Fates of Grenora: Return of the Night

Aldrin stopped by Ruthik's, marking the crate of weapons, and bid him and Svestra farewell as he made his way back to the pavilion. The crowd that was there when he first arrived had dispersed except for Kilinos and the beast progenitor he called Gelic. The two of them were sitting on the steps chatting when they saw Aldrin. He lessened his tight hold on his Vampiric Aura as it brushed up against Kilinos' and Gelic's own auras. The two didn't seem to notice, which deflated Aldrin, but not enough to discourage him as he marched up to them.

Kilinos was the first to stand, his magma veins pulsating like a heartbeat. Aldrin made a mental note of that whenever he faced Kilinos in battle. "Told you he would be back," Kilinos nudged Gelic. Aldrin finally had the chance to look at the brown-furred form of Gelic, and he was glad he would never have to fight him. Just from his hunched position, he was a foot taller than Aldrin. He had a long, narrow snout of a crocodile along with rows of shark teeth that protruded from his jaws. Blue eyes of a large cat with spiral horns that curved upwards. He had large bat-like ears that twitched and angled themselves as he turned his rounded head. He had the body and arms of a gorilla that ended in human-shaped lion paws with eagle talons for its claws. From the way he was lounging, Aldrin saw his lower half was that of a bull with tiger paws for its feet. Then Aldrin noticed the tail that lazily moved. It was massively thick, nimble and heavily furred.

Gelic growled and produced a wispy, ethereal coin and placed it in Kilinos' hand. "You cost me ten souls," Gelic grunted and then ignored Aldrin by looking out into the distance.

"Don't mind him. He's always been a sore loser," Kilinos teased, making Gelic's wolf-like ears flick. "Have you come to a decision?" He asked Aldrin next.

Aldrin steadied his gaze and squared his jaw. "I know what I am, and I have accepted what I am, but this does not make us friends or even allies." He said, crossing his arms. His new armor rippled in response to his emotions.

Kilinos eyed the new crimson-black plate armor and hummed, tapping a finger to his chin. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He placed both hands behind his back and brought them back, producing a large shiny grey egg, two bronzed short swords, a layered tattered black cloak, and brown furred gloves. "A gift. For your friends and you," he grinned, but Aldrin knew that grin came with hidden strings attached, and yet he eyed the items, anyway.

Aldrin gritted his teeth when he read them, and Kilinos' grin widened knowing he had caught Aldrin yet again. "See, I can be helpful." He pulled the items away, and his grin turned into a savage grimace. "Or I can be your worst enemy. The choice is yours, but I want to see you succeed in this game of demigods." He put the gifts back in front of Aldrin. "We spent too much time and resources on you for you to fail. Don't disappoint me. Or us." He said and let the gifts hover in the air in a fiery translucent bubble. "Gelic, let's go. I've got another person to visit," he went to snap his fingers but waited, remembering something. "I suggest you hurry, by the way. You've got hounds closing in. Tick-tock, Vampire." he laughed and snapped his fingers, making Gelic and him vanish in pillars of hellfire.

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Aldrin let out a heavy sigh‌ out of habit before looking at the floating items. He shook his head before touching the items, putting everything except the cloak into his inventory to be brought out later. "Jared did say bring him back something cool. It doesn't get any cooler than having your first be a demon hydra." He headed up the steps and looked up at the encompassing black portal that spat him out, then fastened his new cloak around him. His new living armor instantly incorporated it into itself. "Interesting," Aldrin mused as he watched it happen. He felt a new connection form within the armor and to the surrounding shadows. He lifted his hand, willing the shadows to rise, and they formed a writhing, thick, tentacle-like strand before separating down the middle, revealing a mouth filled with sharp fangs that glinted.

Aldrin released his hold over the shadow, and it seeped back into the ground in a puff of black hazy smoke. With one final cursory glance behind him, he jumped up into the portal above, his vision becoming black as up was down and down was up, leaving the Black Bazaar behind.

Outside near the portal, the Orcs had rounded up their wounded and made camp close to the shoreline of the river to wait. Pierre was busy talking with Evie and Jared when the black portal warbled and bent. The Orcs nearby noticed and gripped their weapons, but Pierre was the first to wave them down. "It's time," Pierre announced.

"You feel it too?" Jared asked as his eyes never left the portal.

Evie stood silently, her eyes also glued to the warbling portal. She focused on the bond she shared with Aldrin, noting the fact that there was more depth to it, like something had become part of him but also had its own mind. She tried to suppress a shiver that ran down her spine when whatever was attached to him looked back at her with unrestrained hunger.

Something shot out and up into the midday sky from the portal too fast for any others to see, but Evie saw it and she smiled as she watched Aldrin come back down, lightly touching the ground. Crimson-black heavy armor now covered most of his body, leaving only his head uncovered, where he wore the silver Elven circlet. A layered, tattered black cloak danced in an ethereal breeze of its own making. She noticed something even stranger, his armor had moved slightly, like it was tightening itself around him when they all stared, as if it was trying to hide itself.

Aldrin smiled and gently patted his chest. "It's alright. They are friends," he spoke gently to the armor, which lessened its grip on him. "We will get sorted soon. I promise," he spoke to it again, and it dimmed its coloring, becoming completely black, purring its acceptance. His focus returned to the slowly gathering crowd, landing on his friends first, who each held varying expressions.

Pierre studied him with a stony glance while Jared was giddy. Evie was more reserved of the three, only giving him a shallow smile. Aldrin took a step, and the Orcs that were closer to the front stepped back, looking fearful as they felt Aldrin's unrestrained aura wash over them. "Ah, right," he remembered and closed his eyes, focusing on receding his aura. The Orcs relaxed somewhat, but the males still pushed their most vulnerable members behind them. "I'm sorry I left during a crucial time, but it was not without good reason!" Aldrin began. "The losses from the battle opened my eyes to how quickly we all can be overrun by an enemy we aren't prepared for. So I left in search of a way to better protect you all. My tribe, no. My first allies." He paused, watching the Orcs look among themselves. "I bring you gifts so that you may better defend those you care about." He stepped aside, and they all noticed the three large crates that levitated off the ground.

He opened the first one, revealing weapons made Runed Iron based on the slight blue tinge and the etchings of runes along the blades. There were halberds and short swords mixed within, all neatly piled. He took one step and opened the next crate, revealing heavy armor made of Darksteel with scale linking. "These! These are your new tools! Learn them! Use them to defend what's yours!" Aldrin proclaimed.

The Orcs hesitated until the brave Buramog-Kurdan stepped forward. Aldrin was pleased to see him and dipped his head in thanks, but instead of returning the same gesture, Buramog-Kur knelt before Aldrin. "I, Buramog-Kurdan, under the eyes of Gorsh-Nik, pledge myself to you and yours. Your enemies will be my enemies, your allies mine. Your victories and triumphs sung to the highest planes, and your defeats met with the swiftest of vengeance!"

The Vampire side of Aldrin delighted and reveled in the Orc's pledge. Aldrin himself was taken aback, but he could not show it. "Rise, Buramog-Kurdan, and reclaim what is rightfully yours!" He announced.

The Orc slowly rose and thumped a fist where his heart was and moved to claim his weapons and armor. He donned them quickly, with the armor covering him from head to toe. The helmet itself was a T visor allowing ‌his vision to be unhindered. On the side of his helmet, short stubby horns adorned it. The armor itself was intimidating, with ridges trailing along the shoulder plates, the undersides of the gauntlets, and on the sides of the booted greaves. Buramog-Kurdan had slid the short sword into his belt and held the halberd upwards. Once fully kitted out, the towering Orc looked even more menacing.

The other Orcs all looked on with pride and awe. His visage inspired the others to form a line, pledging the same as Buramog-Kurdan. Aldrin kept him close to him as each came and claimed their own set of weapons and armor. Once the last Orc had their set, the crates were enveloped in a matte black bubble and shrunk in on themselves until there was nothing left but the empty space they once occupied.

Scattered around Aldrin along the river's shoreline stood fifty black-armored Orcs mixed in with the females and children who stood proudly next to them. All eyes were still on Aldrin when Buramog-Kurdan started rhythmically thumping the butt of his halberd on the ground. Others joined in not long after, making the thumping grow into one large pounding of the earth.

"ZHA-MULG!" One Orc chanted and soon others chimed in repeating the word.

Aldrin looked at his friends, who looked confused. "Nightstalker," he translated for them with a wink.

Aldrin read the notice with raised eyebrows at the implications. When the Undead attacked Lor-Vold, the same notice had popped up, but it was limited since it was only temporary. This time, it was permanent, and he went to look in depth at what it offered.

Of all the things Aldrin expected to encounter living on Grenora, having his own army was never one of them. However, based on what Kilinos hinted at, he was going to need more than just the Orcs, and luckily Ebira had some of the stuff he needed, and he was looking forward to toppling the crime syndicates that ran it.

Putting the potential conquest in the back of his mind, he looked to his friends, who cheered along with the Orcs, and smiled at them. "I have gifts for you all as well," he mentally told them through the Servant Strand. They looked at each other and smiled wider, anticipating what he had brought back.

"Chief Aldrin," Buramog-Kurdan said from behind him. Aldrin turned to face him with a raised eyebrow. "What are your orders?" The Orc asked, and Aldrin grinned.

"We march on Ebira, but first we take care and honor those who perished," he told the Orc, whose eyes softened and nodded at his words.

"As you command, Chief," Buramog-Kurdan pounded his fist to chest and moved to get things started.

Aldrin smiled. "I think I have found my first commander," he thought, watching the Orc issue orders. Aldrin knew the Orcs had a hierarchy, and since Buramog-Kurdan was the first to pledge his new loyalty, he had seniority among the rest now.