Chapter 1.

There was nothing else to get your stomach rumbling like the smell of roasted flesh. Kanis already regretted not finishing Taberts porridge for him that morning, and that sweet smokey scent wasn't going to do him any favors before this day was done. The moved slowly, almost lurching forward, the armies hesitation felt in every step. Cowards, the lot of 'em. Though there was no sense in rushing off to your death, he could begrudge them that truth, still Kanis wished they'd hurry up and get on with it, least that way he could find something decent to eat, or he wouldn't, that would be the way of it made no sense to be worrying about it. Still... he wished he'd eating that bowl Taberts had let go to waste. Poor greenskin, too sick with the quakes to be bothered with his last meal! Ha, such was the way of things, he'd likely be dead before he realized he was hungry though, Tabert was no good with a spear. 

A Horn blared, loud and with a strong staccato rhythm, another pass of the infernal flames. Kanis lowered his neck as the jets of liquid flame shot over the armies heads towards the smoke covered hilltop. Still too far away to make out their agony, but still he could hear their screams. He did not favor to be in their position, but such was the fate of those who resisted the Dawnbringers. The pace quickened, the army falling into a rhythm that brokered no hesitation, good, it was near killing time. Drums! The big booming kind, the ones that thumped in the chest even during the blood frenzy! He absently wondered who would meet them on the field today, Ra'hin'hok, or La'aben perhaps it had been a while since either of those two had been called from Elysium. He tightened his grip on his spear, while picking up speed to join his army in a jog. Too soon, he grumbled, we've still the hill to climb, too damn soon! He looked to either side of him but the greenskins were caught up in their first charge to notice they'd be winded before they'd even reached the climb. Nothing to do but what needed to be done, he gritted teeth and trudged along, helm clanging awkwardly against his ears still too big despite the padding he'd added. 

There was a sudden pop, followed by a series of others, the green skin to his right fell with the men in front and behind. A brilliant flash. Skycallers! So they weren't so unprepared as they had seemed! Kanis thought a small prayer to Trife to stay the lightning away from him, but kept at his jog. The army had reached the hill and was slow starting the climb. A hail of arrows fell from behind it, wooden shields coming up to meet it, greens and grays falling around him. They'd out paced their own archers back on the plains, and were likely too close for the Dawnbringers now. Still, there would be more surprises before this day was young. The horns blared again, a low rumbling note, and the army began clattering spear on shields as they jogged the incline. Kanis could see clearly in front of himself now, and gained speed to close the distance to the front. He was not so green as to be caught up in the chant, taking his spear in his shield arm and hefting out his jagged blade. They were almost there now and the spears of those glistening soldiers, eyes dark with determination, lowered to meet them. Fools, he hefted his spear and launched it with a chorus of others. His thudded into a woman not ten strides from him, sprinting to close the distance before another could replace her spear. He roared as he barreled into the man beside her, half his height and maybe a tenth his age! Blackgut found the opening near his neck, the jagged blade tearing arteries and letting blood flow free, the blackened dagger pulsed with new life as he withdrew it and cut through the plate of the woman behind him like a newborn. She gasped in surprise, her face of anguish framed by blonde curls holding Kanis's attention a moment too long. A spear scraped against his own plate, glancing dangerously off his shoulder and grazing his furred head. He snorted at himself, no time to be admiring them! He caught the spear in his shield arm and splintered it with a swift downwards slam of his sword wielding fist, before slamming his shield into the pig-nosed faced man who'd attempted to skewer him form behind. A crunch told him that aggressor wasn't like to try again, he wield to find his next foe but found himself in a wide swath of ground. A trio of spearmen hesitated just outside range of him but another had his back to him as he attempted to deal with Tabert. Shaking his head he thundered the five spaces between the two of him before grabbing the back of the man's plate with his shielded hand and throwing him into the encroaching spearmen. They went down in a sprawling of limbs except for a nimble one who charged past, foolish, he knocked aside the thrust with his shield before spinning in close to meet them and bashing the mans skull with his horned head. The familiar crunch, and a gurgling sound preceded a thud of the man collapsing. Oh what a day! It was good to be at war again! 

Tabert nodded appreciatively, before picking up his own blade, a long thing with much too smooth a blade if you asked Kanis. Though, rarely they did, Kanis the Bloodthirsty was apparently not someone they went to for advice, much better to consort with Chaplain Feyor. He absently wondered if she'd survived thus far, more likely than not that she did, the gods always seemed to favor those sending them prayers in every other breath. His sharp pain lanced up his sword arm, blasted spears! He was getting too old! Thinking while he was supposed to be fighting, that's how you ended up good and dead, that's why all the smart ones ended up dead and all the dumb ones lasted long enough to end up leading! With a roar he spun on his attacker and imbedded the pulsing Blackgut into the helmeted head of the man. He kicked the man into a pair of advancing levies and stalked towards the flying bodies. Someone worth fighting had appeared, he'd leave off wondering for now and simply get to killing. He lazily cut a swath through the defenders, shame that they'd sent such poor fodder, was hardly worth getting his blood up for. He felt it more than saw it, but instinctively fell to his belly, getting comfortable with a body he'd just fell a moment before. The pop that followed caused his fur to stand up along his body and his ears rang as he stood. There! A stormcaller, not the one worth fighting but he'd better see her dead before she did him. With a bellow he hefted a spear off the charred remains of an ally and launched them at the grayrobed priest. A bolt of energy sparked from her fingertips and caused it to fall harmlessly. Magic... He hated magic... Nothing to be done, but to see it through, Kanis ran. Fools who came to meet him, cutting through the throat of one over eager opponent, and smashing another in the face. His thigh burned where a spear scraped it but this wasn't a time to be thinking, he barreled into the grayrobed and his body went numb. He laid there dead, eyes seeing Elysium through the clear sky. He heard moans and whimpers, one was nearer than the rest, he had gored the priest at least he'd done that much. He saw a man, well rather he saw the blackened shape of a man as he was silhouetted by the sun. stand over him spear raised to strike him through. No need, he thought, for Kanis is already dead. A moment later he felt a warm liquid splash is face, not his own, no, the head was missing from that shadow. Tabert stood over him now, too long blade dripping, he shook his head before reaching down to pull Kanis up. A sharp snapping pan lanced down his arm where Tabert grabbed and apparently he felt it too for he pulled back with a pained expression. Pain! Pain was good! It hurt! A number of hurts! Perhaps he should have stayed numb, no, no time for such thoughts. With the pain came the feeling, and with the feeling Kanis started moving, getting himself up and situated. The levies had pulled back more, though there was still a mob off to his right where the bodies flew. 

"It is good you're not dead, I think". Kanis said to Tabert, who still eyed him wearily. 

"We'll make a warrior out of you yet." He smiled before dashing towards the mob. 

He realized with a start that most of the pressed bodies wore the yellow tabbard of his own army, he forced his way through the mass without much effort. Tabert trailing in his quake. He did not have to travel far to find what he sought, there in the midst of the ring stood an immortal. Well, was that right? Could they be immortal if they had already died? As he wondered another body was sent flying from the circle that had formed around the warrior. His last quarry landing unceremoniously on the open field behind them with a clattering of metal and snapping of bones. Who had returned? Who had the gods heralded to fight for them! He broke the ring, claiming his chance to fight, and hesitated. 

"Kalruz?" He meant to wonder, but he spoke it in a hush. 

The Minotaur regarded him with unseeing eyes, pure black in nature as the color of his fur and horns. It snarled, no smiled, yellow teeth showing white against his fur. 

"Brother! It is good to see you again!" He laughed, and he roiled like thunder across the hillside. "This should be a better fight, your friends, they fight like men!" 

"They are men brother, and they are not my friends!" Kanis snapped as he brought Blackgut out in a strong thrust as he brother smiled. His black eyes glittered with amusement as he parried the strike with a shorter sword made of red metal. Veridium! Before his eyes the smaller blade elongated into a spear and it was only instinct that allowed Kanis to parry each of the three rapid strikes. Far too quick, he brother was never that fast. 

"You've gotten better!" 

"So have you!" Kanis snarled as he parried a fourth strike and used his shield to push the spear away to make an opening for a bodied charge. The spear shrank to the smaller blade and slipped the shield, coming in at a swipe forcing Kanis to parry with Blackgut and give ground. Before he finished spinning he was blocking, three more strikes like from the spear, each one  thudding hard against the shield. It wouldn't hold up much longer against such abuse. He scanned the circle but his allies kept their distance, such was the way of fighting Immortals, you did so with honor or not at all. He looked for an opening but the spear was changing again, a mace formed in his brothers hand mid swing, he blocked with his shield and felt the strength of the blow rip through him. It shook him to his core and splintered the wooden circlet. The blow lifted him lightly, sending him scuttling backwards as he righted himself. 

"So you have gotten better..." His brother chided, "Who worships you so!" 

Kanis didn't know, he hadn't felt any stronger, but that would explain things. He wondered and remembered Tabert, it was a good thing indeed the lad hadn't gotten himself killed. His back pressed against the mob behind him, their words lost to the pounding in his ears. This was his brother, but he had bested his brother on the day he killed him, and he would do so again! A guttural roar broke from the Minotaur's maw, hooves pounding into the grassy knoll as he charged towards the Immortal. The pounding in his ears beat the rhythm of battle, his veins grew taut and his muscles flexed. The maced flew again but Kanis caught it with an open palm as if someone had tossed it to him. Black eyes widened as blackgut made a series of quick cuts along the red streaked armor. No purchase was had and his snapped back as his brother butted him. Eyes blanked, but the rhythm of battle kept him moving, skirting away from the quick succession of thrusts from the red spear. That armor was reinforced and even Blackgut couldn't score, he'd have to find an opening. He caught the spear's shaft and pulled his brother to him, Blackgut aiming for the gap near the armpit. His hand burned, the spear had turned into a double edged sword in his grip and sliced free, but Blackgut stroke true, embedding itself into the Minotaur's side and piercing the heart. 

The Blackeyes smiled at him, smiled! "You win ag..." His brother was gone, replaced by a flurry of sparkling lights that fluttered away in the breeze. He stood there, looming over the spot he'd just killed his brother, again. The pounding in his ears slowed and softened, a raucous cheering replacing the volume. Hundreds of hands thumped him heavily on his shoulders. Kanis checked his hand, he was lucky to still have the fingers but his palm was cut deep. He'd have to find a Dawnsoother before this day was done. The rhythm of battle was gone, his breath came raggedly, he expected to feel tired but instead he felt strong, stronger than he had felt in some time. He flexed aching muscles and found them relaxed. He beamed out at the mob, finally hearing them, Kanis, Kanis, Kanis, they shouted each wave stirring something within him. He could feel it now, the strength his brother had known to be within him. They would know him now, and he would be their champion. It was a good day to be at war.