-----Sol strides forward after the majority of orcs pass on their way to fight the hobgoblins, as he slowly also mentally discards his persona of Commander Ulthang. He wasn't sure if it was the last time that role would be needed tonight, but he hoped so. As enjoyable as sowing discord amongst the enemy was, being Sintor's weapon, even in name only, left a bitter taste in the Gorian's mouth.
-----Now leaving that aside, Sol heads towards the largest concentration of the forty orcs. Each show of brutality they show towards the prisoners sends a flash of fury through the young warrior's mind. It had to end. Strator had blessed him greatly this evening, something Sol was yet to fully try and comprehend, and he was certainly not going to let it go to waste. Not revealing his intentions until the last possible second, the Stormbringer swings the Lathanian blade, arcing it up and around at his next victim. As the sword passes overhead towards its target, Sol yells out, "Great Rager, accept my gift!"
-----Sol sees a line of six orcs supervising over about ten strong looking men, who stand about knee deep in the river. The men appear haggard and defeated as the orcs crack their whips yelling for the men to pick up more sludge from the river bed. One man stumbles in the muck and one of the humanoids puts two lashes across his back. They stop as they suddenly see Sol approaching.
-----It is a strange sight to see the orcs step back and the prisoners glare at the armored warrior. With a flash of lightning over head, Sol swings the Lathanian blade and yells, "Great Rager, accept my gift!"
-----Two of the orcs fall dead as the thunder rumbles! The surviving four do little more than growl and draw their weapons, obviously curious about the Gorian. Sol can hear gasps from the men standing in the river as if in disbelief at what has happened. Now positioning himself between the edge of the river and the orcs, Sol starts moving toward the humanoids.
-----Three of the orcs’ swords are parried, but one places a large scratch across his forearm. As it does, Sol feels a now familiar warmth begin at his chest. Ignoring it for the moment, Sol tears into the enemy. Two more orcs fall dead and another is critically wounded. The last one roars at the young warrior and tries to rush him, but Sol delivers a belly wound which sends the orc to the muddy ground spilling its blood.
-----“What is happening?” a man asks behind Sol.
-----“I, . I, . I know not,” replies another in the river, “but let us not forget our loved ones.”
-----For now, Sol begins to trudge up toward where a line of humans approach the river accompanied by about eight orcs. Suddenly the slave line stops and Sol realizes that he has been spotted; perhaps along with the dead bodies behind him.
-----The orc at the front of the line points its sword at him and bellows, “Who are you who kills our warriors?”
-----Momentarily touching his forearm, Sol realizes that there is no wound there and he smiles. With the next flash of lightning he begins running up toward the orc. The humanoid seems surprised at the action and may seem to realize his own situation. With the orc being up the incline from Sol, the Gorian finds it very easy to run him through. Throwing the dead orc off his blade, Sol moves off to the side beckoning the other orcs toward him. They stand still staring at Sol as if uncertain what to do.
-----Suddenly a hearty yell is heard behind Sol and the men from the river run toward them; most with weapons taken from the orcs Sol killed. Sol turns back toward the line of prisoners as he hears another yell from them and the seven orcs there are overpowered and killed.
-----The commotion quickly dies down as thunder blasts across the sky. Sol can see up the incline where more slaves carry the sludge to where orcs man the equipment to sift it. There another line of slaves and orcs are ready to descend toward the river.
-----Looking around, Sol suddenly sees his own newly made troop of about twenty men (and a few women) silently looking at him with curious and desperate expressions.
-----He would have to make this quick, Sol realizes, conscious of the new group of prisoners about to head towards the river. Quickly turning to regard the score of newly freed villagers, the Gorian intones passionately, "This day you are free. Ye've got two choices. First, stay safe and out o' th' way as my companions try an' I free yer loved ones and Kulendra whole, or ye can take an active part."
-----With his free arm, Sol now gestures wildly at the cacophony above, "Or ye heed th' blessing's o' th' great Rager! If any o' ye feel th' rage inside ye... Rage at yer captivity, at yer family an' friends being held, or ye feel th' power o' th' storm, then pick up a weapon an' follow me! Follow an' see the fury o' Strator unleashed!"
-----That said, the warrior slips his hand up to the cord at his neck, and pulls free the lightning talisman from beneath his armour. Sol grips the symbol tightly for a moment before setting it outside the armour. Satisfied that he is ready to continue, the Stormbringer begins to stalk the orcs accompanying the descending line of slaves.
-----In the next flash of lightning, Sol approaches the first orc leading the line. Surprisingly, the orc already sees the Gorian and freezes in its tracks. It seems to quickly scan what lies below it near the river and backs up. Suddenly, it breaks from the prisoners it guards and runs off toward the west as if to abandon the entire humanoid community.