The moon hung low in the sky, its pale light casting eerie shadows across Morath's empty streets. The towering stone buildings, once bustling with activity, now stood silent, their worn facades whispering secrets of the past. The city felt different at night darker, hungrier. Every alleyway and corner seemed to hold unseen eyes, watching, waiting.
Orgar and Gorgar moved swiftly, their steps light against the cobblestone. They were heading toward the old stone bridge, where the Shadow Council had demanded their presence. It was a risk walking straight into what was likely a trap but refusing the summons was an even greater risk. The Shadow Council wasn't known for giving second chances.
At their side walked Kaela, her usual confidence now tempered with tension. She had warned them that this meeting would be dangerous, but even she didn't know what the Council wanted.
As they approached the bridge, the air grew heavy, thick with an unnatural stillness. There was no wind, no rustling of trees just silence. The bridge itself, an ancient relic of the city's early days, loomed before them, its stonework cracked and covered in creeping vines.
And then, from the darkness, they emerged.
The Council's Warning
Five figures stepped forward from the shadows, their faces hidden beneath heavy cloaks. They moved with unnerving precision, as if they were a single entity rather than separate individuals. The leader, taller than the others, stopped just a few paces away from the twins, his posture both calm and threatening.
"You came," the figure said, his voice smooth, calculated. "Good. That means you are smart. That means you wish to live."
Gorgar clenched his fists. "If you wanted us dead, you wouldn't have called us here."
A dry chuckle echoed from beneath the leader's hood. "True. Killing you would be… wasteful."
Orgar's eyes narrowed. "Then why are we here?"
The leader took a step forward, and though his face remained unseen, his presence was suffocating. "You have upset the balance. You believe Skullball is just a game, but it is so much more. It is a tool, a weapon, a means to power. And power, young champions, must be controlled."
Orgar stiffened. "And you think you can control us?"
A pause. Then a slow, deliberate response:
"No. But we can break you."
The tension between them was palpable. The Council's presence was overwhelming, their words laced with an unspoken threat.
Kaela took a cautious step forward. "You don't want them dead, but you don't want them free either. What do you really want?"
The leader turned his head slightly, as if studying her. "We want them to choose."
Gorgar scoffed. "Choose what?"
"To serve," the leader said simply. "Or to suffer."
The Test of Loyalty
A flick of the leader's hand, and another cloaked figure stepped forward, carrying a wooden box. Without a word, the figure opened it, revealing something that made Orgar's stomach churn.
Inside was a severed hand, its fingers curled as if frozen in agony. But what truly disturbed him was the mark burned into the flesh the symbol of a Skullball player from a rival team.
Gorgar's breath hitched. "Who…?"
"A warning," the leader said coolly. "This player refused our offer. He thought he could win the tournament without our favor. He thought he could resist us." The leader tilted his head. "He was wrong."
Orgar felt his pulse hammering in his ears. This wasn't just a threat. It was a promise.
"You want us to throw the next match," Orgar said, his voice dangerously low.
The leader chuckled again. "We want you to play your part in the grander scheme of things. We do not care for your personal victories or losses. But there are forces in this city greater than you greater than all of us and we must ensure that the right hands hold the reins."
Gorgar's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He had always fought for victory, for the sheer love of the game. The idea of bending the knee to some secret power was unbearable.
Kaela's voice was soft but sharp. "And if they refuse?"
The leader's head tilted slightly, as if considering. "Then they will learn that there are things far worse than losing a game."
The silence stretched.
Then, the leader turned away, his cloak billowing. "You have three days to decide. Make the right choice."
One by one, the cloaked figures disappeared into the darkness, leaving the twins and Kaela standing alone on the bridge.
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
Then Gorgar exhaled sharply. "We can't let them win."
Kaela's expression was grim. "Then we need a plan."
Orgar's gaze remained fixed on the spot where the leader had stood. "No," he murmured. "We need a war."
Unlikely Alliances
The next morning, the three of them gathered in a secluded corner of Morath's underground district a place known as The Hollow. It was a labyrinth of tunnels and hidden chambers, where those who wished to remain unseen could disappear.
Here, Orgar and Gorgar met with an old enemy.
Borak.
The towering brute leaned against a stone pillar, his arms crossed over his chest. His usual arrogance was tempered with something else calculated interest.
"So," Borak said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "The great champions need my help?"
Orgar didn't rise to the bait. "You've heard about the Council."
Borak's smirk faded. "I have."
"They'll come for you too," Gorgar added. "You think they'll let you rise to the top without claiming a piece of you?"
Borak's jaw tightened. He had always relied on his own strength, believing that power came from sheer dominance. But now, even he could see that this was different.
"They want us to bow," Orgar said. "And I don't intend to."
Borak studied them for a long moment. Then, finally, he let out a slow, deliberate chuckle. "Well then," he said. "Let's see how far you're willing to go."
The First Strike
The war had begun.
That night, the twins, Kaela, and Borak made their first move. Using Kaela's knowledge of the city's underground, they tracked down a key informant one of the Shadow Council's spies. A low ranking noble who had been funneling information and resources to their enemies.
Orgar grabbed the man by the collar, slamming him against the alley wall. "You work for them," he said. "But not anymore."
The noble's eyes widened with fear. "P-please… I don't have a choice!"
"Neither do we," Gorgar said coldly. "Where is their next meeting?"
Trembling, the noble spilled the information.
As they walked away, Kaela exhaled. "We just declared war on the most powerful force in Morath."
Orgar's expression was set in stone. "Then we'd better win."
End of Chapter 12
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