He hesitated before the solid oak door of the dwelling hut, fingers splayed upon the rough wooden surface. The day before had done anything but answer his questions of the race, the Viparious. It was as if the man hadn't -wanted- to speak to him of them. Or perhaps he was testing him. Yes.. that must be it. A test, although this time, from a different master. The traveller leaned his weight against the arm and pushed the door open.

He sat there, as before, calmly sipping his tea. His aged appearance seemed anything but the worse for wear, given the years settled upon those shoulders. A motion with a gnarled hand to the pot of tea placed meticulously in the direct center of the wooden table, a second mug, and saucer, beside it.

"Would you care for some tea?" The old man asked him as he had the day before. It seemed to him as Deja vu. As though the day before hadn't happened. The traveller shook his head in a negative indication. And as invited, entered the room, closing the door behind him. Again, he sat across from the wizened old man. Again, he peered into the depths of those ageless eyes, which seemed so kind.. so grandfatherly. He smiled, despite himself.

"You seem cheerful, my young friend." Charit remarked upon sighting the smile beneath the hood.

"It is another day, wise one." The traveller replied. "Another day in which all is well."

The sage nodded in agreement and excused himself while he poured another steaming mug of the herbal tea. As he lifted it from the saucer, he gazed again, over the rim. "For what have you come, today?"

"The same thing as the other day, wise one." The traveller said, keeping the sarcasm from his voice through a powerful force of will. Was the man still testing him? Why? He sighed in resignation and decided he would have to play by the old man's game by his rules. "The Viparious, wise one. I wish to learn of them and their ways."

"Ahh yes. The Viparious," The sage said, a gnomish smile gracing his features as he returned the mug to the saucer. "Well then.. I suppose I should begin from where I left off, yestereve."

A nod of agreement from the traveller and the sage settled back again into his chair, into his traditional storytelling pose, fingers arched together, with their tips pressed firmly.

"Time had passed. The sorceror, Gandoran, had spent much of his time in his study, learning more for his newest experiment. Already, he had gained partial success in unleashing the Aradicas to the fields of battle. If set alone against the enemy, they would turn the killing into a game amongst themselves. They would fight for food and for fun. And then there was their breeding potential. As true spiders, they rapidly bred, seeming to grow stronger with each birth. But... Now he would outdo himself. He would create the ultimate soldier. One who would obliterate his enemies.. strike fear into the hearts of men at the mere mention of the race. Yes.. This time, he would not fail."

"Where is he!?" Gandoran hollared as he paced the chamber, his goblin aid hot on his heels.

"He was detained, master," Skavar announced timidly, wanting anything but to bring down the wrath of his lord, upon himself.

"By whom?! I want him present for this should something go wrong!" The man whipped to face the incompetent goblin who stood cowering before him. "My Warlord MUST be here!"

"F-forgive me, master.." Skavar said weakly, his voice nothing more than a squeak. But he was rescued, quite abruptly.

"I am here." The voice announced from somewhere behind him. The sorceror whirled about to face the towering figure. A curved horned helm sat upon that massive frame, garbed in a black armor, embossed with a skull, in the breastplate. His eyes and features lay hidden deep in the darkness of that helm. His voice was forever deep and ominous. At his side, hung the magnificently evil looking hilt of the jagged sword, Phalanx. And strapped to his left arm, the circular shield, the edges like that of a sawblade. A likeness of a skull in the center. And the eyes glowing a sickly red, Death's Haven.

"Warlord. Where were you?" The sorceror addressed him. A wicked smile beneath that helm. It was good that the man couldn't see him. And that he was trained, well enough, to hide his thoughts from him. But he was a necessity, for now.

"Inspecting my warriors on the north-eastern front." That much was true. But he hadn't been in any hurry to arrive here. His place was upon the battlefields. His hobby, to kill.

"I have -need- of you here." Gandoran murmured, a cold edge to his voice. The Warlord could feel the emanations of power seeping from the wizard. They empowered the air about him, causing his skin to tingle, beneath all that armor. It would not be.. acceptable.. for the wizard to use his power against him. But, the Warlord reminded himself, the wizard needed him just as much as the reverse was true.

"I.. apologize.. my liege." The words stuck in his throat. But they, too, were necessary. To sate the man. "What is it you require of me?"

"You are to personally guard over me. This next.. experiment.. is most sensitive, indeed." The sorceror, turned again, his cloak whipping around him in a flourish. "Follow."

"This," He spoke with powerful emphasis and a wave of his hand, "Is where I complete my -ultimate- task. To create the perfect being."

The warlord stood silent. Perhaps caught in awe. Perhaps asleep. Gandoran really couldn't tell what was going on behind that helmet. Curse the man's ability to shield his thoughts from him. Of course, he could break the Warlord's defenses, if he combined the use of the Crystal.. but it wasn't something he wished to waste the energy upon. "Skavar." He spoke to the aid, "Where are they?"

The goblin clapped his hands thrice. And in an instant, from a corridor in the wall of the room, a party of orcs and goblins wheeled in two wagons. In one, a manlike suit of chitinous armor, without a head. A golem, perhaps? Gandoran's eyes shone with a wicked light as he thought of what was to come.

"Ye cain't do this t'me!" Hollared the familiar voice of Yal Daerzen, the Field Commander from several weeks past. And he looked no worse for wear, under orcish keep as he was. Although he did seem a trifle angry. Gandoran couldn't imagine why that could be. A smile. He strode over casually to the cage, the clank of armor behind him indicating the Warlord, following.

"I 'kin' do anything I wish, Field Commander." A most smug looking smile. "Don't you wish to become a -part- of Khir Khiran history, forever? A hero, Commander! A hero. Yes..."

"My divisi'n 'll come lookin fer me!" The man shouted, in protest. The sorceror sighed. "Ingrate." A sharp gesture to the goblins nearest the cage. "Prepare him at once."

The cage door opened as the wizard watched, standing ready, should the man be bold or foolish enough to attempt an escape. But he went along, although scowling at the wizard, to the bare section of the room where a hastily thrown up table had been set up. The goblins, flanked by orcs, steered him. One goblin turned to look at Gandoran, questioningly. He nodded slowly. The goblin shouted an order to the orc. The orcs grabbed the Field Commander, and laid his struggling and shouting form out on the table, lashing his limbs to the surface by means of constricting rope.
A malicious gleam. This could be interesting, the sorceror mused to himself, watching as the man's protests grew fiercer while the orc with the stout axe approached. A sickening crunch and the squirt of blood as the man's arm separated at the shoulder by means of the axe. A second later, the other arm. And then, the minions pinning him down, both legs left the man's body.

"Take it down." Gandoran motioned to the 'golem', which was pirched atop the wagon. It took five orcs, working in unison, to lift it to the ground, and set it beside the table.

The wizard stepped carelessly up to the contraption, and tapped upon the center plate with a ruby set into a ring upon his right hand. A click within and a faint glow. Two plates folded outwards to reveal a mostly hollow shell, within.

The Field Commander was silent now upon the table. Unconscious from the pain and the unceremonial separation of his limbs. Now the orcs further prepared him, stripping away what flesh and remaining parts of his body that they didn't need, as overseen by the wizard. They carried what was left... the unsightly chunks of flesh attached to a head, to the structure, placing it deep within the hulking metal.

Gandoran smiled cruelly, accepting from his aid, Skavar, a mantis like head. Two razor sharp mandibles of steel, almost as long as his arms, bore wicked barbs. The eyes, slanted, were glassy, and dark. With a spell of levitation, he floated to within eye level of the now eight foot tall man within the shell. His fingers ran absently along the helma and found the proper location. The sides sprang apart, revealing yet another shell.

The man's eyes opened to peer into his.. his mouth voicing a scream.. just as he clamped the helm shut upon him, long spikes protruding into his flesh, to anchor. It snapped closed and he sealed it with the touch of his ring. Then, lowering to the floor, he did the same for the breastplates. A smile of satisfaction appeared as he turned his head to the Warlord Alrath. "Now, it is simply a matter of combining..." The smile grew in malevolence.

The orcs carried the bulk of the armor to the center of the bridge, not tossing it into the pit this time. Gandoran stood facing the.. thing.. from across the pit, his eyes flickering in anticipation. Yes.. This time he would succeed.

He began the ritual much as before, by splaying his hands to the side and thrusting his fingers out to feel the air. Again, his hair whipped about him. Again, the ceiling slid open to reveal the crystal, high above, throbbing with the energy it had collected, the power within it's depths.

His voice rose and he encircled his hands in the air, pointing to the form upon the bridge. A focused beam shot down from the crystal as the light grew, irradiating it in a powerful pulsing light.

There was a shriek from the thing upon the bridge, cries of fear from his minions... and swirling light shining fiercely about the creation... til it all faded. The ceiling slid shut and left feverish anticipation. Gandoran fixed his eyes upon the bridge as the last remenants of the light began to depart. The Warlord, beside him, had drawn Phalanx, the wickedly jagged blade, and stood breathing heavily, thirsting for battle.

It finally cleared. The thing upon the bridge was flexing the new found claws at the end of its digits, in a curiosity of what it was. The steel mandibles clanked together, eyes glowed a steady pale blue. It lashed about the chitinous tail behind it, twin barbs jutting out diagonally in opposite directions from one another and dripping with potent venom. The chitinous metallic hide breathed with life.. rasped as air passed into those lungs. Human, but now.. so much more.. powerful.

The time had come to address it.. to make it bow before its master. He stepped toward the edge of the pit and threw his arms up for emphasis. "My child!" He shouted across the space, "My child... You are.. magnificent.." His voice filled with an awe and wonder of what he had created. So.. beautiful. "-I- am your creator.. your master. YOU are my creation.. and I name you, Kz`trall. Conqueror of the enemies. Bane to humanity."

The pulsing blue eyes fixed upon him. The shape lowered slightly, mandibles slowly grating together. Gandoran could hear the clank of armor as Alrath apparently shifted, in readiness.

"Kz... Kz`trall?" The grating mechanical voice spoke, gruffly, and low.. head tilted to one side. A crystal, placed in the center of its forehead sent out a bright and highly focused stream of red light to point a small red dot, focused at whatever he looked upon.

"Yes, my child.. Kz`trall. You are the first, of many."

"Kz`trall.." The creature tasted the name again.. And then the eyes dimmed somewhat. "Kz`trall.. am.. big."

"And mighty, my son!" Gandoran shouted, voice dripping with pride. The creation closed the clawed fists tightly together and turned them over, looking at them. "Kz`trall.. am strong." These words, spoken louder.. more quickly.

"Very strong. You shall take down entire legions, by yourself!"

"Kz`trall..." His eyes turned upon Gandoran. ".. CRUSH!" With insectile agility, the beast leapt across the pit, toward its creator. Gandoran was suddenly shoved out of the way by the armored shoulder of his warlord. The sword clanged loudly upon the armored carapace of the creature.

Kz`trall whipped his claws out menacingly, missing Alrath's armor plated chest by inches. But he wasted no time, leaning forward to slice with his mandibles and then twist to lash out with his wicked tail. Alrath parried the tail against the jagged blade of Phalanx. He whipped out a crimson stream of energy from the tip of the blade as he leapt back, slamming with full force into Kz`trall's armored chest.

The beast seemed hardly fazed. It threw back its head and roared, mandibles opening wide and arms thrown into the air to either side. The hand upon either arm folded down at the wrist, the claws clicking into place at the bottoms of the forearms. The panels along the side slid free and plating opened to expose the menacing glowing barrels of weapons, up until now, concealed.

The first arm came down towards the warlord. A stream of blue particles flashed from the barrel with a high pitched whine, slamming into the floor where he'd been moments earlier and tearing apart the bricks. The second arm came to bear upon him, the red dot painted upon his horned helm. A screeching sound of concentrated noise and a shockwave burst from the barrel towards Alrath. He ducked and the weapon left a long swathe of devastation across the wall.
The plates clicked back into place and the claws straightened as Kz`trall fixed his eyes upon the warlord. Alrath braced himself as the creature leapt to land just in front of him and lash out with everything he had.

Alrath parried with his shield, ducked in beneath the mandibles and dodged the tail as it crashed into the floor. He whipped around to face his enemy, eyes fiercely fixed upon the glowing blue orbs.

Suddenly, the blue eyes brightened. Twin beams of light shot towards him. He rose his shield, the beams blasting him across the floor, to slide, within inches of the edge of the sheer drop. He could hear the heavy thuds of the beast's footsteps as it approached to finish him off.

"Enough!" Gandoran shouted. An echoing crash as a ball of force slammed into Kz`trall's shoulder, knocking him to the floor. "Kz`trall! You are my creation! You will serve ME!"

A long silence as the wizard eyed the prone forms, his form shimmering with the energy to cast another spell. Finally.. it was broken by the clack of Kz`trall's mandibles.. He picked himself up, and eyed Gandoran. "Kz`trall.. want.. food?"

"Bah," Gandoran murmured to himself. "Something went wrong. I'd given Field Commander Daezen more credit than that.." And lower, "He is stupid."

Kz`trall seemed to hear this desite the distance between the two. His head lifted and he roared again, loudly. "Kz`trall NOT stoopid!! Take back!!"

His head lifted quickly. Gandoran spoke swiftly and soothingly. "Yes... of course.. of course you're not stupid. You are insanely genious." Oh the irony, he thought to himself. But.. if used correctly, he could prove useful.. yet.. Gandoran thought, with ire.. It would be foolish to attempt to make more of them. The power required from the crystal.. the time to construct the body.. and the chance that it all might fail. A mutter to himself.

"Warlord Alrath," He spoke aloud to the man, who just now was recovering from the attack. "See our... most intelligent and fierce warrior.. Kz`trall.. to some food. And then.. " A smile. "Integrate him into our army."

"Milord?" Alrath said, surprised.

"Do it." Gandoran managed to keep that smile. It was no longer his problem. And now.. perhaps he would have better luck in his next experiment...

"But what about the Viparious?" The traveller spoke impatiently as the old man had finished yet another story without even barest -mention- of the dark race.

"In time, my young friend." Charit smiled amiably and set down his mug. "But yet I grow weary. And it is late. I am sure you need your rest as well."

"Pah!" The man said as he stood up and turned to leave. "I don't believe you even -know- of the Viparious! The way you skirt the topic!"

Charit pursed his lips thoughtfully as he reclined in his seat. A slight nod. "Yes, that is quite possible, isn't it now?"

"I don't have time for these games!"

"No one is keeping you here, lad." Charit lifted a hand, and with a sweeping gesture, indicated the door. "Now, I have said that it shall come, in time. Have patience."

"My patience wears thin, old man!" But the traveller sighed. He needed the information. And there was no one else to turn to. He murmured an apology, and began to walk towards the door.

"All is forgiven. But I expect you to bring with you, tomorrow, some more tea. It seems I am out. Same time?"

A murmured 'aye', and the man left, pulling the door shut behind him. Charit straightened in his chair and smiled kindly, down at the empty tea mug. He hadn't told the traveller what he -wanted- to know. Only what he needed to know. And perhaps, one day, he would understand that...

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