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Da Boss Of Da Dead Chapta 17 | |
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Da Boss Of Da Dead Chapta 17 |
After being prompted by Sophie the human introduced himself as Eli, a servant of the Death Skulls for more than a decade now and it seemed that his function was simply to list everything acquired by the forces of Zorgart Scraploota. “My master always wishes to know exactly what goods are available for our customers.” He explained. Eli took the group to where the largest meks in the camp were to be found. Older and wealthier than the smaller mekboys, they were the ones most likely to be offered goods of alien origin. Eli explained to them what Hazug wanted. “Nah.” One of them said, “We aint been offered no necron gubbins.” “We aint been offered much at all.” Another one added, “Why’s dat?” Hazug asked. “Cause we buy big stuff, not tiny scraps.” The mek replied, “But so far no-one’s brought back anythin’ big enough that its worth us buyin’ it.” “But there were dozens of large vehicles destroyed in the battle.” Sophie said, “I saw them. Something must have been left to bring back.” The meks glared at Sophie, offended that she would dare to address them as equals. “Does I know ya?” one of them asked, leaning closer to her, “Didn’t I ask ya to clean me boots two days ago?” Sophie stepped backwards. “Let’s ‘ave a look at dat arm.” The mek added, reaching out a grasping Sophie’s arm. But before he roll up her sleeve and see where the old Death Skull marking had been removed Hazug intervened. “’Ow’s about ya stop messin’ with ‘er?” he said, pushing the muzzle of his rifle into the mek’s chest. The mek promptly let go of Sophie and stepped away from her. “Its like we said,” he then said, “there aint been no big bits of loot brought back. Oh dare’s been a few wagons taken out to collect it, but dey aint come back.” “Now dat is interestin’.” Hazug said, “D’ya knows where dese wagons was goin’?” “Sure we
does.” One of the meks replied, “Several lads told us wot dey’d found and
asked if we’d buy it. We said we would so dey went to get a wagon to bring
to us, but dey never came back.” “All over da place.” The mek said, “Looks like dare’s plenty of loot out dare, but it just aint bein’ brought back to us.” Hazug reached into his pocket and pulled out a map that he had brought along, expecting to use it to mark on details about the necron tomb. “Show me.” He said. The meks gathered around the mek and began to point out locations that had been revealed to them as places where a great deal of scrap was to be found. Meanwhile Mayleth leant closer to Sophie. “A narrow escape mon-keigh.” She whispered, “That beast almost found out you are stolen.” Sophie did not
answer. Sophie frowned. “What do you mean?” she asked. “That beast thought he’d seen you recently.” Mayleth replied, “In fact he was certain of it. Now I know that they have even more trouble telling members of your species apart than mine do, but it seems to me that maybe he was thinking of someone that would look a great deal like you in any case. Someone such as-“ “My sister!” Sophie exclaimed, then she clamped her hand over her own mouth as all of the greenskins present suddenly looked in her direction. “Tell ya git to shut up.” One of the meks said before they all turned their attention back to the map. Accompanied by Mayleth, Sophie made her way over to where Eli stood silently watching the orks. “Eli, may I ask you a question?” she said softly in gothic. “Go ahead.” He replied, “But keep your voice down, the orks can get annoyed when we talk out of turn.” “Do you know me?” Sophie asked. Eli looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face. “No. Why, should I?” he asked in response. “Probably not.” Sophie replied, “But what about someone who looks a lot like me?” Eli shook his head. “No, I’m sorry.” He said, “But then again there aren’t many humans allowed close to Zorgart. He only tolerates me because I keep his lists for him.” “Then what about the other humans working here? That mek thought I might be one. Where are they?” “Everywhere.” Eli replied, “There are over three hundred of us. The Death Skulls rely on us for most of their menial tasks. Zorgart says that it frees up greenskins for more looting.” “Right den,” Hazug suddenly called out, “we is done for now.” “We’re leaving already?” Sophie asked. “Not quite.” Hazug told her, “Dare’s still a number of lads out dare lootin’. I wants to ‘ear wot dey ‘ave to say, so we’ll be stayin’ ‘ere for tonight.” So as to prevent any mishaps involving Drazzok channelling too much f the psychic energy that a thousand or so orks could generate while he slept and with Hazug unwilling to split up in what he regarded as hostile territory the group headed towards the outskirts of the sprawling campsite, to where Mayleth located a cave that overlooked a large, deep pool of still water that Hazug declared suitable and with Cuddles tied near the entrance to deter intruders they turned in for the night. “Mon-keigh, wake up.” Mayleth said the next morning, shaking Sophie awake. ”What is it?” she asked, looking up at the eldar. The first thing she noticed was that the eldar woman’s long black hair was wet, then she looked around and saw that aside from Mayleth only Drazzok and Thuggrim were still in the cave with her, “Where’s Hazug?” she added, getting quickly to her feet. “Our master left with the small beast.” Mayleth answered, “That creature was up before any of us and suggested that our master proceed without us.” “Why didn’t you stop him?” Sophie asked, picking up her bag. “She wasn’t awake either.” Drazzok commented, “Besides, ‘ow can ya go wanderin’ about with Hazug when dare’s more important stuff to be done around ‘ere?” “Like what?” Sophie asked. “Like makin’ me breakfast.” Drazzok replied, “No way I was eatin’ dat crap dat grot Ratish makes.” “Da great Drazzok ‘as a very refined palette.” Thuggrim added, nodding. Drazzok looked at the madnob and frowned. “Nutter.” He said, shaking his head. “I suppose I’ll have to go out and get some food then.” Sophie said, grabbing her bag. “I have taken care of that mon-keigh.” Mayleth told her and she pointed to where several fish lay on a rock near the cave entrance, “they moved quite quickly,” she said, “but not as quickly as I did.” A confused look appeared on Sophie’s face. “I’ve not seen you as the type to do domestic chores.” She said, “What made you go gathering food.” “To help you of course.” “What? With breakfast?” “No. To locate more mon-keigh. I chose this place to spend the night for just that purpose. I reasoned that if the mon-keigh clean for the orks they would need access to water. So I waited for them to reveal themselves to me.” “And did they?” “Oh yes. Several observed me until I stopped swimming and returned here.” Sophie remembered Mayleth’s wet hair. “You were naked weren’t you?” she said, folding her arms, “That’s why they were watching you.” Mayleth smiled. “Its not fear and pain I can feed on mon-keigh. Unfulfilled lust has a flavour all of its own.” Sophie just stared. “Never mind about all dat nonsense.” Drazzok said, “I is ‘ungry. Now get to work and me breakfast.” Sophie followed Mayleth as the eldar led her around the pool. Sure enough the shore at the far side was covered in the footprints of humans of various sizes and from the other side of an un-kept hedge voices could be heard. Voices that were speaking in gothic. “Wait.” Sophie said, grabbing Mayleth as she approached a gap in the hedge. “What is it mon-keigh?” she asked. “Well do you think it’s a good idea to just go blundering over there? What if they’re more people like that Quinn?” “I do not ‘blunder’ anywhere mon-keigh.” Mayleth said, “Wait here.” And she began to creep along the hedge, going past the obvious gap and instead squeezing into a narrower one until she had disappeared from view. Sophie waited, anxious not to be left alone for too long and she breathed a sigh of relief when Mayleth soon reappeared. “There are seven of them. All female.” She said and then as she saw that Sophie was about to speak she added, “None of them resemble you. They all possess dark hair and eyes.” Sophie’s shoulder’s slumped and she averted her gaze. “Well I suppose that it would have been a lot to hope for-“ she began. “Actually it may be good news.” Mayleth said, “That beast last night though he knew you, but my observations so far indicate that the mon-keigh in this area have a darker look than you. So that means the one you seek should be easier to find. Her for example.” And Mayleth pointed past Sophie. Sophie looked over her shoulder and then spun round, her jaw dropping as she saw the fair haired woman now crouched beside the pool with a basket filled with ork boots beside her. As Mayleth and Sophie watched the woman removed one of the boots and began to scrap the mud off into the water. “Go on.” Mayleth said, urging Sophie forwards, “Ask her.” Sophie walked towards the woman and as she got closer the woman noticed her approached and looked around. Both gasped as they looked into faces almost identical to their own. Except that Sophie’s face lacked any of the bruising. Sophie rushed forwards and crouched down. “Throne!” she exclaimed, “What happened to you? Your face?” The other woman looked down briefly. “I was too slow.” She said, “The orks wanted to teach me to be faster.” Then she stared into Sophie’s eyes, “You’re her aren’t you?” she said, “The one they said I was found with?” Sophie wrapped her arms around the other woman. “Nobody ever said anything about you to me.” She said, “I don’t even know your name.” “Salia.” “Salia.” Sophie repeated, “I’m Sophie and I guess I’m your sister.” Some of the bands of Death Skulls had discovered the fate of the missing vehicles during the night. “Looks like da necrons shot ‘em up.” One of the meks said to Hazug, “Dey used really big zap guns to do it an’ all. Dare aint much left of some of ‘em.” Hazug looked
at the map where the mek was pointing. “Dat’s where our wagons was ‘eadin’.” The mek replied, “But da necrons ambushed ‘em. Dare was a mob wot said dey saw da zappa wot smashed up a wagon just sprang up outta da soil.” The location that the mek was pointing to was behind where the main line of necron pylons had appeared during the battle, but further from the entrance to their tomb than the four that had engaged the ork aircraft. That meant that either the necrons had more than the ten they used originally or… “Dey can move ‘em.” Hazug said. “Wot? So dares tunnels underneath da ‘ills or somethin’?” another mek asked, “But no lad ‘ave said anythin’ about findin’ any tunnels or doors into ‘em. Dey’d ‘ave to ‘ave doors.” “Ratish can find tunnels master.” Ratish said, “Gretchin know tunnels. We makes loads under ork cities.” “Only if dare really is any tunnels.” Hazug said, “But I don’t think dat dare is. Remember Mayleth said dey used teleportas. Well it looks like dey don’t ‘ave to teleport ‘em to da same place each time.” “So no mater wot way ya try and attack ‘em dey’ll be able to surround ya with mega zappas.” A mek said, scratching his head. “Maybe.” Hazug said. Then after a short pause he added, “Unless dey’ve already ‘ad to send all ten somewhere else.” And then he began to fold the map up. “Hazug!” Sophie’s voice called out and Hazug looked around to see her rushing towards him, several of the Death Skulls glaring at her as if unsure whether or not they should attack her for such behaviour. Fortunately the brightly coloured vest that proclaimed her to be his property dissuaded them from such a course of action and she ground to halt in front of him, gasping for breath. “You have to come quickly!” she exclaimed and she grabbed his hand. Hazug pulled his hand away as the Death Skull meks stared and frowned. “Punish da git master!” Ratish snapped, “Or let Ratish do it for ya. Ratish make da git behave in public.” Hazug looked at the meks. “We is done ‘ere anyways.” He said, “But if ya ‘ears anythin’ else den we is camped by da pool at dat end of da camp. Ya know it?” and he pointed towards the location of the cave beside the pool. “Near where da gits ‘ang out.” One of the meks replied, “Yeah we knows it. Figures dat ya’d want to stay dare ya git lover.” “Yeah, well we’ll be dare until about noon. I needs to get back to da warboss and tell ‘im wot’s ‘appenin’.” Hazug followed as Sophie led him back to the cave. “Pointless git is getting’ in da way of master’s work.” Ratish commented. “This is important.” Sophie replied. “More dan necron lads under da ‘ills?” Ratish asked, “Master should ignore da git.” “Look, we’re here now.” Sophie said as they reached the cave. As Hazug had expected Drazzok, Mayleth and Thuggrim were all still present but he had not expected to find another human there. Immediately Hazug guessed that this was the mysterious human that Sophie had been looking for. Her appearance was similar to Sophie’s, even to Hazug who as a Blood Axe was better at telling humans apart. Though it appeared that she had not faired as well in Death Skull service as Sophie had in Hazug’s and the signs of punishment were clear for all to see. “Hazug, this is Salia.” Sophie said, “Salia, this is the ork I work for, Hazug.” Hazug and Salia looked at one another and Salia smiled at the Blood Axe nervously. “So wot’s so important den?” Hazug asked, turning to Sophie. “Well Salia of course.” Sophie replied, “Now we’ve found her she has to come back with us.” “No master!” Ratish snapped, “Master not need any more gits.” “Shut up Ratish.” Sophie replied, “This is none of your business.” “’E’s right though.” Hazug said, “I already got da pair of ya without needin’ to buy another one.” “Buy?” Sophie asked, her face falling. “Well of course ‘e’d ‘ave to buy ‘er.” Drazzok said and he got up and walked towards Salia. The young woman flinched slightly as the ferocious looking weirdboy reached out and took hold of her arm, “Look at dis.” He said, pointing to the tattoo of a blue skull on her arm, “Da Death Skull’s ‘ave marked ‘er as dare’s. Del aint gonna be too ‘appy if we just walks off with ‘er without payin’.” “And we aint got me truck to sneak ‘er out in.” Hazug added. Sophie looked at her sister. “I’ve got a few teeth.” She said, “What about you?” Salia shook
her head. Sophie looked back towards Hazug. “I’ll pay you back, I promise.” She said to him. Hazug just frowned. |
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