Eldritch Guidance

Somewhere within the Warring States. A temporary war camp was set up by a warband of the Endless War cult. Clad in formidable obsidian armor, the warriors of this warband tirelessly patrolled their surroundings, vigilant against any threat. Some honed their skills with precision, engaging in target practice, while others meticulously maintained their weaponry, steeling themselves for the inevitable clash that awaited.

Within one of the large tents, a conversation was being had between the leader of this warband and another person.

The inside of this tent had all the amenities one needed to be relatively comfortable. Chairs, a sturdy table, a bed, and a sizable map depicting the intricate local terrain of the region adorned the interior walls. Sitting behind a table sat a towering figure in black armor. A massive sword, the size of a large child, leaned against the table. His face was obscured by the black helm he wore, and only his mouth and lower jaw could be seen. The man had a frown and didn’t seem to be happy.

The man was known as Ugo. He was a Warlord and leader of the warband that was operating in this area.

Across from Ugo, a portly older man and two guardsmen donning armor befitting a local knighthood. The coloration of the knight's attire was a combination of green and white.

The aging man's attempts to conceal his receding hairline with a blond wig were obvious to everyone present, despite his best efforts. He was adorned in opulent green attire decorated with elaborate gold embroidery, a display of wealth that was impressive. It was an obvious sign that this man likely hailed from nobility. However, it was not his attire that drew the most attention, but rather the fiery hue of his face. The man was mad and screaming at the larger armored man in front of him, much to his own guards' nervousness.

The screaming man was Patrick Xaxa. A wealthy noble and minor lord in the small region they were currently in. Patrick had a contract with Ugo. It was to defend and expand his territory during the ongoing conflict in exchange for funds. To which the nobleman felt that Ugo had reneged on the agreement.

Patrick: “Why have you not pushed into Roxsis territory as you promised!” he screamed at Ugo.

Ugo: “You can scream all you want at me. I can’t do the impossible.”

Patrick: “Then why promise that you could capture that area? What am I even paying you for!”

Ugo: “That promise was under the assumption we got resupplied last week. Which hasn't happened. I need more ammunition.”

Patrick: “It is not my problem that you don’t have enough ammunition.”

Ugo: “Tough shit. It is your problem. If I don’t have the supplies I need, I can’t push to claim more territory for the Xaxa family.”

Patrick: “You brute! How dare you! I don’t care what you have to do, but you’re invading that territory. With another conflict going on on the other side of that Roxsis territory, this is a prime opportunity to claim more land for my family.”

Ugo groaned in annoyance.

Suddenly, another man walked into the large tent.

Dressed in a uniform of dark armor akin to Ugo's, though noticeably less detailed and more simple-looking. He stood at an imposing six feet nine (2.05 meters) and had an air of reserved strength and a degree of professionalism about him. His features were entirely concealed beneath the shadow of a black metal helmet, leaving no hint of expression or identity to be discerned. He looked like a smaller version of Ugo.

Though not known to Patrick, everyone in the warband knew who this was. This was Butcher, whom everyone just called Butch. He was Ugo’s second-in-command

Patrick: “How dare you interrupt us! We’re in the middle of something!” he screamed at Butch’s sudden arrival.

Disregarding the presence of the nobleman, Butch walked towards Ugo, his intentions veiled in secrecy as he leaned in to murmur something confidential into the towering man's ear. Whatever Butch said to Ugo suddenly made the monstrous man smile. Once he was done, Butch stepped away from Ugo.

Ugo: “Haha. I must inform you, Patrick, that our contract is now terminated.”

Patrick: “WHAT!?! What's the meaning of this?”

Ugo: “The Roxsis family offered a better deal.”

Suddenly, and without warning, Ugo grabbed his sword beside his table. As his fingers enclosed around the handle, a surge of energy coursed through the blade, igniting it with a pulsating aura of dim crimson light. From its edge, violent arcs of red electricity leaped and crackled. In one quick motion, he swung his blade toward Patrick and his entourage, leaving a momentary trail of crimson energy in its wake, before cutting all three in half and eviscerating them at the waist.

Patrick and his guards didn’t have time to respond or understand what just happened. Blood splattered everywhere as the three men briefly screamed as their torsos fell to the ground, their insides spilling out onto the dirt beneath them.

Patrick: “B-but we paid y-you,” were his last words before he rapidly bled out in seconds.

Butch watched this all happen; it was difficult to tell what he was thinking under the helm he wore.

Butch: “Was that a good idea? The deal from the Roxsis family wasn't better than what we were getting from the Xaxa. They're offering a lot less money.”

Ugo: “I don’t care. I’ll take any excuses to cut that bastard down. I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time now.”

Butch: “We’re going to have a lot less finances to work with now.”

Ugo: “We’ll just raid and pillage Xaxa territory before we leave for the Roxsis territory to make up for that.”

Butcher let out a deep sigh.

Butch: “Fine. I'll inform everyone else what we’ll be doing,” he said as he prepared to leave.

Ugo: “Wait. There are two things you need to do. First, I need you to send a missive to Decker and figure out where the fuck are my supplies.”

Butch: “Already did that.”

Ugo: “Heh, good. That’s why you’re my right-hand man. I’m also sending you out east to the Union States soon.”

Butch: “Why?”

Ugo: “There are some agreements we need to work out with a few parties over there. Our grand Warlord Zete has asked me to take charge of those discussions.”

Butch: “Why would Zete ask you to lead any discussion? You’re terrible at them,” he said as he looked down at the corpse of Patrick, which reinforced his point.

Ugo: “No one wanted to do it. Everyone has their own thing going on right now. Zete chose a random Warlord to work out a deal with some weirdos over there in the Union States. That’s why I'm in charge of these stupid discussions now. And, you're right. I am terrible at these kinds of things. So, that’s why I'm sending you.”

Butch: “OK. Can I have the details?”

Ugo: “Here,” he said as he handed Butch a missive with instructions from Zete on the discussion Ugo was in charge of.

Butch looked over the contents of the paper given to him, lingering for a moment before he shook his head in disbelief at what was written in the document. A deep sigh escaped from beneath his helm.

Butch: “How the fuck does this stupid cult function if all the leaders are meatheads like you and Zete? I can’t believe Zete would give you such an important mission, and then you just hand it off to me.”

Ugo: “That's because it doesn't matter if you’re successful or not. We can function with or without reaching a deal with those guys over in the Union State.”

Butch: “Our position would be significantly better if we could reach a deal with these people.”

Ugo: “True. That’s why you have my full support and authority. You can make whatever compromise you need to reach a deal, and I'll back you up.”

Butch: “Even if part of the deal I reach requires offering your head on a pike to them,” he said in a threatening manner.

A sinister grin spread across Ugo's lower jaw, reflecting a chilling blend of malice and sick joy as he regarded Butch's threat.

Ugo: “I’m sure you could convince Zete to stick my head on a pike for you, if it would help reach a deal. But, would you really deny the pleasure of doing that yourself? Hahahaha,” he laughed maniacally.

Butch didn’t say anything. He simply turned away and silently left Ugo’s tent, all while the mad Warlord laughed.

(Author’s note: Haven’t seen Ugo in a really long time. He appeared in Alan’s flashback all the way back in chapter 7. I wonder how many people even remember?)