Predators and Warriors

Chapter 5

Flean, Zlarca:

"So...explain to me why you need an army? We are not at war, you here general?" the voice was none other than the Kinex of Zlarca, Stosuru. The council is eyeing the general suspiciously. What is this man planning? "And may I add, what happened to your arm?"

"The arm I will explain later. But, you have to believe me on this, okay? Do you remember the legend of the Redredda, and how they were responsible for the creation of our very kingdom?" Trousk began.

"I have. It's a very common story. Children are often read it as a bedtime story. But how does it relate to the topic at hand?"

"Yes, yes, it is very connected. For you see, the Redredda are as real as the events that transpired over a thousand years ago! They even got my arm!" Trousk told them, pointing to his new crystal arm. The council gasped in awe, but the Kinex wasn't impressed.

"Something must've gone wrong with you over these past years if you are to believe in that myth. It's a fictional story meant to teach kids a lesson, and fiction is not real life. The only time it WILL be is if you provide us proof!" he told the general. A sigh of disappointment escaped Trousk's mouth as he motioned towards a window. Peeking in from the outside was Vokun, who was making sure that he was doing his job. He nodded at the general before wrapping his tail around the three Redredda. He bursts into the council room, scaring all except the Kinex. The reru roared as he placed the Redredda down in front of the Kinex.

"This should be proof enough, human," Vokun growled. Stosuru looked down on the three. He gave them a pitied look.

"These are the Redredda? They look nothing more like people in costume!" he shouted. The council whispered among themselves, wondering whether it was true or not. Stosuru stepped down from his throne to get a better look at them.

"I must assure you, Kinex. These are very real. You should be convinced when I remove their mask!" Trousk told him. He walked over to the middle one, Sivad, and managed to take off his mask, revealing his mandible-ridden face for the whole room to see. The council gasped in shock, but it still did not impress Stosuru. He went back to his throne and sat down.

"You had Ubtia create them. Only she knows how to make a human-like creature. You are insane to believe that these things are the legendary Redredda!" he told them. He looked around the room to see it has gone silent. Trousk was flabbergasted that Stosuru, even with the Redredda right in front of him, refused to believe that he, the general, was right.

"Oh boy," Trousk could hear Vokun mutter under his breath. Stosuru grabbed his staff and firmly planted it in front of him.

"And, because I do NOT like delusional people running the military, I hereby revoke your status as a general." The entire room was shocked by the conclusion. Trousk, however, couldn't help but feel defeated. Vokun was surprised that it came to this. He would've threatened the kinex to keep Trousk in charge, but he figured it wasn't worth the trouble of almost getting the dragons and humans at war. "You are to retire to your village at once! You may have been the hero of the past, but these hundreds of years of your life have caused you great harm. I am sorry, but you are dismissed."

With no other things to talk about, Vokun grabbed the Redredda and he and Trousk left.


After a few hours, Trousk was dropped off by Vokun, who left for the dragon kingdom once more. He went to his house and went inside. As he sat down, all he could think about was the kinex.

"Why..." his hand curled into a fist. "Why NOW am I being stripped of my titles!?"

He yelled with such ferocity that it caused the room to shake. Rage built up inside him as he slammed his fist into a wall, causing it to crack. He had never experienced this amount of anger since...the demon king. He decided to rest it off. It may help him cope with the loss, but considering his sleep habits, it may not be as much as he hoped.

As he laid down in his bed, he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door. He huffed in annoyance as he walked downstairs and went to check on who it was. As he opened the door, he was surprised to find a Greek friend of his standing at his door. The man was shocked by his appearance.

"Dareilud! What happened to your arm!?" he yelled out.

"It's a long story, Idaeus. Come in," he told him. Idaeus walked inside and shut the door, and was surprised to see all the cracks and blood that covered his house.

"By the gods, this place is a mess," he said, picking up a bloody cloth.

"Like I said, long story. You...want me to tell you about it or do you want to keep it to myself?" Trousk asked him.

"...yeah. I haven't seen you in months! You got to tell me everything my friend," Idaeus said, shaking his fists in anticipation. Without hesitation, Trousk went on about the Redredda, Vokun, the gods, and the apparent Serpents that he was trying to convince the kinex about. Idaeus frowned when the ex-general told him about him losing his position in the military.

"That sucks. But you gotta admit, Stosuru is a stubborn creature, for sure," the Greek told him. Trousk sighed as he put his tail in his lap.

"He isn't the worst leader, per se, but he isn't the best," he admitted. Idaeus eyed the room once more before getting in close to Trousk.

"Listen, I know its a rumor, but I heard that Stosuru despises people with magora," he told the ex-general.

"Oh really?"

"Like I said, its only a rumor. As well, I also heard that he plans on exterminating them somehow, and he kinda already started since he kicked out that batch of council members because they had magora and he didn't. Maybe you were just part of his plan?" Trousk put a finger to his chin as he began to take what Idaeus said to heart. It did sound plausible. He could feel the tension rise whenever he and the kinex were next to each other, so it could be possible that he hates magora users such as himself.

But their conversation had to wait, as Trousk picked up the sounds of wing beats with his sensitive ears. His crystal arm shot out its light sword once more as he approached the window.

"WAIT, YOUR ARM CAN DO THA-"

"Shush!" Trousk ordered him. He went quiet as he slowly pushed the wooden piece that blocked his window. It was Ubtia, with the Redredda no less. "What is she doing now?"

"Who's doing what now?" Idaeus said. Before Ubtia could knock on his door, Trousk opened it, almost ripping the door off. Ubtia drew her arm back in shock as he smirked a bit.

"Salwa, my goddess." Ubtia blushed as he stepped aside to let her and the Redredda inside. She noticed Idaeus sitting in a chair, who was ogling at her physique.

"Greetings...er...who are you?"

"Names Idaeus, what's a fine lady doing in these here parts," he said while shaking her hand.

"I'm here to discuss some matters with Trousk. Please leave," she told him. Idaeus frowned a bit as he went for the door.

"He's a friend of mine. I kinda told him everything," Trousk told her. She was about to criticize him but decided that he had enough banter for today. She looked back Idaeus as he grabbed the doorknob.

"Alright, you can stay. Just don't get involved, alright?" she told him. He nodded as he went back to his seat. Trousk shrugged at his friend as he waited for the Redredda to come inside.

"So...Ubtia...I didn't get what I was looking for...because the kinex kinda-"

"Revoked your general status?"

"Yeah that-WAIT WHAT!?" Trousk yelped, slipping onto the floor. "How did you know that already!?"

"I have eyes everywhere. Also, I can look at you through portals, I guess," she told him with a smile. Trousk got back up and rubbed his forehead.

"Alright, alright, whatever. So what was it that you wanted to discuss?" he asked her. She scratched her head, not knowing how to explain it to him. She decided to just tell him straight.

"We're going back to the pyidis."

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder when we get to kill those beasts again," Trousk told her, cracking his knuckles. She was surprised, for she did not expect Trousk to be so open to the idea.

"But you don't have your army-"

"I may not have an army, but, with the both of us, those Redredda, and Vokun working together...yeah, I can see us doing swell," Trousk interjected.

"...yeah." She cleared her throat as she laid a somewhat crumpled map of what seems to be the pyidis on the table. "Speaking of, Vokun figured that the best way to stop this infestation is to kill the queen. These serpents act like bees, working and being birthed from a single, large queen. The Redredda told me that they are located in a special room deep inside the pyidis. We got to get something powerful in there, possibly something that can destroy the entire building," Ubtia explained.

"Seems so. I'm in. When do we get started?" Trousk asked, a menacing smirk growing on his face.

"Tomorrow. You had to deal with a lot of stuff today. You must be tired," she told him. He shrugged as he sat down in a chair.

"Alright, alright. Wait, you are coming with us, right?" He asked another question.

"Sadly, I cannot, for me and Obsidorah are having a meeting with the Greek gods tomorrow. It is up to you and Vokun...along with our new arrivals...to deal with it. I trust that you have mastered your new arm?"

"I still got to work out a few kinks, but, overall, I think I have the hang of it. All I know is a blast of light and a sword made of said light, but, from what Vokun could do, I have a feeling that there is more to this arm that meets the eye," he told her, flexing his fingers. Ubtia nodded as he picked up the map.

"Alright, I shall take my leave. Trousk...please take care," she told him. He waved her off and she exited the door, taking off into the still night.

It was then that Trousk and Idaeus finally looked at each other.

"So...what do I do?" The Greek man asked, raising a brow.

"She didn't say anything about you. If what you say is true, that you are a descendant of an old Greek friend of mine back in the 1600's BC, show me something." Trousk approached him, aiming his hand at Idaeus. A light began to shine in his palm. "Do something about this!"

"Ω για σκατά!" He closed his eyes, aiming his hand at Trousk. A light appeared on his chest without his knowledge, and, with the flick of his wrist, Trousk's crystal arm was sent straight into the wall. Idaeus opened his eyes, seeing the "ex-general" remove his arm from the wall.

"You're him all right. You're part of the team now," Trous told him. Idaeus, through his hyperventilation, gave a weak thumbs up before passing out.

"It's almost like old times...back when...HE was the villain."


Finally...it is done...now I don't have to deal with this chapter anymore. I hope you enjoyed. if you didn't, that's okay. I didn't like it either :(

This is Sporedude135, signing off...