Red Absolution

Red stood in the middle of Arkatha's arena. A stone amplitheatre made by a long dead people and commondeared by the grull for Arkatha's games of torture and excecution. She had been here before, along with another warrior woman. Both had defied The orc Empress and were stenenced to death. Only the word of an escaped slave had brought salvation. Red saw her friends, Emmanuelle and Thom. Both of them bound and guarded. No help was comming. Red stood in the middle of the arena as the Empress herself walked towards the bound paladin, knife in hand. The Orcs cheered for their Empress and what they thought would be the death of a naked human. Red steeled herself for the inevitable.

"Twice I have nailed you to a cross," began Arkatha, in a voice only Red could hear "and twice you have escaped my grasp. Even now, you don't make oath's, You don't beg for your life. The only lives you would beg for is for your sex wizard and your slave boy. You would offer your life for their's? The Grull would call that weakness."

"Then release me and let us see who is weak." Red retored.

"I would love such a challenge but you cut me short." Arkatha smiled "I admire you, Paladin. You and I are more alike than you think."

"I'm not a butcher or sadist like you!" snapped Red.

"And neither are you a good little scullery maid. You're a warrior! You defied all expectations of your people. Despite your curse you brazenly fight the forces of hell spitting in the face of death! I admire that in a woman."

"We are still nothing alike." growled Red. 'You send your orcs to raid and pillage human settlements. slaughtering deffensless people and raping their women!"

"My mother was one of those women you speak of!" Growled Arkatha "Women are little more than slaves in the Orc society. Grull males value strength and slaughter. You only get to the top by being the most violent and brutal of all of them. Call me evil if you must, but I have seen what the Grull would do without my rule."

Without another word, Arkatha pressed her dagger to Red's chest and drug the point of the blade over Red's heart slicing her open. A superfical cut that would bleed profusely but be far from deadly. The Grull paused at this and suddenly broke out into a chant.

"What are they saying?" Asked Red

"I have given you the mark. A testiment that you are too great a warrior to kill in cold blood. And my wrath be upon any who try."

"I don't understand."

"You have a noble heart, Paladin. You value life, and I admire that in you. You are someone an Empress could trust with her life. I would ask you to be my queen but I know such a life would suit you ill. But know that you have a place in my bed chamber whenever you so desire."

Arkatha signaled and Red and her friends were released. For the first time, Red saw the Orc Queen as less of a monster. Perhaps there was some hope for the Grull after all.

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And thus ends that story arch. And you can count on seeing Red again. But also Emmanuelle, Thom, and Arkatha. Enjoy!

Empress Arkatha, Emmanuelle, Thom, and the Grull are intellectual property of

Red is property of