Chapter 10

Several days had passed since Zorzal's ascension to the throne. While Zorzal was annoyed with the disappearance of his slave, he had more important things to deal with at the moment. He decided to track down Tyuule after the battle was over and give her a suitable punishment. That is, if she was still alive. Zorzal expected that she would probably be dead if she had left the city. So, the imminent attack on the capital was all that occupied Zorzal's mind.

The citizens in the capital waited for the coming attack with bated breath. The soldiers were both nervous and energetic; knowing that this would be the decisive battle, they would put their full effort into the coming fight.

Finally, the zerg army approached. From atop the walls, looking out into the distance, the entire horizon was filled with zerg. Their numbers blanketed the ground as the tide of creatures began approaching the city walls. The moment that the zerg were spotted, the sentries blew their horns, alerting the city that an attack was imminent. The defenders atop the walls were prepared to defend the city.

The catapults began to fire, shooting large boulders into the approaching zerg force. Despite multiple catapults firing, there seemed to be little effect on the seemingly numberless tide of zerg. Then, several mutalisks swooped in from the skies and attacked the catapults. The crew that manned the catapults were soon killed off by the glaive worms fired by the mutalisks and repeated attacks even caused the catapults themselves to collapse. The archers began to fire at the mutalisks, hoping to bring the flying creatures down, but the arrows did little, bouncing off the tough hide of the mutalisks.

While the defenders on the walls were thrown into chaos by the mutalisk harassment, the zerg ground forces arrived. The large ogrelisks served as a heavy assault unit in the absence of the ultralisks, and they began battering against the gates. Although the gates were made of strong hardened steel, they began to crumble against the assault. Archers tried to target the large creatures, but the weak arrows were unable to penetrate the carapace of the ogrelisks. Meanwhile, the hydralisks fired back, their spines quickly killing anyone who exposed themselves atop the walls. Soon, the defenders weren't even able to poke their head up above the crenelations as whenever they did, a spine would quickly go through their face.

Seeing the situation at the gate grow dire, Zorzal ordered the reserves to be dispatched to the gate to hold back the imminent breach. As the gate broke, zerglings began flooding in, engaging the soldiers waiting behind the gate.

Meanwhile, banelings soon began striking other portions of the wall. The acid melted through the stone and after several impacts, a section of the wall would crumble and allow zerg forces to enter. With multiple breaches occurring all around, and not enough forces to plug all of the gaps, Zorzal ordered the defenders to retreat back to the palace.

The army began an orderly withdrawal, as they fought a running retreat back to the inner city. Groups of soldiers did their best to delay zerg forces for as long as possible to allow their comrades to escape, but they were quickly torn apart by the advancing zerg forces. Although the soldiers tried to lure the zerg into the traps that were set up, the zerg avoided the majority of the traps, and many of the ones that did trigger were ineffective, such as the pitfall trap that zerglings simply jumped out of.

Meanwhile, Tyuule was leading the charge toward the palace, tearing apart any groups of soldiers that she came across. Tyuule cut through groups of soldiers with great speed, with a single swipe from her claw able to tear a soldier in half. Arrows didn't bother her, and the soldiers weren't even able to touch her with their swords as she was simply too quick for them. Tyuule delighted in the slaughter, finally able to unleash the pent up rage built up over the course of several years. The Imperial soldiers didn't stand a chance against her and even when they tried to run, she would chase them down and kill them.

Tyuule came upon a hiding soldier and she quickly moved in for the kill. As she reached him, she realized that he looked familiar. Upon searching her memories, Tyuule remembered who this person in front of her was. She had seen him during Zorzal's war against the Bunny Warriors. When she had entered Zorzal's camp, he was one of the soldiers that Zorzal ordered to restrain her. She remembered how the man had pulled on her ear and stepped on her back as she was forced into a supplicant position facing Zorzal. The memory filled her with rage and she would take it out on the target in front her her.

She ripped the man's hands off before slamming him into the ground. "Do you know who I am?", Tyuule asked.

"N-No", replied the frightened soldier, who was on the edge of total panic.

"You have seen me before. I used to be the queen of the Bunny Warriors", Tyuule said. "You remember what you did, right?"

The soldier's face turned pale white as Tyuule pulled him closer. Tyuule's mouth turned into a grin as she grabbed the man's throat and began slowly choking him. Slowly, the man's life flowed out of his body and Tyuule let the dead body drop to the ground. Then, she exited the alleyway to move onto other targets.

Soon, the zerg reached the Imperial palace in the center of the city. The battered remnants of the army were holed up within the palace, ready to make their last stand.

As the ogrelisks began battering the gates, Tyuule leapt atop the walls surrounding the palace. Landing among a group of soldiers, she struck, tearing through the soldiers around her. The men nearby turned to confront her, but Tyuule was undeterred, throwing herself toward them as she continued her assault.

The walls were a somewhat restricted space, and the men were packed tight as they tried to push toward the rampaging Tyuule. However, they accomplished little with the scene resembling that of a meatgrinder, as bodies when through one side, emerging as bloody chunks on the other side. The defenders broke, seeing the unstoppable force facing them and soon the lines fell into chaos as the soldiers ran away from what seemed to be an unstoppable demon. Tyuule continued to pursue the soldiers and one by one they began to fall.

Meanwhile, the gate was broken through and the zerg forces began flooding into the palace, tearing through the scattered defenders. The front courtyard became a field of corpses as the zerglings tore through groups of soldiers.

Zorzal was within the throne room. As the palace defenses fell, he retreated here with his personal guards and prepared to put up a final stand against the invaders. He, and everyone around him was ready to use the remainder of their lives to take down as many enemies as possible. Then, he heard a crash. A hole had been smashed through the locked doors and a figure stepped through.

As the guards turned to face this threat, Tyuule struck first, leaping in front of one of the guards and ripping his chest open. Then, she kicked the guard approaching her from the right. Her foot smashed into the guard's head, shattering his skull and sending his brain matter across the room. A third guard came behind her, ready to stab her with his sword, but Tyuule quickly spun around and caught the man's throat in a grip before crushing it.

Zorzal watched as his guards were quickly torn apart by the attacker. As the last of his guards fell, Zorzal drew his sword and pointed it at the approaching individual. The attacker seemed familiar, but Zorzal wasn't quite sure who it was.

As Zorzal swung his sword forward, Tyuule caught the blade in her hand and wrenched it out of Zorzal's grip before tossing the sword aside.

"Are you ready to die for what you did?", Tyuule asked.

"Who are you?" Zorzal was hardly able to think straight as his mind was filled with fear. He began backing up toward the throne.

"Really now? You forgot who I am? After keeping me as your slave for several years, I thought you would have a better memory", Tyuule said.

Zorzal was hit by a flash of understanding as he finally recognized who it was. "Tyuule? You are Tyuule?"

"Yes indeed", Tyuule replied. "Took you long enough."

"This is impossible", Zorzal said. "How could you possibly be Tyuule? While you look somewhat similar, she was here just a few days ago. She wasn't one of you creatures. There is no way she was behind the attack on the empire."

"Oh yes, our time apart was indeed short", Tyuule said. "But in that time I have become so much more. Now, you will die at my feet with your empire destroyed around you. Yes, I may not have been with the Zerg in the beginning, but my queen has given me this gift. And I will use it to kill you."

Tyuule tackled Zorzal, pinning him to the ground underneath her. Then, her claw reached down, grabbing onto the area between Zorzal's legs. Her claws dug in and she ripped ripped off Zorzal's penis. As Zorzal screamed in pain beneath her, she began to scratch her claws across his chest, leaving deep gouges. Zorzal began to slowly bleed out from the various wounds that Tyuule was inflicting on him.

Finally, Tyuule gripped Zorzal's head with both hands and began squeezing, with her thumbs digging through his eye sockets. Zorzal screamed as Tyuule's hands dug into his face. As the pressure mounted, Zorzal's skull caved in, splattering his brains over Tyuule's hands.

Tyuule stood up, gazing down at her former tormentor. It was finally over. She had killed Zorzal, the one who enslaved her and killed her people. Zorzal's death gave her great satisfaction, but now that he was dead, she began to feel emptiness. The burning hatred in her heart had begun to dissipate, and Tyuule walked out of the throne room, contemplating her future.

Around the city, small groups of survivors were being killed off by the zerg, who after eliminating the remaining resistance had turned toward consuming the rest of the city. The people had barricaded themselves inside buildings, but it was of no use as the acid of the roaches was easily able to melt through the walls and an ogrelisk could bash a hole through the structure.

Tyuule saw a nearby building that was busted open by an ogrelisk. As zerglings swarmed in, the inhabitants didn't run like the others. Instead they were armed with various makeshift weapons like pans and brooms. They faced the zerglings bravely, ready to fight to their last breath.

Tyuule recognized these people. The one in the front was Delilah, and the rest were other Bunny Warrior survivors. Tyuule was shocked as she saw her former people in front of her now. She quickly ordered her forces to stop attacking, and the zerg moved away from the house.

As the zerg pulled away, the Bunny Warriors had looks of surprise on their faces as they saw their enemy withdraw. Then, Tyuule walked forward and entered the house. The Bunny Warriors saw the long ears of the approaching figure, which were characteristic of the Bunny Warriors. However, she was clearly one of the creatures as her body was greatly modified. Then, they recognized the face of the approaching individual as that of their former queen Tyuule.

"Tyuule, is that you?", Delilah asked.

"Yes, it is me", Tyuule responded.

Delilah's face morphed into anger. "You traitor! You abandoned us to save your own skin, allowing Zorzal to wipe out our people. We suffered for so many years because of you. Because you were a coward. Or was it that you wanted to whore yourself out to Zorzal? Maybe you just serve a new master every time a stronger one comes along. Like how you decided to submit to those creatures. I guess you are here to kill us now, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not", Tyuule said. "Zorzal lied to you. I surrendered to Zorzal because he promised to spare you all. So I willingly became a slave so that you could live. But only later did I find out that he had no intention of keeping his word."

"He abused me, raped me. I was but a toy to him." Tyuule's voice shook in anger. "For years I was his slave, forced to do his bidding. You know what crushed me the most? When I found out that Zorzal had destroyed our tribe anyways. You could not imagine the shame I felt, the burning regret. From then on, I swore to kill Zorzal and end his empire."

"And that is why I am here today", Tyuule said. "The zerg have offered me a new life. I have taken my revenge, Zorzal is dead now."

For a few moments, the Bunny Warriors were silent as they digested the information they just got. Finally, Delilah spoke. "Well, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know", Tyuule said. "I will continue to serve my new queen, but I still feel that something is missing from my life. But then I found you. I never thought I would see any of you again, but here you all are."

Tyuule paused for a few moments as she collected herself. "That's why… I want us to be together again. We can build a new life together. Whatever remains of our people, I will take them in. That is, if you would be willing."

The Bunny Warriors didn't know what to say. Just a few moments prior, they had expected to die. Now, they were being offered a new life. It was shocking, and they sat in a daze. At last, Delilah spoke up. "I'll do it. I am sorry for believing Zorzal's lies and hating you all this time. But we can finally be together now."

The rest of the bunny warriors began murmuring their agreement. Then, Tyuule asked Delilah, "Are there any more of our people here?"

"After our tribe was destroyed, the survivors scattered to the four winds", Delilah said. "However, many of us arrived here recently as refugees fleeing from the invasion. We found each other and decided to stick together. I don't know whether there are more."

"I see", Tyuule said. "I will try to find any other survivors. Now, we can be together once more, and nothing will tear us apart."

Tyuule brought the Bunny Warriors back to the hive cluster with her and explained the situation to Kerrigan. With Kerrigan's approval, Tyuule was able to get the rest of her Bunny Warriors infested. Tyuule was allowed to lead her band of warriors, but though she was their commander, she treated them as she would family. In time, they would become an elite force within the Zerg Swarm, skilled at infiltration and surgical strikes, along with being powerful shock troopers. In the future, Abathur was able to create a way for them to artificially reproduce, allowing their numbers to grow.

Back at the primary hive cluster on Alnus Hill, Lelei was pouring over the information that she had gathered from Rondel. Years of experimental data and theories had been greatly helpful for understanding the nature of magic. For days after returning from Rondel, Lelei had been engrossed in reading the books. It was fortunate that now that she was zerg, she didn't have to sleep and could read all day without rest. In addition, her enhanced senses and mind allowed her to read at a much faster pace than when she was a human.

By now, she was close to being able to create organisms that could use magic, but that project was put on hold as she was busy working on a project for Kerrigan. In particular, she had to find a way to extract Rory's essence and allow Kerrigan to absorb her power. Kerrigan had placed the matter of her personal strength as the top priority, so that is what Lelei was working on.

It had been difficult, as matters of the divine were no simple matter. Still, Lelei had put her full effort in studying Rory and examining the nature of the energy residing within her. After isolating the divine energy and examining its attachment to Rory, Lelei was able to devise a method for Kerrigan to forcibly devour Rory's essence and subdue the divine energy, allowing for its absorption.

Kerrigan entered the section of the evolution chamber where Rory was held, and Lelei had already prepared an organism which would attach itself to Rory to facilitate the transfer. The organism would attack Rory's soul and sever the attached divine energy, allowing for it to be absorbed. Of course, this process would meet great resistance so Kerrigan would have to employ her own power and channel it through the organism. It would function somewhat as a guide to teach Kerrigan this process, as the entire procedure was rather delicate.

Rory was taken out of the containment pod and the organism was attached. Then, Kerrigan began to drain Rory, slicing directly through her soul to absorb the essence contained within. Rory awoke and began struggling as her power was sucked out of her. However, with the restraints still around her, Rory could do little to stop the attack.

Once Kerrigan had finally sucked every last drop of power out of Rory, the apostle's body disintegrated into dust. Kerrigan felt her power surge as her abilities were boosted by the absorption of Rory's essence. Now, Kerrigan wished to capture more of these apostles so that she could grow in power. In later procedures, she would no longer need the helper organism as a guide as she was now familiar with the process herself.

With the operation a success, Kerrigan thanked Lelei. It seems that infesting the young mage was indeed a good choice, as she was already bringing great benefits.

Meanwhile, a god roared in anger within his realm, as he felt his servant destroyed, with the power he granted stolen from him.