Breaking the Chains

The city of Morath had always felt like a battlefield, but tonight, it truly became one. The air was thick with tension, and every shadow seemed to hold unseen threats. Orgar and Gorgar had spent their entire lives fighting against the odds, but this time was different. This was no mere tournament. This was war.

The Shadow Council had given them three days to decide to submit or to suffer.

They had made their choice.

And now, they would strike first.

A City on Edge

The underground district of The Hollow was unusually quiet, as if the entire underbelly of Morath was holding its breath. Word had spread quickly that the twins had defied the Council, and now the city was waiting to see what would happen next.

Borak, Kaela, and the twins had gathered their allies, players, outcasts, and rebels in a hidden chamber beneath an abandoned brewery. The room was dimly lit by flickering torches, their flames casting jagged shadows against the rough stone walls.

A makeshift war table had been set up in the center, maps and notes scattered across its surface. The stakes had never been higher, and they all knew it.

Borak leaned forward, his massive arms crossed. "We have one chance to hit them before they hit us." His voice was low, gravelly, the sound of a man who had spent his life fighting. "If we wait, they'll tighten their grip. We'll be hunted like rats."

Kaela, standing opposite him, nodded. "We need to move fast. The Council isn't just a handful of nobles playing games in the dark. They have spies, assassins, and enforcers. If we don't act decisively, we'll be picked off one by one."

Gorgar exhaled sharply. "Then we make our move tonight."

The group fell silent.

Then Orgar placed both hands on the table. "We start with their informants. Cut off their eyes and ears. Then we go for their leaders."

Kaela smirked. "Now we're talking."

The First Strike

The first target was a man known as Sareth the Whisperer one of the Council's top spies. He operated out of a high end tavern, where he sold secrets like a merchant sold fine silk. If the Council wanted to know who was loyal and who wasn't, Sareth was the man they turned to.

He would not live to see the morning.

The plan was simple: infiltrate, eliminate, and disappear before anyone realized what had happened.

Kaela went in first, dressed as a traveling noble's assistant. Her sharp green eyes scanned the tavern, spotting Sareth in his usual corner surrounded by bodyguards, drinking expensive wine, and trading whispers with men in dark robes.

Orgar and Gorgar entered next, blending into the crowd of merchants and mercenaries. Borak waited outside, ready to cause a distraction if things went south.

Kaela approached the bar, ordering a drink while keeping her eyes on Sareth. Then, with practiced ease, she slipped a small vial into his next cup of wine a potent sleeping toxin. Not enough to kill him, but enough to make him vulnerable.

Moments later, Sareth's head lolled forward, his bodyguards chuckling at his apparent drunkenness.

That was their moment.

Orgar and Gorgar moved quickly, stepping through the crowd like predators stalking prey. One of the bodyguards barely had time to register their presence before Orgar slammed his fist into the man's throat, sending him crashing backward.

Gorgar grabbed Sareth by the collar, hauling him to his feet. "Time for a little chat."

The tavern erupted into chaos.

The Cost of Rebellion

Sareth woke up tied to a chair in a cold, dark cellar. The stone walls were damp, the only light coming from a flickering candle. His head was pounding, and as his vision cleared, he realized who was standing in front of him.

Orgar.

Gorgar.

And Borak, who was cracking his knuckles with an unsettling grin.

Sareth swallowed hard. "You don't understand"

Borak punched him. Hard.

The spy let out a strangled gasp, blood trickling from his split lip.

"Oh, I think we understand just fine," Orgar said, his voice cold. "You're the one who's been feeding the Council information. You know everything who they control, who they're watching."

Sareth's breath was ragged. "You… you don't know what you're up against. The Council "

Borak grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. "Tell us everything. Now."

Sareth hesitated.

Then Gorgar pulled out a dagger, its edge gleaming in the candlelight. "You really want to test us?"

Sareth cracked.

He told them everything.

The Council's next meeting. The names of their most powerful enforcers. Their safehouses. Their weaknesses.

When he finished, Kaela stepped forward, her expression unreadable. "So, what do we do with him?"

Borak scoffed. "He's a liability. We can't let him go."

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then Orgar cut Sareth's throat.

Blood spilled onto the cold stone floor.

Kaela exhaled slowly. "No turning back now."

Orgar wiped the blade clean. "There never was."

The Council Strikes Back

By morning, the city was in chaos. The Council had discovered Sareth's death, and their response was swift and brutal.

Assassins were sent.

Innocents were made examples of.

The streets ran red.

The twins barely managed to escape an ambush in the marketplace, forced to fight through hooded killers wielding poisoned blades. Borak's men were hunted, cornered, and executed in the night.

The Council was making their message clear:

We are untouchable.

Orgar, Gorgar, and Kaela regrouped in The Hollow, their faces set in grim determination.

"We need to hit them harder," Borak growled, his knuckles still bloody from the night's fights.

Kaela nodded. "No more shadows. No more whispers. We take this fight to the open."

Gorgar's eyes burned with fury. "We end this. Now."

Orgar tightened his grip on his blade.

The war for Morath had truly begun.

End of Chapter 13

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