Empire of Souls 166 A Daemon's might 3

Grobak looked high up in the sky and was shocked by the scene he saw. He had been leading an army consisting of over a dozen tribes to the mountain pass which separated the Steppes and the Scarlet Blood Empire. Although the tribes were in disarray after the news of the Harkul's defeat and the chaos caused by Aleks, the tribes in the North continued to watch the pass. It was their responsibility to defend the Steppes from the vampires to the north. Seeing an opportunity, Grobak used this to unite a large portion of the Steppe tribes and led his army with haste towards the pass. 

He had met some resistance, but he had easily quashed any who stood against him. There were no Legendary beings in any of the northern tribes so it wasn't a difficult matter to settle those who stood against him. With his army of tribal elites and his own personal strength, who could resist his might? Especially among a people who respected strength above all. 

Without hesitation, Grobak gathered the tribes willing to submit in the short time he had entered the north and he led an army of over two hundred thousand to the pass which had placated many of them. Showing such determination to defend the Steppes earned Grobak much good will among the tribes. A few more tribes had trickled in after hearing the news and Grobak's forces grew. This caused Grobak to become extremely excited and he once more thanked the deity who had allowed for this to happen. Aleks had become much more than a master in his heart and he knew all he had was because of him.

From a lowly slave to a master of the Steppes, Grobak's pride grew daily. He never would have imagined that this day would come. Being sold as a slave was the worst experience of his life and he had even steeled himself to a life of misery. At one point, he had become so fierce and violent in the hopes that he would die, but things were different now. Now, he was a chieftain and led hundreds of thousands. He had even been given a noble title by his master, he was to be a Duke. It may not mean much now, but eventually his lands would grow and become more prosperous. He would take his place as a powerful noble within a vast and growing empire. He couldn't help but shake with anticipation and excitement.

Grobak looked over his horde which was growing and felt pride at the sight, but when he saw that strange and awe inspiring scene over the pass, it immediately caused Grobak's swelling pride to decrease by quite a bit. What kind of power was this? Was it an enemy or something else? He couldn't tell, but no matter what he had to face a cold reality.

"Fuck, there is always a higher mountain isn't there?"

The power on display before him was not something he could match at this time and his expression grew serious. That was something he could not contend with, but it was his duty to march forward. He could only hope that he would survive this.

"Chief, what should we do? That power… could it be a Demigod? But only the Blood Sovereign himself is a Demigod in the Scarlet Blood Empire. He wouldn't come personally right?"

The other chiefs and commanders under Grobak grew greatly concerned and began murmuring to each other.

"Will the master come?" asked one of Grobak's subordinates.

Grobak was concerned, but he had to show the face of a leader and displayed only confidence. He couldn't allow his newly formed horde to suspect his courage or conviction. It was his role as their leader to calm the warriors.

"Don't worry, the master is always with us and he is with us right now. If necessary, he will come. We only need to concern ourselves with those we can handle. For the matters above us, the master himself will take care of it. With him as our master, we shall never know defeat."

Grobak's words inspired those around him and they nodded with confidence. Although not everyone here had seen the power that Aleks wielded, they all knew by now that even the Dragon King had submitted to him. With the stories they had heard from those who had witnessed Aleks's power, they were no longer too afraid. They were not cowards, as long as there was a chance, they would fight even until death. It was only the fear of being slaughtered like insects that left them hesitant. Knowing that their master would prop up the sky for them allowed them to regain their courage and battle lust.

"Hehe, that's right. We have nothing to fear, the master will protect us!"

"That's right, what a bunch of cowards you all are. I saw you shaking in your boots, why don't you go cower in a dirt pit somewhere. Might as well bury yourself too, no point in living like a little bitch."

"Fuck you, weren't you just shitting in your pants when you saw those chariots in the sky smashing down?"

All around the various tribes of barbarians were cursing and jeering at each other, but there was no malicious intent in their words. They were just crude people who enjoyed a good taunt and what they considered to be a bit of friendly competition. Grobak was somewhat embarrassed by the scene, but he allowed them to say what they wished. 

Changing these barbarians was something that would take time. He was once just like them and in some cases was still just like them, but he had noble blood in him. As a Noble Orc who was becoming more familiar with his blood and heritage, he was beginning to desire to change his demeanor into something a bit more elegant. It wouldn't do to remain the crude and callous Barbarian that he once was.

As the friendly banter began to become more crude and embarrassing however, he suddenly grew somewhat angry and raged, "Shut the fuck up all of you, you bunch of fucking rat bastards. I will beat the shit out of the next scumbag who mouths off, and put your damn pants back on!"

Grobak realized his actions and thoughts were hypocritical and despite some embarrassment he shrugged. Once they started dropping their pants and shaking their things at each other he just couldn't control his anger anymore. It was too shameful, too embarrassing. He wanted to beat the crap out of them immediately, but there was more pressing matters to handle.

"Guess old habits die hard eh?" Grobak laughed to himself and smacked his Giant Wolf mount on the side, "Let's go see what those blood sucking shitbags are doing over there, if they are even still alive that is."

Grobak personally led a few thousand wolf riders ahead of the army in order to investigate. His warriors, while strong, were nothing much when pitted against the Blood Guard. Many of his own personal guard were Advanced class beings, but they were still small in number. The majority of the army were Intermediate and Beginner class beings so against such a well trained army like the Blood Guard, even with their numbers they would be at a disadvantage normally. This was without Grobak and his own personal forces of course. Grobak was now a Legendary being and could match the several Master class vampires that were officers in the Blood Guard. He also had a small number of Master class subordinates, but they were only low Master class. These were the backbone of his forces and he had subdued them with his own personal strength.

His personally trained guard were all strong and considering these factors and the hundreds of thousands of cannon fodder present, they could definitely hold off the Blood Guard if necessary. Grobak's only real concern was the power behind that attack they just saw. If there was a Demigod present it would mean trouble, and although his master could certainly handle another Demigod, it would be too late for them unless Grobak could delay the enemy.

The thousand or so elite wolf riders moved through the pass unimpeded until they finally neared the area where they saw that monstrous power. Grobak called for them to stop and he slowly urged his mount on until two figures finally came into his sight. They seemed to be waiting there patiently and casually chatting amidst a backdrop of mangled corpses. Even Grobak felt somewhat terrified by this scene. It was simply too horrifying.

"What the fuck…"

Grobak couldn't make out their faces since they were well hidden, but as a peak Legendary he could feel the terrifying aura emanating from the two. It was an aura much like his master's, meaning that the two of them were both at least at the level of a Demigod.

"This.." Grobak was lost for words. 

It was already too late for him to retreat, there was no way he could escape from two Demigods. What was heartening though, was that the corpses appeared to be members of the Blood Guard. He wasn't sure of the intentions of these two strange beings, but he thought they might not necessarily be enemies. He approached the two cautiously and dismounted. He didn't want to display any sort of arrogance or disrespect. That would only lead to an early death. Perhaps if he acted respectful, he could still survive this.

"Sorry for disturbing the two of you…"

Before Grobak could even finish, the two turned their gazes towards him causing him to shiver.

Chapter end