Shadows and Blood: Death Watch
Chapter one: The General
General Visla was an imposing figure for his species, tall for a weasel and powerful with a well muscled figure. His gray armor, complement with his great broadsword. He wore a necklace, made of the claws and fangs of slain enemies around his neck and the skins of dead enemies underneath his armor. He was powerful, despite his age. His mottled gray and black fur was going gray in some places. Despite their leader's age, none doubted his power, skill or ferocity. Visla hadn't become the leader of the most feared group of killers for nothing. He was merciless, intelligent and had, for his strongest recommendation for the position of leader, the ability to kill any other beast who had wanted the job.
When Visla's age had become to show several beasts had challenged him for the position of leadership of the Death Watch. Visla had killed them in ten seconds at maximum. After them, no other beast had attempted to challenge him
The Death Watch had prospered over the years, killings filling their coffers. That lacked for nothing but Visla's obsession was driving the aging weasel mad.
General Visla had one disfigurment, the left side of his head and face were hideously scarred. He was missing his ear and there was a noticeable burn marking that scorched and disfigured the flesh and permitted no fur to grow. His left eye set in a mass of burns and scars that had once been his face. The right side was normal.
In his youth Visla had been handsome and imposing, that had lasted until his lust for power grew to great. He challenged his brother, saying that their mercenaries, the Calpathions should rule this world and none other. His brother had responded the place of a mercenary was on the battlefield for the money and nothing else.
Visla had been furious. Many of the mercenaries followed him, forming the faction known as the Death Watch. He launched a coup that left both sides devastated but with the Death Watch the victors. His brother had engaged Visla in combat. Neither beast was the winner but Kalis had given Visla a sign to remember him by, he had one cunning trap sent that had nearly burned Visla to death. Visla escaped with the left side of his face disfigured. Kalis had fled. Trust it to that coward to find a place to hide.
Visla dismissed thoughts of his brother and instead focused on the kneeling ferret in front of him.
"Yes, Geras? Give me the report."
The ferret stood, smaller then his leader and younger. Geras was a promising candidate for the next leader of the Death Watch, his cunning, skill and sadism helped him in that regard.
The brown furred ferret saluted, the motion drawing aside his blue cloak, revealing gray armor with the insignia of a weasel's skull on the chest. The symbol of the Death Watch.
"Target's dead, gen'ral." Geras replied. "Caught the fox near a stream and took his head"
Visla nodded. Geras was definitely a promising candidate. "Anything else?"
Geras nodded. "We got one o' the Calpathions, Gen'ral."
Visla was alert immediately. "Who is it? Kalis, Jald, Deran perhaps?"
"None of those, sir."
Visla's disappointment showed in a slight twitch of his tail. "Good job anyways, Geras.I want to see this prisoner immediately.haven't broken him yet, have you?"
Geras shook his head. "No, sir. We thought you may wanna question him personally."
Visla smiled. "You thought right.lead me to him."
Geras and Visla stepped out of Visla's tent, marked only by a banner with the Death Watch's symbol. Visla always promoted extreme loyalty among his subjects. He never permitted himself luxury they couldn't afford or had them suffer when he prospered. There wasn't a seed of rebellion among the Death Watch.
The Death Watch weren't numerous. Only about five score soldiers, continuous battles had reduced the number by two thirds. Visla had turned this near defeat into a victory, convincing himself and his troops that the number was ideal as they could fight easier, share more between them. The troops had believed him and the Death Watch had yet to lose a single battle since the battle with the Calpathions.
The Calpathions were General Visla's one obsession. He hated them, his brother most of all and would have given his sword arm to see them dead and Kalis' corpse at his feet. Visla always felt his brother had stolen the Calpathions from him and had vowed to make them pay.
Geras led Visla to a tent larger then the rest. Only three tents had this size; provision tent, medical purposes and for torture.
As Geras opened the flat and stepped in, followed by his general, Visla could see one beast laying on the torture table. Three beasts, each Visla's commanders, stood near, a female ferret, a male stoat and a male fox.
The beast on the table was a stoat, so bloody and beaten it was hard to tell. The fox, his fur a deep red that matched disturbingly with the blood covering it grabbed the stoat by the ears. Blood flecks appeared upon his black uniform. Teren was a born killer. He lived for one thing; Pain...whether to himself or others, one always had to beware of the hungry flame within his ebony eyes,
"What we have here is a failure to communicate." He hissed coldly.
"That'll be enough, Taren." Visla replied quickly.
The fox commander turned and saluted his general. "General Visla! The scum refuses to talk no matter-"
"Calpathions are trained to resist torture.I'd expect no less.allow me to take over."
Taren nodded and leaned back, nodding to his companions, the ferret, her fur a reddish brown and her body covered as much as possible with her uniform and heavy red cloak spoke up to her stoat companion.
"How long do you think it will take for the scum to crack under Visla, Mahk?"
The stoat smiled and leaned back, his fur a light red that clashed with his dark blue tunic, one paw resting lazily upon his belt of daggers. "I give twenty minutes at the most extreme, Saris."
While Teren handled espionage and murder for the Death Watch, Saris and Mahk were considered the most ferocious fighters next to their General. Saris and Mahk were rumored lovers but most knew that Saris despised any activity that would seperate her form the rest of the male beasts that made up the entirety of the Death Watch.
Geras walked over, adjusting his gray cloak of command, smiling at his general with a look of uncdisguised smugness at Mahk and Saris who returned the gesture with loathing.
Visla walked to a pile of weapons meant specifically for torture and selected a small curved dagger. "Last chance, mercenary. Will you talk or do you need more persuasion?"
The stoat, too injured to want to harm himself by talking made his response by spitting into Visla's face.
Visla smiled, wiping the spittle and blood away delicately, raising the blade over the stoat's body, his eyes gleaming coldly. "So more suffering for you will be in vain.unfortunate."
The General smiled and began to go to work. The four commanders, battle hardened and cold as they were, couldn't help but shudder at the screams and the distinct, slow and deliberate sound of steel against flesh.
Chapter one: The General
General Visla was an imposing figure for his species, tall for a weasel and powerful with a well muscled figure. His gray armor, complement with his great broadsword. He wore a necklace, made of the claws and fangs of slain enemies around his neck and the skins of dead enemies underneath his armor. He was powerful, despite his age. His mottled gray and black fur was going gray in some places. Despite their leader's age, none doubted his power, skill or ferocity. Visla hadn't become the leader of the most feared group of killers for nothing. He was merciless, intelligent and had, for his strongest recommendation for the position of leader, the ability to kill any other beast who had wanted the job.
When Visla's age had become to show several beasts had challenged him for the position of leadership of the Death Watch. Visla had killed them in ten seconds at maximum. After them, no other beast had attempted to challenge him
The Death Watch had prospered over the years, killings filling their coffers. That lacked for nothing but Visla's obsession was driving the aging weasel mad.
General Visla had one disfigurment, the left side of his head and face were hideously scarred. He was missing his ear and there was a noticeable burn marking that scorched and disfigured the flesh and permitted no fur to grow. His left eye set in a mass of burns and scars that had once been his face. The right side was normal.
In his youth Visla had been handsome and imposing, that had lasted until his lust for power grew to great. He challenged his brother, saying that their mercenaries, the Calpathions should rule this world and none other. His brother had responded the place of a mercenary was on the battlefield for the money and nothing else.
Visla had been furious. Many of the mercenaries followed him, forming the faction known as the Death Watch. He launched a coup that left both sides devastated but with the Death Watch the victors. His brother had engaged Visla in combat. Neither beast was the winner but Kalis had given Visla a sign to remember him by, he had one cunning trap sent that had nearly burned Visla to death. Visla escaped with the left side of his face disfigured. Kalis had fled. Trust it to that coward to find a place to hide.
Visla dismissed thoughts of his brother and instead focused on the kneeling ferret in front of him.
"Yes, Geras? Give me the report."
The ferret stood, smaller then his leader and younger. Geras was a promising candidate for the next leader of the Death Watch, his cunning, skill and sadism helped him in that regard.
The brown furred ferret saluted, the motion drawing aside his blue cloak, revealing gray armor with the insignia of a weasel's skull on the chest. The symbol of the Death Watch.
"Target's dead, gen'ral." Geras replied. "Caught the fox near a stream and took his head"
Visla nodded. Geras was definitely a promising candidate. "Anything else?"
Geras nodded. "We got one o' the Calpathions, Gen'ral."
Visla was alert immediately. "Who is it? Kalis, Jald, Deran perhaps?"
"None of those, sir."
Visla's disappointment showed in a slight twitch of his tail. "Good job anyways, Geras.I want to see this prisoner immediately.haven't broken him yet, have you?"
Geras shook his head. "No, sir. We thought you may wanna question him personally."
Visla smiled. "You thought right.lead me to him."
Geras and Visla stepped out of Visla's tent, marked only by a banner with the Death Watch's symbol. Visla always promoted extreme loyalty among his subjects. He never permitted himself luxury they couldn't afford or had them suffer when he prospered. There wasn't a seed of rebellion among the Death Watch.
The Death Watch weren't numerous. Only about five score soldiers, continuous battles had reduced the number by two thirds. Visla had turned this near defeat into a victory, convincing himself and his troops that the number was ideal as they could fight easier, share more between them. The troops had believed him and the Death Watch had yet to lose a single battle since the battle with the Calpathions.
The Calpathions were General Visla's one obsession. He hated them, his brother most of all and would have given his sword arm to see them dead and Kalis' corpse at his feet. Visla always felt his brother had stolen the Calpathions from him and had vowed to make them pay.
Geras led Visla to a tent larger then the rest. Only three tents had this size; provision tent, medical purposes and for torture.
As Geras opened the flat and stepped in, followed by his general, Visla could see one beast laying on the torture table. Three beasts, each Visla's commanders, stood near, a female ferret, a male stoat and a male fox.
The beast on the table was a stoat, so bloody and beaten it was hard to tell. The fox, his fur a deep red that matched disturbingly with the blood covering it grabbed the stoat by the ears. Blood flecks appeared upon his black uniform. Teren was a born killer. He lived for one thing; Pain...whether to himself or others, one always had to beware of the hungry flame within his ebony eyes,
"What we have here is a failure to communicate." He hissed coldly.
"That'll be enough, Taren." Visla replied quickly.
The fox commander turned and saluted his general. "General Visla! The scum refuses to talk no matter-"
"Calpathions are trained to resist torture.I'd expect no less.allow me to take over."
Taren nodded and leaned back, nodding to his companions, the ferret, her fur a reddish brown and her body covered as much as possible with her uniform and heavy red cloak spoke up to her stoat companion.
"How long do you think it will take for the scum to crack under Visla, Mahk?"
The stoat smiled and leaned back, his fur a light red that clashed with his dark blue tunic, one paw resting lazily upon his belt of daggers. "I give twenty minutes at the most extreme, Saris."
While Teren handled espionage and murder for the Death Watch, Saris and Mahk were considered the most ferocious fighters next to their General. Saris and Mahk were rumored lovers but most knew that Saris despised any activity that would seperate her form the rest of the male beasts that made up the entirety of the Death Watch.
Geras walked over, adjusting his gray cloak of command, smiling at his general with a look of uncdisguised smugness at Mahk and Saris who returned the gesture with loathing.
Visla walked to a pile of weapons meant specifically for torture and selected a small curved dagger. "Last chance, mercenary. Will you talk or do you need more persuasion?"
The stoat, too injured to want to harm himself by talking made his response by spitting into Visla's face.
Visla smiled, wiping the spittle and blood away delicately, raising the blade over the stoat's body, his eyes gleaming coldly. "So more suffering for you will be in vain.unfortunate."
The General smiled and began to go to work. The four commanders, battle hardened and cold as they were, couldn't help but shudder at the screams and the distinct, slow and deliberate sound of steel against flesh.