Legends of the Smoke Jaguars Chapter 13

Blingar liked to talk, that was the most annoying thing about him. He yakked on and on, running his trap ceaselessly. He also wore layers of gold-painted leather over his large belly, showing off his wealth. That was annoying too but what really got up Hed'breka's nose was that the rising Warboss needed this pesky git to sign up willingly, mashing his head in and claiming the spoils wasn't going to work this time.

"Yeseere," Blingar chortled, "You did rite comin to me, I can fix you up good."

"Yup," Hed'breka muttered sullenly.

"I got me ships, I got Roks, I got flashy rokkets and go-fasta bomberz than any git you'ze ever gonna meet. Blingar can set you up good, all for a low, low, rate."

"Yeah," Hed'breka grumbled.

He cast his beady eyes about, taking in the vast workings around them. The pair of warbosses stood in the middle of a huge plain, surrounded by tangled and gnarled machinery. Rickety towers leaned precariously into the orange sky, filled with yammering Mekboyz. Chugging machines spewed caustic fumes while snaking pipes ran wild everywhere. Yelling grots hung from girders to beat upon dripping pistons with rough spanners while massive gears rumbled underneath them. More than a few lost their grip and fell into the gears to be crushed to paste but none cared, their squishy innards saved having to oil the mechanisms. Everywhere the symbol of the grinning yellow moon was displayed, the Bad Moons ruling this facility with an iron fist.

The reason for this place's existence was the long lines of crude ships and shuttles dotted about, randomly strewn wherever there was space. Hed'breka could see attack-bomberz and bomb blimps, shuttles with enormous thrusters piled upon the back and rokket conveyances, burping fuel vapours as they sat upon the ground. There were even a few smaller frigates, looming against the horizon like mountains pushing for the stars.

Blingar was a shipbuilder, an industrious Ork who made and sold vessels to other warbosses. Not a mekboy himself but he commanded so many as to make no difference. Hed'breka didn't get it, with power like this he could overrun worlds, to flog it to some git who might turn it on you was nuts, but had it certainly worked for Blingar. The warboss was short and stout, but thick with muscle and covered in flashy grubbins. The Snazzguns on his hips looked wicked, able to put out twice as much lead as Hed'breka's shootas. They said Blingar slept on a mound of teef so high he could spit over the side and have it move so fast by the time it reached ground it'd kill a Nob. Bad Moons were always flush with Teef but that was impressive, they even said Blingar had a Kill Kroozer somewhere up there.

Hed'breka reckoned his army could take this place apart, so vast had his horde grown, but that did him no good. He needed ships and shuttles, a way off this burning rock and into the stars. That meant dealing with Blingar. All the Dakka in the galaxy was no good if he couldn't move it. So his army waited beyond the perimeter, while Hed'breka came with his lieutenants to talk.

"So what'll it be?" Blingar asked greedily.

"I'll take it all," Hed'breka growled.

"All?" squeaked a nearby Boy, one of many who had been looking on with interest.

Blingar grinned widely, "That'll cost ya, we're talking millions of Teef."

But Hed'breka hissed, "I ain't gonna pay ya, you'ze gonna sign up for me Waaagh."

A sudden quiet fell over the area as Blingar's hands drifted near to his Snazzguns and scores of Boyz suddenly appeared from the workings, all armed to the teeth. Surrounded by his mob Blingar growled, "You playin' me false!"

Gut'twista engines rumbled loud but Hed'breka retorted, "Nah, I shoots straight. I'm goin' after Bloody Red-hands."

"Hold it!" Blingar yelled at his mobs then hissed, "Bloody red-hands? Dat Bloody red-hands?!"

"Yah," Hed'breka said, "He's pissin about with da Orks, makin' em weak. He takin em away from Gork an Mork till they aint proper Orks anymo."

"Grot's piss for dat," Blingar spat, "I don' care what he's doin to you'ze, I gots me own beef. Bloody red-hands been after me shipz for yearz, always blowin up my grubbins and knockin over me works. Bloody Red-hands cost me lodsa Teef, I want his 'ead!"

Hed'breka grinned, "So, you'ze in?"

Blingar mused, "I mite be, I mite not. Tell me, are ya a gambling boy?"

"You wanna bet?" Hed'breka started, "I can't be havin' with cards."

"Cards?!" Blingar snorted, "I looks like a measly hoomie to ya? Round 'ere we plays knucklebones."

Blingar clapped his hands and a quartets of Grots dragged a big table from some corner while another pair lugged two bags almost as big as they were. The table was set between the warbosses and Hed'breka saw it was divided into four quadrants, forming a rough circle. He frowned as Blingar grabbed one bag and upended a pile of hoomie bones, literal knuckles glued together to form five pointed stars, which had a ginning moon carved on them. He didn't follow what this was meant to mean and glared in annoyance, awaiting an explanation.

Blingar grinned as he said, "Simple game, you sets your Teef on da board and throws da bones in da air. If da mostest lands in your corner you gets twice as many teef as is there to keeps. We keeps going till one or da uvver runs out. You winz I gives ya half me ships, you lose, you piss off."

Masha leaned over and muttered, "Boss, we didn't gots any Teef."

Hed'breka casually swept his arm back and smashed the Boyz in the jaw, sending him crashing to the ground spitting teeth everywhere. "We doez now," he snorted.

Blingar grinned as he grabbed his other bag and said, "I go first, show you how its done." The warboss reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of Teef, he set them out in a curious fashion, one quadrant empty, two with equal amounts and one with twice as much. Hed'breka didn't follow the pattern and took some Teef Masha passed up and set them evenly across the board, same amount in every section. Blingar casually picked up the bones and tossed them high, the crowd elbowing each other and making side bets as they watched how they landed on the board. By chance they landed on the quadrant Blingar had left empty and the warboss shrugged as he handed over twice as many Teeth as Hed'breka had bet before they collected the others.

Hed'breka was feeling good now and placed down a larger amount, evenly distributed once again. Blingar once more flowed the same pattern and then threw the bones high. They hit the board and bounced randomly, only this time ending up on his filled quadrant. Hed'breka gritted his teeth as Masha sighed and counted out twice as many teeth as Blingar had set down, but the warboss chuckled, "Nope,I get twice as many as iz dere."

It was then that it hit Hed'breka what Blingar was up to. He hadn't won twice his own bet but twice his wager plus twice what Hed'breaka has put in that corner. In one move he'd leapt so far ahead that Hed'breka could never catch up. To win Hed'breka had to beat him consistently, but Blingar only had to get lucky once and he knew it.

Blingar grinned smugly as he laid out his teeth, putting more into three quadrants than Hed'breka had left. Sullenly the warboss set out his teeth and when the bones fell they landed in an equal section, leaving Blingar victorious. He laughed evilly as the crowd jeered and cussed profanely, making Hed'breka grind his teeth together.

"Looks as ya get squat!" Blingar chortled.

But Hed'breka spat, "Double or nothin!"

That brought sudden silence and all looked on in shock as Blingar spat, "Double? You got nothin to bet."

"Got me army," Hed'breka proposed, "You winz me horde is yourz, I win, you sign up for me Waaagh and I gets all your ships."

Blingar stared for a moment then laughed, "You iz a bettin boy! Dis iz too good. You're on, I'll even spot you som Teef, as you fresh out."

A pile of teeth was handed over and the board cleared. Once more Blingar set out his teeth in the familiar pattern, grinning with the smile of one who hadn't used up all his tricks by half. Hed'breka however didn't break eye contact as he picked up his entire pile and dumped them in the empty quadrant. A shocked whisper swept through the crowd as Blingar's smile vanished and he hissed, "Wat you playin' at?"

Hed'breka kept staring and spat, "You good, soddin' good. You got mad skills... but me, I got luck. I'm bettin on my luck against your skill."

Blingar's eyes narrowed as he hissed, "One throw of the bones, winna take all. I gotta see dis, throw da bones."

Hed'breka grabbed the bones and tossed them into the air. They glittered momentarily in the yellow light, then hit the board and bounced about, rolling over their spikes until they came to a halt. Hed'breka didn't bother to look down, eyes fixed on his rival, watching as his face fell and a sick look crept over his face. Suddenly the surrounding crowd erupted into cheers, roaring in approval and Hed'breka knew his chancy gamble had paid off. He'd won.

Blingar's face was cold for a moment then recovered as he laughed, "Dat was a good wheeze! Look's like you got da luck of Gork! I be no welcher, you can sign me up rite now."

"Good," Hed'breka uttered, "There's plenty more Orks to round up on der uvver worlds. Bloody Red-hands better look out, cause we comin with all der boyz!"