Chapter 391
He decided to speak with the general one last time. After all, it was Gurnak himself who bore the Empire’s punishment. There was no need to drag these determined warriors to their deaths alongside him.
Gurnak descended slowly, the air shimmering around him, a subtle distortion of gravity betraying his power. He landed lightly before the Ogre general, the impact barely disturbing the churned earth. The Rune Ogres surrounding their leader stood firm, clad in dark, rune-etched plate armor that gleamed dully in the firelight. Each carried a weapon similarly adorned with glowing runes, pulsing with contained power. These were the elite of the Empire, their loyalty bought not with coin but with the promise of battle and the enhancement of their already formidable strength. The general himself, a mountain of muscle and bone encased in intricately carved armor, met Gurnak’s gaze without flinching. He held a massive, Spear shaped like a halberd, the runes carved along its length blazing with a cold blue light.
"General," Gurnak began, his voice resonating with power, "I thank you for your... steadfastness." He paused, searching for the right word. "It is clear you are bound by the same oaths as I, though our paths have diverged. Yet you remain."
The general grunted, a sound that held a hint of respect. He gestured with his axe towards the encroaching horde of demons, their screeches and howls growing louder with each passing moment. "They come. Duty."
Gurnak nodded grimly. "Indeed. But this is not merely a fight. This is a... reckoning. The Empire has forsaken me, branded me as a failure, a scapegoat. They believe I deserve this fate." He swept his hand across the ruined city, the gesture encompassing the devastation. "They believe we deserve this fate. But I will not let their judgment be the final word."
He looked directly into the general’s eyes, his own burning with an almost feverish intensity. "You and your warriors have shown me more honor than the Emperor himself. You have chosen to stand with me, despite the... circumstances." He knew these ogres held him in high regard, respecting his power and his past service to the Empire. He wasn’t dragging them to their deaths; they were choosing this path alongside him.
The roars of the demons were almost upon them now. Gurnak could see their grotesque forms surging through the breach, a tide of claws, teeth, and malice. He had to be quick.
"This battle is lost," Gurnak continued, his voice low and urgent. "We cannot win here. But we can choose how we fall. We can die here, overwhelmed by this horde, or we can make them pay for every inch of ground they take. We can make them remember this day, remember the defiance of the Rune Ogres and the... failure."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "I offer you a chance to etch your names into legend. Not as mere soldiers, but as heroes who stood against the darkness itself. Will you stand with me, General, and make this a battle they will never forget?" He extended a hand towards the Ogre general, a gesture of respect and a call to arms. The fate of the remaining Rune Ogres, and perhaps a small measure of Gurnak’s own redemption, hung in the balance.