Gux struck from the woods immediately, only stopping once to feed and heal an injured deer, before he reached the edge of the woods. Beyond it he could already feel the blistering summer heat threatening him, the long, waving golden grass of the savannah not too far away. He knew those fields all too well, his magic even tended to glow a gold that linked him to them… but they had never been home. He tightened the straps on his armor nervously, breathing in a deep breath… They had one more chance.
He looked through the spots that an ambush would be likely to be waiting, not seeing anything, and then moved from the cover of the trees into the grass proper. It waved and rustled as the wind moved through it, like the water over a lake in a heavy breeze. He’d heard once of an “ocean,” a very large body of water… he would have to visit it with Lily once she was better.
The sound of the dry grass hitting against itself covered his motions far better than they had when he’d been with the tribe. As a hunter he’d been lousy, stepping on twigs and fidgeting, often letting animals or ambush targets hear him early. He’d been growled at for letting some escape, but… It wasn’t like the hunt hadn’t gone well. Now that he was on the other side, with someone to save, his movements were lighter than the wind, his paws not leaving behind the barest tracks.
The tribe moved constantly, but Gux had been able to get some information about the beets before he ran off. They had little green tops and red bodies, they grew in groups near water, and if you listened very closely to one, you could hear a vegetable. He didn’t know what that last one meant, but he suspected it was a joke, since Nightshade had laughed after he said it. He wasn’t sure if he had the right plants in mind, but he did remember seeing some green plants near one of the tribe’s favorite places to stop. The waters were usually red by the time they were done, and the plants trampled, but… He always liked to visit those little leaves when he had a chance. He smiled to himself… He’d really been a natural for this life long before he knew it existed.
While he was rather good at spotting danger around him, he was much less good at tracking. Even so, the motions of the gnoll tribe were fairly obvious, a trampled path of destruction winding through the land as they moved their huts. Which, honestly, for collections of mud, bones, and leather, they were very impressive structures… Not pretty, nothing he’d even feel comfortable living in again, but… If it weren’t for the bloodlust, gnolls were quite suited to a somewhat druidic lifestyle.
It was then that a very stupid idea entered his head. He knew it was stupid, but he couldn’t stop entertaining it… What if he convinced them to follow him instead? Not all of them… a few who weren’t under the warmatron’s control. He couldn’t be the only gnoll not to like this lifestyle. He stopped for a moment, thinking… It was stupid, and crazy, but… If he saw them, he’d give it a try.
As if to answer his prayers, he heard the yelping, aggressive laugh of one of his old tribemates off in the distance, a hunt in progress. It was followed by the sound of a braying horse, a screaming woman, and smashing lumber. He froze, too many thoughts running through his mind at once. The first watering hole was nearby, and Lily needed him, but that scream told him he was needed here, now. But if he revealed himself, the gnolls would be after him in a second. He was torn for merely a moment before he heard the cry of a man in pain.
He took off at a full sprint through the brush, cresting a hill to see a winding trail and a broken cart with barrels overturned, spilling grain out into the dirt. The horse was running off, scared for its life, while a human male with blood running down his arm held out a sword, fending three gnolls away from his wife, a small child clutched to her chest. He didn’t need to see any more, running forward at full sprint, determination in his eyes as his stick transformed into a large wooden club.
There was a flurry of motion as he descended upon the three gnolls, the heavy thunks of wood on flesh ringing out. None of them were even able to react before they hit the ground, Gux panting slightly from the work, but satisfied the couple were safe. He reached into his pocket, offering a hand at the human in the meantime, but the frightened man just brandished his sword. Gux stopped, realizing how he’d be in the situation. “Leave this place.” He then pulled out a swirling vial of red liquid: a healing draught that had been brewed for scouts, and offered it to the man. “This help heal… Take what can and go.”
The man continued to hold out his sword, not trusting the gnoll, until his wife’s hand slowly brought the sword down. She stood up, the young child still held in her arms, and looked Gux in the eyes. “Honey, he’s different… Don’t hurt him.” She then looked at Gux with appreciation, taking the potion. “Thank you.”
Gux nodded. “Keep safe… little one need parents.” He then smiled, giving a small wave to the child, before casting goodberry, offering the child one. He saw a faint golden glow and a gasp from the two adults while the child stared at him in wonder. Gux was confused, until he looked down, the vine armor from his love’s flower forming a living suit around him, complete with a matching shield that had grown from the bracer she’d given him. The vines around his head removed themselves as he smiled. “I protect forest near here… can’t protect you more now. Be safe.”
He dropped a berry on each of the fallen gnolls, then went off into the grass once more, a deep green speck in a golden green field. Behind him he heard the thanks and waving of the people he’d saved, but he didn’t look back. He had somewhere to be. Quickly he found his way back towards the watering hole he’d been thinking of. The grass got taller as he got close, and a disgusting smell started to fill the air… He sighed to himself as he got closer, knowing what he’d find.
Pushing through the grass nearest the water, he sighed, finding precisely what he’d thought. The hole was red and murky with blood, gore, and excrement, rotting carcasses of animals, far too many for any group to have actually eaten all of it, attracting flies. Those huts made of bone and leather were perched on the far side of the water, forming a sprawling camp that teemed and swarmed with gnolls aggressively barking, wrestling, fighting… Even now he could see two children wrestling with each other while he could hear the telltale yips of some gnoll being milked for their seed, or getting it planted in them. How… how could he have lived here? Even the part of him that still had that hunger was disgusted by what he saw… This mess…
He was contemplating ways into the camp, scanning the far side of the water, when he saw something right at his feet: a deep leafy green just sitting there in a clump. Curious, he cast a small spell on it, causing it to grow a little, revealing a red body and a slight heart shape. He dug out nearly all the ones in the area, leaving just two, in case they needed to be grown in the wild… And he smiled to himself. He had it. He could cure his wife. The sun was setting now, but if he ran, he’d be there by morning… she’d be fine.
And then he looked at the camp. The warmatron was walking, tall and swollen with more pups for her brood, but shoving aside any who looked at her strangely. She moved towards the edge of the camp, where Gux could just make out the cages of the prisoners… Or, more accurately, soon-to-be sacrifices. Again, he was torn… And once more, his stupider idea won out. He ducked low in the grass, making his way around the watering hole and towards the camp. As he did, he could hear words in gnoll drifting towards him. “...meat… Hungry… Angry… Eat the slaves… Prepare for battle!”
He moved right up to the edge of the clearing, trying his best to blend in with the grass as he watched his mother beginning to open the cage, the elves inside of it cowering in fear as far from her as they could be. He grabbed his club, changing it now to a sword as he leaped out of the bushes, aiming the tip at the warmation. “Warmatron Zhaerh, I come with an offer once more!” All eyes were on him, clad in the green of the forest, while the hundreds of gnolls around him were wrapped in leathers and bones from successful hunts. He looked at them. “I am taking these slaves and any gnolls that are tired of the hunt. I can offer you peace, a new life… happiness, a home… Zhaerh only breeds destruction.”
His mother let out an angry growl, fire burning in her eyes. “Gux, you have balls to return here, I give you that, but you are outnumbered. I will have my feast, and once my brood is born, we will descend upon your home once more. The magic cannot stop us, nor any defender!”
He looked over the tribe, all of them glaring at him violently… and he realized he’d misjudged himself. Maybe he was something special. “Do none of you tire of the hunt? Do none of you want something more than endless hunger and blood?” First Zhaerh, then the gnolls around her, and finally the entire tribe was barking and howling with laughter. Gux looked at her seriously, wondering how well his new shield would protect him, as her eyes met his.
“Oh Gux… always so weak. Unlike you, I learned my lesson. Seeing what a betrayer you were, we took care of any you’d want with you.” She snapped her fingers, and from the crowd of gnolls came a dozen skeletal figures, the remains of gnoll fur and muscle tendons tied to their bones as they clacked and moved unnaturally. Gux held the urge to vomit at the sight, but just barely… something one of the elves in the cage didn’t manage. Zhaerh grinned widely, her smile mad and hungry. “They would hurt the tribe… they would fail in the hunt, let food escape. I was soft with you… since then, any who don’t help feed the tribe willingly will become food for it… and help with what remains.” The skeletal gnolls clattered their teeth in a sick perversion of laughter, leaving Gux’s heart to sink…
His grip on his sword tightened. “I… want to believe there’s still good in you. Change your ways, let these slaves free, and I won’t do anything to hurt the tribe. I once belonged here… I know we can do better. Give me the slaves… and the children. I will teach them a better life.”
Zhaerh sneered at him, reaching out a hand and taking the flail that had been brought to her, more skulls having been added to it. “You escaped once… We won’t let you escape again. And your sisters will feast on your corpse before we make you join us again.” She grinned evilly. “They are loyal to me, Gux… blood is thicker than water, or whatever it is you’re peddling.” She took an aggressive stance, the many gnolls around her reaching for their weapons to prepare for the fight.
He sighed, muttering a few magical words to himself as he reached into a pouch on his belt, pulling out a few thorns. “I hope you’ll reconsider. I will never give up on you. But I don’t peddle water…” his hand sparked in flame for a moment, making most of the gnolls back off, magic not something other gnolls did, particularly not ones that weren’t the warmatron. However, the fire was a distraction, as he tossed the spikes on the ground and created a huge bramble patch that grasped and clamped around their legs. He walked around it calmly. “Do not chase me and you won’t get hurt.”
One of the skeletons lurched towards him and it was quickly ripped to bone shards by the tendrils, collapsing to the ground. As the gnolls stuck in it looked at that fear crossed their eyes, and anger that they were being bested. Gux didn’t care, moving to the back of the cage and smashing the bones that were there and speaking calmly in broken elven. “Run. I catch up, When do, stay near.”
“After him! Any not in the brambles, after him!” The warmatron was furious, but with her precious cargo, even her bloodlust was stalled by the vines wrapped around her. She glared at Gux. “You want life, but you would kill your own tribe? What monster are you?”
Gux glared at her, growling deeply. “The one who slays them. And don’t move and you won’t be hurt. Nor will your pups. Maybe they will be able to stop your bloodshed with bloodshed. I refuse to be a part of this tribe while you are here.” He looked around, seeing a few people outside of the bramble patch starting to move towards him… and one of the young gnolls looking at him not with fear or anger… but wonder, even with the brambles all around him.
Gux didn’t even think about this one. He ran forward through the thorns, feeling them slashing and tearing at his legs and the vines there, and he offered a paw to the young gnoll, a little boy. All around him his tribe was running for arrows and bows, and swords were being swung inches away by gnolls that wanted him dead, but didn’t want to be cut to ribbons in the process. The young one looked into his eyes, its golden ones so like his… and grabbed his paw.
“Zaax, don’t you dare!” Zhaerh yelled out furiously, taking a step forward before freezing once more, huge gashes gripping at her legs. “Your family is here! Your brother is a traitor! You’re my blood, born in blood! You will make the tribe strong!” Zaax looked at her as he was lifted onto Gux’s shoulders, and Gux moved through the brambles again, not caring about the cuts. “Kill them both! Get them all! Let none survive!”
Arrows began to rain on the two as they left the bramble patch, and more were fired towards the fleeing elves, but Gux stopped at the edge, seeing he had a moment before the others would get to him. He looked the warmatron in the eye and nodded. “Zaax will make the tribe strong. Free from you.” He then took off at a sprint, holding up his shield to protect the young gnoll that clung to him close, gripping tightly to his armor.
He ran through the night, catching up with the elves, and once he did, he waved his hands again, wind whipping around them all as he ran. The arrows that had been getting close, leaving little dripping cuts on everyone, were buffeted away by the breeze, letting them run in relative safety… if they ignored the entire gnoll tribe coming in behind them.
At the edge of the woods Gux removed the wind, casting a new spell that helped the whole group blend into the very trees. The few gnolls that were still hunting stopped there, losing track of the group and daring not enter the woods. In a safe clearing, Gux set down Zaax, whose stomach growled, and he looked at Gux and the elves worriedly. “Do I need to eat them?” he asked in gnoll.
Gux shook his head. “No. Your hunger will never bother you again.” He picked a berry from his armor, giving it to Zaax, then he gave one to each of the elves, popping a last one in his own mouth to show they were safe, already feeling the healing effects on his legs. The elves all looked relieved, but still scared and confused. They were all young and well dressed, through the mud… probably out playing and adventuring a little too far from safety. Gux nodded to them. “I not know if can stay, but safe place near for night.”
They looked at him, with fear and awe, then all ran up to him, hugging him gratefully. “Thank you so much!” “I thought we were dead for sure!” “You’ve saved our lives!” “You’re a hero!” “You’re not like them.” “Why’d you bring the kid along?” “I-”
Gux stopped them then, growling at the one who questioned him grabbing Zaax before looking at the pup. “He learn how be good… We begin change world… one heart at time.” The elves all stopped, feeling bad for even thinking what they had been, but Gux quickly calmed down. “Come… Safety near.”
He led them through the woods, watching their reaction when the magical barrier was passed and they could feel the sanctuary in place. Though he knew many ways to the commune now, he took them to his hut and the waterfall, giving them a chance to wash up as he cleaned up Zaax, wiping away the mud and blood and umatting the little one’s fur before he went into the house. He didn’t exactly have child-sized clothes, but he took one of his shirts and managed to tie it up enough that Zaax looked nice without being swaddled in leather and bones.
As he was doing this, one of the scouts came to him, an owl descending behind the house, but a man walking out from behind it. “Gux, you have brought outsiders… Why?”
Gux looked at him, knowing it was procedure. Outsiders weren’t that uncommon, particularly those in need of safety. “They captured by tribe. I save. After rest, they want go home, yes?” The elves all nodded, and the guard was relieved about that, but he looked at Zaax with suspicion.
“And… that?”
Gux’s eyes narrowed. “He saved too… We see what happen.”
The guard was visibly uncomfortable, but nodded, turning to the elves. “We have beds and meals for you, and can find a way to get you home. You need not be scared for the night.” As they went past, all of them hugged Gux once more, thankful for his rescuing, but he just nodded, smiling.
When they were all gone, he turned to Zaax. “You speak common? Elven?” Zaax tilted his head, not understanding, so Gux tried again his gnoll. “Only gnoll, then, hmm?” Zaax shook his head.
“Not only gnoll… Also this one,” he said, his voice getting deep and growly. Gux sighed… Abyssal too. He hadn’t learned much, but when he found someone who spoke it, he did know it was the language of demons… and something that came natural to gnolls.
“Stay with gnoll for now,” said Gux. “You’ll learn soon… You’ll be given a good life.” He grabbed Zaax’s paw in his bigger one, leading the little pup through the streets. What few people were up were confused, whether they were friends of Gux or not, but he didn’t do anything but wave at them as he went to the clinic. There he asked for Nightshade, and the nurse behind the desk looked at him curiously, seeing the many cuts and scrapes and the gnoll pup at his side. Gux just repeated his request, and soon enough the doctor arrived.
Nightshade took a double take at Zaax, looking at Gux with confusion. “I said to get a beet, not a child. How did you manage that? Did the magic follow you around?”
Gux shook his head, missing the joking tone as he pulled out the beets he’d picked. “Help Lily… Then we talk. Can see her?”
Nightshade nodded. “I need to prepare the medicines and the ritual… You may see her in the meantime, yes.”
Gux and Zaax walked through the halls, then Gux motioned for Zaax to stay for one moment as he stepped inside. Lily was asleep, a little sweat at her brow, and Gux walked up, mopping it away with his fur before kissing her lightly on the forehead. She stirred, her eyes blinking open, before she smiled. “Gux… I knew you’d make it back.” She got up, hugging him close and peppering his cheek with kisses. “How did it go? Are you badly hurt? Is the tribe still there?”
Gux nodded. “I not hurt tribe… Tribe try hurt me, but… only heart. Warmatron… crueler. Should have burned down…” He seemed sad that that thought even hit him, and she hugged him close.
“You did what you thought was right, and I know your heart is true… It was the right thing to do.” She continued to hold onto him, her head nuzzling against the nape of his neck.
He hugged her tight. “I hope so… because…” He swapped to gnoll. “Come in, little one.” Lily’s eyes went wide as Zaax entered into the space, the small gnoll pup had his tail curled between his legs, and fear and hope in equal parts in his huge golden eyes. “Lily… This is Zaax, my brother, and he’s… I think he’s like me.”
“Hello… Lily?” Zaax said questioningly, the word hard for him to pronounce. He looked up at her, then came up, pushing on her weakly.
Gux chuckled. “No, nothing aggressive. Offer a paw.” Zaax did so, and Lily took it, shaking it lightly.
“Nice to meet you, Zaax…” She looked from him to Gux, tears in her eyes, but… happy ones. “I hope you’ll be happy here… I’m glad to meet you.” She climbed out of bed, then leaned down, hugging Zaax, who froze, not knowing what to do, in much the same way Gux had the first time she’d hugged him. This only made her squeeze Zaax tighter. “We’re going to show you all the love you’ve been missing out on.” As if to prove her point, Gux joined in on the hug, holding this new little trio together. Finally, tentatively, Zaax hugged them both back… a smile growing on his face and, for the first time in his young life, he thought, happiness growing in his heart.
