The Outpost

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You summoned another demon?

And a Blackblood.

- Your ears? - I cut the points off.

The last two Blackbloods I met killed innocent people I cared about.

They were Blackfist.

They believe the only way to free our people is to wipe out all humans.

Mind control? So that's what your kinj does.

HE GRUNTS

I am honoured to bow before The Three.

I thought you were dead.

A very large Prime Order army are only a day's march away.

We don't have enough men to fight this battle.

SOLDIERS SHOUT AND GRUNT

The Blackblood will summon the slayers of men.

Hell of a time to call me back.

Start calling names. We need help.

HE SPEAKS BLACKBLOOD

SOLDIERS GRUNT

- Why did you bring the Blackfist through? We're all Blackbloods.

So what are you saying?

You're all our prisoners, and from this point forwards

this is our Outpost.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

MEN GRUNT - If you humans want to eat tonight

you'll start working faster.

The sooner you find what we're looking for, the sooner you can eat.

And rest.

Get to work!

Wish I knew what we were looking for.

HE GRUNTS

Pick it up and keep working.

Hey!

His hands are frozen.

Get him some gloves!

He can work until his hands fall off.

HE GRUNTS - Sammy!

Don't do anything stupid, Garret.

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

GUARD GROANS

HE GRUNTS

Hey!

THEY GRUNT

FIGHTING CONTINUES

Stop!

GARRET COUGHS

Your standing orders were to keep them alive and well enough to work.

This human attacked an overseer. He must be punished.

Looks like you've done that.

Does anyone else want to make trouble?

Good.

GARRET GROANS

HE GRUNTS

GUARDS SHOUT INDISTINCTLY

HORSE SNORTS

Keep moving.

Keep moving! Faster!

Go!

INDISTINCT SHOUTING

You need to put a leash on your Blackfists.

Dead humans are of no use to us.

You command your Blackbloods.

I'll command the Blackfist.

You're under my command, Yobahn.

That's how Yavalla wants it.

CHAINS CLUNK

HORSE WHINNIES

Their queen should be long dead.

Her very existence is a threat to our order.

The Queen's wellbeing is the only thing keeping order.

You kill her, and she will rise up against you.

And why should we listen to you?

Because she understands the humans better than any of us.

Every Blackfist wants the Queen's death.

I don't know how long I can hold them back.

MEN COUGH

What were you thinking, Spears?

He did what was necessary.

Garret, you better start getting along before they kill you.

I will not stand by while they beat innocent people.

I can take care of myself.

You didn't need to intervene.

It's been 39 days since Talon brought the Blackbloods through.

Thirty-nine days!

When are we putting our plan in action?

Spears and I can get the Queen out.

Out of her chambers, not out of the Outpost.

We'll figure that part out.

Until you do, you're not going off half-cocked.

You'll get yourself and Queen Rosmund killed.

We should never have trusted Talon.

No.

She's a filthy Blackblood through and through.

As I recall...

it was you who agreed with her

that she should bring the Blackbloods and their demons through to fight for us.

Can we not rehash this?

HE WINCES

Let someone else do this. You need to heal.

I can't just sit and do nothing.

Spears, I'm still your ranking officer.

We'll wait for the right opportunity.

THUMPS AND THUDS

LU-QIRI SNARLS

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

For the sins...

of your ancestors.

SHE GASPS - Kezzun!

Remove your sword.

KEZZUN GROANS

Your orders were that she not be harmed.

Now get out.

Thank you.

Don't take this for anything other than what it is.

For now, I need you alive.

DOOR SHUTS

LU-QIRI SNARLS

Did you send Kezzun to kill the Queen?

No.

He tried to murder her an hour ago and you didn't know?

Get control of your people, Yobahn.

And I want Kezzun locked up!

For what?

Being a bit overzealous?

Overzealous?

Yavalla made herself clear. The Queen is to remain alive.

Yavalla isn't here.

She might never be

thanks to your human-loving friend.

Yeah, you have that kinj.

Won't be much good against all the Blackfist

and our seven Lu-Qiri.

What does your side have?

- We're on the same side, Yobahn. - For now.

If Yavalla doesn't get here soon

the Blackfist are growing restless.

I'm trying to convince Talon.

Don't convince her. Force her!

Start torturing her friends.

No! I won't do it that way.

HE LAUGHS

Your infatuation

with that girl is making you weak.

LU-QIRI SNARLS

Convince her soon...

or we'll start doing things my way...

cousin.

LU-QIRI BLEATS

Is Gwynn alright?

For now.

If you hadn't brought the Blackfist over, you wouldn't be having these problems.

I had no choice.

I had to maintain the balance between the Blackfist

and the Blackbloods on both sides of the portal.

This is what Yavalla wants.

If you open the portal and bring her through, you'd understand

and she's the only person who can control the Blackfist.

If she's so important, why didn't you bring her through with the rest of them?

I was about to, but you closed the portal before I could.

She should have been one of the first.

You needed warriors, Talon.

Yavalla is anything but.

She's the last remaining Blackblood prophetess

the only keeper of the old ways.

Zed, I'm on your side

but I'm not going to bring through someone I have no reason to trust.

We have company.

Send her away.

I heard what happened. Are you alright?

Clearly you don't care

or you might have come to visit me before today.

I'm sorry.

I understand. You're with your people now.

I'm still on your side.

Yes.

That's apparent.

I can serve you better by serving them.

GWYNN SCOFFS

And what does that even mean?

It means I need to work from the inside to keep Zed in power.

If I don't, the Blackfist will kill you, and keep your people digging until you die.

Why are you waiting till now to tell me this?

Because when I heard they almost killed you

I couldn't bear the thought of you dying, thinking I was a traitor.

If they find out, they'll kill me...

and then none of you stand a chance.

DOOR SHUTS

Mum loved the pine sap ale.

She wouldn't let me have any cos she said...

MUNT SNIFFLES

...it would be wasted on me.

Big warthog, come here.

I know you, big ogre.

I miss her too.

Hey.