostrils when they exhaled. Undoubtedly it had to be toxic in nature.
The need to analyze their combat capabilities momentarily left Osimon's mind when he saw three or four calves jump out of the shield of flesh that were the adult specimens. Their frolicking brought a smile on Osimon's face. It, however, quickly faded away when saw a bloodied corpse in between the bulls, which they were quickly devouring.
'Well...that was most certainly unexpected.' Osimon said to himself in his mind.
One of the frolicking calves turned its head in the infested terran's direction. The very moment it spotted him the small animal began crying out loudly in distress.
'Oh shit...' Osimon thought as the rest of the herd raised their heads and looked at him.
Leaving the carcass they quickly surrounded the calves and began to threateningly grunt and bellows, digging their clawed hooves into the ground. Suddenly their line broke. Out of the mass of bodies emerged another bull, which was nearly twice as large as the other adults, whose scales were silverish-black in color. Its gaze firmly locked onto Osimon. For some reason, the infested terran felt a wave of unease wash through him as he looked into the animal's eyes.
Narrowing its eyes at the stranger, the bull let out a deafening bellow, after which it charged towards the zerg. Osimon shook his head, ridding himself of the sensation, before taking up a fighting stance. The creature was nearing him quickly, but both it and Osimon's surprise an arrow shot out of nowhere, bouncing off from the bull's scales, narrowly missing its eye.
The impact was enough to tip the creature's balance, causing it to fall forward and roll once, before it got up on its hooves. Suddenly something jumped out of the nearby shrubbery. It was humanoid, but definitely not human. Blue scales covered its body, which was barely covered by a loincloth and some rags. The new arrival also sported a tail, claws on both its feet and hands, along with a reptilian head, Osimon labeling it a lizardman.
The lizardman firmly held a bow the length of its torso in front of him, taking out another arrow from a quiver on its back and aimed it once again at the bull. Both stared each other down. After a couple of moments the lizardman let out a loud and threatening hiss. To the dismay of the zerg, the bull grunted, breathing out a small cloud of its green breath, before turning around and walking back towards its herd.
The other bulls began moving away along with it, two biting down and dragging the carcass they had been devouring. Once all of them were out of sight, hidden amongst the woods, the lizardman lowered its bow and turned to face Osimon.
'How did it do that?' The zerg questioned in his mind. 'It doesn't seem to show any hostility. I may not have to resort to violence. Let's see if its intellect matches its tools.' Osimon reasoned, before casually saying. "Hello."
"So you speak the common tongue?" The creature questioned, before pausing momentarily. Shortly after it responded in a somewhat friendly, but mainly cautious manner. "Hello."
'So it can speak. That's something. But that ability doesn't automatically make someone intelligent.' Osimon mentally stated, before asking. "I appear to be lost. Do you know where I am?"
"You stranger are on Leer'krah and his tribe's land." Leer'krah stated with vague hesitation, before continuing. "Now that Leer'krah has given you his name, by custom you must give your own."
'My name? Should I share it with this...Leer'krah? It would probably not be a wise decision. If the hybrids found me on Char, they must know of Osimon Ryans. And I do not know what is the reach of their master's knowledge. If he or his agents hear my name on the currents of the Void they would undoubtedly seek me out.' Osimon briefly monologued in his mind. 'But what should I-...'
Suddenly, the image of his ID from his ghost days presented itself in his mind, reading O. Ryans. It was then that an idea of a proper name came to him. Breathing in, Osimon returned with confidence. "I am, Orion."
The lizardman nodded his head seemingly in approval, before saying. "Good name. Powerful. Now speak, what brought you here?"
Receiving commands didn't really appeal to Orion, but he kept the disdain it brought him hidden. "I...do not know." He put on a soft expression to go with his act. "Forgive me, but I do not remember much. My mind feels like a hazy fog. Other than my name, the only thing I remember most clearly is waking up further down the woods behind me several hours ago."
Leer'krah scowled at the statement. After contemplating Orion's words for a short while he asked. "Can Orion see a memory of what might have caused this through the mist in his mind?"
'Not one to give up so easily, are you? Alright then. Perhaps if I share a little detail it would be too complicated for his mind to handle and he will drop the subject.' Orion reasoned. "Not much. A mere fragment amongst a flurry of shards. I remember falling through a vortex of purple lightning."
"Vortex of purple lightning you say. Hmm. That sounds like Wizards' work." Leer'krah stated.
'Wizards? Seriously?' Orion could not believe what he had heard.
"Could it be that Orion is a beastman, creation of wizards, like Leer'krah and his tribe are?" The lizardman asked.
"A what?" Orion asked back, puzzled by the title.
"But that may not be true. Your eyes have a demonic feeling to them." Leer'krah added, after which his eyes widened in what seemed to be realization.
'A demonic feeling to to them? I don't think that was meant as an insult, but even if it was it's not far from the truth.' The Zerg thought, before the lizardman shared his other thoughts with him.
"Are you another attempt of the wizards to merge men and demons, like the goblins, orcs and cyclops?"
This time it was Orion whose eyes widened, only in his case it was from disbelief of what he was hearing.
'Goblins? Orcs? Cyclops? Demons? Is this guy for real or is he pulling my wings here?' Were the thoughts that crossed the zerg's mind as he assessed the situation. He studied Leer'krah's features for a sign that his words were a jest, but he found no clue to support that. 'So he is serious about all this magic and fantasy stuff. Alright, I'll play along.'
Calming himself and putting on a not so surprised expression, Orion returned. "Like I said, I have no memory of exactly who I am and where I come from. But now that you brought that though up, I do feel that my form is…not entirely natural. Maybe I am indeed a work of these…wizards."
"Greedy madmen, their whole lot. Neither the orcs, nor us beastmen were enough of a lesson for them, so they had to make themselves more slaves. And now instead of just returning the ones who do not obey them to Mother Earth's embrace they use their magics to steal their minds." Leer'krah stated, anger obvious in his tone.
Taking a breath to calm himself he continued. "Forgive my outburst. My people, not just the lizardmen, but all of us who fled the Seven cities long ago have not remembered the wizards with good throughout the generations."
'Well, well. Bad blood is definitely connected to this topic. Thankfully it gives me quite the nice cover story. Let's see how much information I can milk out with it.' Orion smirked mentally.
"You need not apologize. Since we are both born of the wizards' making, then that makes us brothers by fate. Perhaps my loss of memory is a chance for me to make myself a new life. And where better to start with that quest than with getting to know my brethren. I may not know a lot, but I wish to learn."
Orion was sure that he had played his cards properly when he saw a smile forming on Leer'krah's face.
"For a man with no mind you are very wise, brother. Few are the people I know that speak so true." The lizardman stated.
"Would you mind me asking, but this has been bothering me for a while. For some reason I have been feeling something...threatening me, sort of, to leave for some time now, and for some reason that sensation is stronger here?" Orion asked, more than curious to find out the source of the psionic signal he had followed.
"Oh right. Even if you are a our kin you are not of my tribe, so you must have been affected." Leer'krah casually returned.
"Affected? By what?" The zerg questioned.
The lizardman beckoned the other to follow him into the tree line where Orion felt the signal coming from. A couple of steps into it, Leer'krah pointed up one of the trees' backside. Looking up, Orion spotted a bizarre bloody red symbol onto the trunk of the tree.
"What is that?" He asked, puzzled by the symbol which he now studied.
"A glyph of fear, blood magic. The tribe's witches and shamans have conjured them on nearly all the trees surrounding the tribe's city. Anyone who doesn't have the blood of tribe has mind infused with essence of fear by them. They keep beasts we have not tamed yet at safe distance, and work a little less on intruders." Leer'krah explained.
'Fascinating.' Orion smiled in his mind. 'That is a simple, but quite a useful first line of defense. I'll have to look into it.'
"But is there a way to remove its effects on someone?" The zerg asked.
"Two ways. Get accepted by tribe's elders and undertake a ritual where you are accepted as blood brother of tribe, or stay for very long time. Eventually effects affect you less and less, until you no longer feel them." Was the response he received.
"I see. Could you tell me more about your tribe?" Orion inquired.
"Gladly, but we better go to the city. They left, but the gorgons could return shortly and with heightened resistance to intimidation." Leer'krah stated, after which he began walking into the forest.
"Gorgons?" The infested terran confusedly let out, raising a brow.
"The beasts that had you frozen in fear brother." The lizardman returned.
'I wouldn't call it frozen in fear...' Orion scoffed mentally, but did not show it. "So that's what they are called. I have to admit they were a quite threatening, especially the silverish one that charged at me."
"Mother Earth gave birth to many beasts, but the Gorgons are amongst the toughest. Carnivorous reptiles. Their bodies are the embodiment of Mother Earth's strength. As they grow in size their scales become harder than steel and gain the silverish color. So much so that if they grit their teeth or grind their lips they produce sparks. And their breath grows more toxic with their age, up to a point where the sparks they can produce ignite it and makes it seem as if they breathe fire like dragons." Leer'krah spoke as the two passed through the trees and the softening soil.
'So I was right about their breath being toxic.' Orion thought with a hint of pride for his deduction skills. However, that didn't last long as he struggled to navigate in the mud. Unlike Leer'krah, who effortlessly marched over it, Orion's feet sunk rather deep into the sticky ground, leading him to believe that despite the similarity of their size, he was heavier than the lizardman.
"While their eyes carry the pure fury of Father Sky." Leer'krah continued his lecture on gorgons. "That is why once you look into a gorgon's eyes you either freeze in panic, or die on the spot from their gaze alone. That trait is especially prominent in the silverish ones. Because of that and their larger bulk we call them Mighty Gorgons."
"The one that charged at you was the bull, or how wizards would say - alpha male, of herd. Food must be getting scarce in marsh if they come so close to tribe's border. And it's not just them. Scouts have spotted several other lone bulls in area. Three are Mighty. And one of them is twice the size of all others. Lone bulls more aggressive than those in herd. If it has something to protect other than territory, a bull would prefer to leave to preserve herd than fight, they are smart. Bulls with no herd however attack anything in sight that bothers them."
"They are also more brave, and a few have passed by the glyphs, the Mightiest of them all included. That is why we do not let members of tribe to walk alone in the forest." Leer'krah finished.
'Huh, these gorgons sound "mighty" interesting.' Orion mentally chuckled at his joke, before asking. "If that is so, then why were you alone?"
"Sometimes merchants travel to here to trade with tribe. Their stocks essential for tribe's survival. Leer'krah provides escort for them. Too many hunters would attract too much attention, so Leer'krah goes alone. But it seems today there were no merchants." The lizardman explained.
"Well, I hope your tribe likes me as much a merchant." Orion said, smirking, as he thought. 'It would make my mission of building a force to fight the hybrid much easier.'
Leer'krah laughed at the joke. "We shall see brother. We shall see."
Note: The story develops a couple of years after the end of the events of Tribes of the East.
