Pacing around in his office Commander Bregstrn worried, his Herdkeeper was under attack and he could do nothing! It chafed at him horribly he needed to protect his herd but had strict orders to not leave the barracks undefended, there were far too many important prisoners down in the brig for him to risk leaving. Much of Chancellor Folscach’s influence relied on them remaining hostage to their Herd’s good behaviour.

The attacks had started just after dawn all over the Confederacy, Chancellor Folscach’s supporters, like Herdkeeper Oystereos, were being hammered by unknown forces. He snorted, unknown forces his hairy arse. They were the personal troops of several high ranking Herds backed with Iaernide foot, someone had paid a fortune for that because the Iaernide were not cheap.

Worse one of his prisoners had broken out and they had no idea where he was, he’d destroyed several walls, killed several guards, then disappeared utterly. It was baffling. Where had he gone? It was really not like a Minotaur to hide.

*******

What the? Where by Gorgorot’s hairy arse was he? Last thing he knew he was heading toward the main barracks intending to kill a lot of Drivvas. Now he was on some misted plain laying on short prickly grass, shivering from the cold.

He heard a female voice that he almost recognised, was it Veldt? But it wasn’t from inside his head.

He sat up and his head turned to where a slim, alabaster white woman with pitch black hair sat cross-legged looking at him with an amused smirk. She said, “About time you woke up, you’ve been snoring your head off and drooling on yourself for a while.”

“Where are we?”

“Not a clue but somewhere Chaos wants us, notice the colour of the mist.”

He grunted and looked, she was right and the mist was… odd, it had an opalescent sheen that was entirely unnatural. He said, “Yeah it looks oily, what of it?”

She said, “Oh I forgot you’re not a Mage and mostly unskilled in magic, that is the signature colour of Chaos Realm energy. Wherever we are, if we’re anywhere, Chaos wants us here for some reason but probably not one we would understand any of the reasoning for.”

“So let me guess, you have no idea why you are there looking like a caricature of a Fae and not still wherever you were before, sharing my skull.”

With an expression of feigned wide eyed shock she said, “Caricature of a Fae? Hardly! It is they who are weak reflections of the true elegant and perfect Fae Chanar countenance. Your observational deficiencies aside I have no idea! Isn’t it wonderful? Chaos is providing a opportunity for the Chaotic underpinings of the world to manifest themselves freely and I for one am ecstatic to ride along.”

He stood up, no point hanging around in one place, always move forward.

Noticing that Veldt was staring at him with a faintly horrified but also intensely interested expression he realised he was naked.

With a smirk she said, “That thing is much more terrifying on this side… also rather intriguing. How doesn’t it leave bruises on your legs? I’ve felt the way it moves.”

Shaking his head he said, “You know, I’m sure. You spent weeks in control of my body and I will not rise to your bait.”

She pouted and holding up her arm said, “Aww you’re no fun at all. Look it’s as thick as my arm… my upper arm!”

He said not a word just released a rumbling sigh while shaking his head.

She bounced to her feet and he noticed she was ‘dressed’ in some Chaos coloured fabric that floated and twisted in a breeze he couldn’t feel. Shrugging he said, “We should move, there has to be some edge to this fog and I would rather see what comes for us.”

“There may be no edge or it may be a man-length away but forever a man-length away or it may end a the edge of the continent… or all the above at once. It is so nice to be wrapped in Chaos again, don’t get me wrong I am grateful your Order soaked body provided me a refuge in my time of need but I have missed this!”

She floated up into the air lit by an opalescent glow that slowly grew in intensity until she was the centre of ball of blinding light with her arms and her head flung back, revelling in it.

She dropped back to her feet her eyes glowing with the Chaos Realm energy she’d absorbed she said, quietly, “Hhhh, oh wow that is intense as ever. Even if you weren’t so soaked in Order I could never do that in your body you would die to the corruption so so quickly. Why ever this body was made and by who it is a true representation of a Fae Chanar body. Which is a good thing because I didn’t check. Oops.”

Snorting he said, “If you’ve got that out of your system? Can we go?”

“Sure, would you like some pants?”

“It doesn’t bother me particularly.”

Smirking she said, “Well I think I will make you some because frankly it bothers me.”

Heavy canvas like fabric of the same opalescent cloth Veldt was covered by wrapped his lower body and formed into pants that stopped just short of his knee.

They were warm, dry, and comfortable and took the chill of the mist, that he had been ignoring as unimportant, away.

Veldt still smirking said, “Better. So which way?”

“Aren’t you some thousands of turnings old being? Which way would you suggest?”

“Chaos is Chaos, any way is both the right way and the wrong way.”

He growled and said, “Frustrating woman. Fine! I’m going that way!”

That first step was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, sweat sprung up over his body as the huge muscles of his legs strained to move him forward.

He roared and pushed harder, feeling some give.

Abruptly something gave way, but not a physical something it was some concept he’d just pushed his way through. He shook his head and groaned, this mystical nonsense was going to wreck his mind.

The second step was easier as was the third and it continued as he kept walking. The mist retreated more with each step until he could see a building faintly through it.

Wait he knew that building it was his Herdkeeper’s villa as it had been before the attack.

He rushed forward gut churning maybe this time he’d be in time, maybe this time he could save his Herd!

Running into the circular courtyard at the front he set his feet and roared a challenge, any Minotaur here must respond.

Two dark silhouettes appeared in the mist in answer to his roar they ran into the clear area he could see. Quickly glancing at their horns both were from Herdkeeper Matron Kireless’ Herd, there was something wrong about that but his battle lust was rising so he put it aside. It was time to fight!

They bellowed their own challenges and rushed at him. Judging from their challenges the left one was the weaker of the two, so he would be left alone for now it was not honourable to attack the weaker! Drive the stronger in front of you then slaughter the weaker who don’t surrender.

But both of them could freely attack him as he’d made a general challenge.

The stronger one on his right dashed forward fists raised, the one on the left pulled a murderous hooked poleaxe from some storage item. Bah! Only those who had not the strength of body to fight as nature intended used weapons and Obbst put that one entirely out of his mind. Worthless.

Halfway through his dash the stronger one abruptly shifted form faster than Obbst would have believed was possible and he was knocked flying by a few tons of charging bull instead of only a ton or so of Minotaur. He slammed into one of the house’s pillars and felt his back creak under the strain.

Pushing himself up to hands and knees he spat blood and started chuckling, this would be fun.

Standing he ignited in golden tipped flames and his muscles swelled.

The bull charged at him again, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice? Not happening, Obbst was watching for it and stepped sideways as the charging bull changed form mid charge again and threw a whistling kick at his leg.

Off-balance the other Minotaur teetered for a moment before a blow from Obbst’s hammer like fist slammed him to the ground. In the same action as Obbst recovered from the punch he threw a vicious kick at the now rolling target but the hit just glanced off his chest leaving a clean edged gouge from the sharp edge of his hoof that blood immediately welled up from. Painful and distracting but it was no knock out blow.

Ducking he let the weaker Minotaur’s slice at his head whistle over it and casually kicked backward with his off hoof, with a grunted expulsion of air he folded over the hood buried in his gut.

Dismissing that one as a concern for now Obbst stood, then spun quickly just in time to grab a huge fist coated in black tipped flames from hitting him in the back of his head.

Teeth gritted he quickly clasped the other Minotaur’s hands and grinned excitedly as he and the other Minotaur pitted strength against strength, each trying to force the other to take a step.

A roar burst from his throat and with a violent heave he drove the other Minotaur backward, only a quarter step, but that was enough.

Balance upset by the forced step when Obbst surged forward again the other Minotaur couldn’t stop him and Obbst drove him backward, speed increasing as they moved.

The Minotaur tried to stop the movement when that failed he tried to twist out of the way but Obbst held him tight and slammed him into a wall.

Obbst saw his eyes widen and lose focus just for a moment, not long at all but long enough, this fight was now won and capitalising on the momentary stun he pulled back his arm and savagely slammed his fist into the other Minotaur’s head.

The punches continued raining down into his head and face as he vainly tried to twist and avoid them or fight back until the flames over his body went out and he slumped limply, held up only by the body shaped depression in the wall.

Pulling him out and dropping him to the ground, Obbst roared in challenge again.

The weaker Minotaur had managed to make it to his feet again and pick up his poleaxe. But at Obbst’s roar he immediately took a knee and bowed his head submissively.

As the battle rage faded Obbst snorted and said, “Who are you to attack me and my Herd?”

The Minotaur said, “We were instructed to by our Herdkeeper.”

“Which is Matron Kireless?”

“Yes, Vanquisher.”

Wait. Kireless was the one the Noble said they were supporting, that made no sense. She would have had no need to attack Herdkeeper Halas, she had been an ally. What was going on here? Why was his head so heavy all of a sudden?

Veldt said from where she’d been watching the whole thing, “Looks like Chaos is done with us. I can only guess as to why it showed you this but you should know Chaos does not lie, it will misrepresent or not tell the whole truth but it will never lie.”

Why was this annoying female Fae talking at him? He detested the Fae they were invariably playing some Unmentioned beloved game with everyone.

Who was she?

Who was he?

Who?

Obbst stood up and groaned, how the hell had he ended up in this storage room? Last thing he remembered he was, fighting with Minotaurs from Matron Kireless’ herd? What?

Shaking his head he put that aside and said, “Veldt you there?”

He heard laughter inside his mind and she said, “Yes, I am. We both just enjoyed the direct touch of Chaos, I don’t know why but I do know this interests it for some reason.”

He growled out, “Enjoyed is not the word I’d use. The fight was good but what did it all mean?”

“I can’t tell you, Chaos is always mysterious and it’s aims hidden. I have no idea what it meant but over my long life it has never directly lied to me in one of these visions and every time I’ve had one it has been to tell me something I truly needed to know. Most Fae Chanar did not dive as deeply into Chaos as myself, I would happily wager I am the greatest Chaos mage ever to live.”

He almost screamed as he said, “But what does it mean?”

“The best I can say is, something is not as it seems and someone is playing someone else, who that is I can’t say. I would suggest having the Noble investigate everything thoroughly but later. We are still in the CEF Barracks, and you still have people to kill. We should be going about that.”

Obbst grunted and shrugged again, the Chaos stuff hurt his brain but Veldt was right, he still had a task to perform here and he should be about it.