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Green Lives, His Lives For Greywolf15000 By Draconicon

The world beneath the mountain was as foreign to him as mere months ago, the plains had been to the dwarves. Xurl walked down the cramped streets of the underground kingdom with his eyes downcast, trying not to think about the differences between himself and those around him. Namely, how the dwarves were...much more obviously devoted than he was.

Shrines, religious libraries, and theocratic body-art were everywhere, with many dwarves having discarded traditional clothes in favor of the most basic of coverings. Everywhere he looked, he saw hairy bodies that had been worked up, worked on, and marked by ink and muscle. All, according to the Priest that had visited his people and converted him, exactly according to the great lion's tastes.

It galled to see, yet, at the same time, made him jealous to know that his achievements might well be underrated in comparison. The orc shook his head.

I am a loyal servant of the great Leor. I am his warrior, his warchief...

Yet, despite that, he felt lesser than every dwarf that he passed in the confines of the stone land. Their heads were bowed, muttering prayers to their god-emperor on a constant basis, and it was a rare dwarf he passed that didn't praise Leor's name with an almost cultish devotion.

He could hardly believe the kingdom of his ancient enemy had fallen to this level of obsessive madness.

Instantly, he shook his head, pressing one hand to his forehead. No, he shouldn't say that. They were serving the god-emperor, which was only right, and just...To critique that was unforgivable, surely. The flaw had to lie in himself.

"Ugh..."

He made his way to the edge of the rocky, carved street, sitting down on a bench that was barely half of the height of a proper piece of furniture. The orc chief leaned forward, his head in his hands as he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down and sort through his thoughts.

Now, more than ever, he wished that Bjorn could have come with him from the homelands. The dwarf priest had been wonderful in explaining the differences of the world to him after he had assumed the mantle of tribe chief, and during the conquest of the other tribes. The dwarf had ensured that he knew how to act, how to behave, what was acceptable as worship to Leor and what wasn't. The dwarf's words had settled in his mind like a comforting war chant, and he could have used Bjorn's explanations now. Everything felt...wrong. Devotion to the great lion had seemed simple in the world out there. One did as he was told, and that was the end of it.

But here, among all these people...seeing the consequences, how everyone's actions seemed to reflect on Leor and that was all...

Serve as you will, and come when you are called. The words of Leor will serve you, and his commands will sooth you. Those had been the words of Bjorn, the dwarf Priest that had brought more than words to his tribe. Changes had followed rapidly, all in the name of Leor, and he had profited from it massively. He should be thankful, and he was. He was glad to serve Leor, and believed the lion had the strength to rule where no other did.

But this...

Unfortunately, the dwarf was needed back in the plains, despite his attempts to bring the Priest with him. He had no idea what would happen here, how things would go with Leor picking his first orc Priest, nor did he feel entirely comfortable in a dwarf nation on his own. Even with promised safety and hospitality, he felt uncomfortable. Bjorn's wisdom would have gone a long way towards soothing that.

As most chieftains hadn't embraced Leor as of yet, however, he was needed in the plains, his wisdom turned to converting other chiefs to the same viewpoint that they had. War only went so far to change another's mind, as Torug had learned before he was replaced. Words and teaching did more.

He understood it, he knew that it was necessary. It didn't make it any easier.

The orc lifted his head slowly, looking at the dwarves that milled about him. They had changed from the hard-faced, distant little creatures that he had made war on a dozen times. Gone were the drawn, distant expressions, replaced with something approaching unnatural bliss.

The little men walked about, their eyes shifting, every so often, to the great palace in the distance that overlooked the underground kingdom. Every single time they did, Xurl had to fight the urge, the need to look towards the home of his god-emperor, and the power that had helped him conquer the orcs. It hurt him to hold back, and more so when the dwarves shivered in pleasure at just the sight of it.

They were not the same as they'd once been. He saw where they were worse, and saw - with jealousy - where they were better. Their devotion had outstripped everything else, from their craftsmanship to their skills as soldiers. All that mattered now, it seemed, was Leor. It was...scary, to see a people he'd respected give up their pride for this obsession.

No, not an obsession. They're devoted, devoted to their god-emperor beyond anything else. Even more than I am.

The comparison left him shuddering, shaking his head and pressing his hand to his forehead once more. Xurl growled.

Why do I do that? Am I not a good servant? Am I not devoted?

He was, he told himself. He had done everything that had been expected of him. He'd fought and conquered the many tribes of his people, forming them into a mighty fist of an army. Even Torug hadn't been able to do that, in his prime, and yet Xurl had done it in months. Admittedly, with the help of a Priest of Leor, but that was beside the point. He had done it to prove his loyalty. Hadn't that been enough?

He immediately knew the answer. He had done it, but Leor had made it possible, and he'd still claimed the title. He would have to give it up, or he'd never be a proper servant...no, slave, of Leor.

Again, he looked at the dwarves. So far, his people were merely servants, not slaves. They followed a different cause, they worked hard to fight and follow orders, but they still were their own people. Yet, for all that, he both envied and hated the show of devotion around him.

They're slaves...But...isn't that what I should be, as well?

Bjorn seemed to think so, and until he arrived, so had Xurl. The dwarf had told him: servant, slave, and, if lucky, one day a Priest. There were no other roles under Leor, and one could only stay a servant for so long.

Ostensibly, this was his reward for all his work. Skipping directly from servant to Priest had never happened, according to Bjorn, but the dwarf had said that the orc had earned it. Xurl had been flattered, back in the plains.

Seeing the dwarves now, he was no longer sure how he felt. He'd be like them, closer than ever to Leor, but the cost...

Disturbed...and envious, at the same time. That was the closest he could come to describing it.

A great bell rang out over the city, and he jumped in surprise, rising to his feet. The dwarves ran past him, many of them rushing towards the inner parts of the city and the palace on the heights. Xurl grabbed one of them by the beard, whipping the near-naked man around.

"What's going on? Are we under attack?"

"Attack? HA! Nobody would dare come against the great Leor."

"Then what is going on?"

"It is the bell, the call to worship. Come, come, you must see."

Worship? The idea was new to him. He knew that they called him the god-emperor, and he remembered Bjorn praying to the lion, but to treat him like an actual god...

He let himself be pulled along, already berating himself for questioning it, even as he tried to understand why he was so bothered. This was how a god would be treated, and if any man could be a god, according to Bjorn, it would be...Leor.

The place of worship was just within the palace, beyond the walls, in the courtyard. The flood of dwarves rushing in were sorted by guards, though not by any means that Xurl could understand. An obvious beggar, in roughest cotton, received better treatment than a noble in silks, where a merchant still received lesser treatment than a relative of the former king. The only rhyme or reason to it seemed to come from their physique, and what decorations of Leor they wore, or had writ upon them.

As the guards looked at him, Xurl was prepared to be sorted into the steps along the wall, to watch from outside. Instead, he was given access to the to the grounds. According to the guards, this was the best place. He could be within feet of the great God-Emperor, rather than so far away. Shrugging, he followed the crowd.

He stood head, shoulders, and torso taller than the dwarves around him, a mountain of green amidst a field of beards. He looked around, towards the side walls and the ones behind him, expecting jealousy. Instead, he saw only need and wistfulness, the sight of people that wanted something but couldn't have it.

He looked ahead, the throne of the dwarves overshadowed by a greater, golden thing behind it. Stone had been dwarfed by opulence, and the reflective shimmer of the throne drew his eye more than anything else.

That has to be worth more than the cost of a small army, Xurl thought to himself, shaking his head slowly. The idea that the god-emperor had used so much resources on nothing but a throne both impressed and worried him. Was Leor that wasteful? Could he care so little -

No, the god-emperor could only do what was right. That was the whole point of following him, according to Bjorn. He had to remember that, if he wanted to be a Priest...but did he?

The orc shook his head, then looked around. Half of the dwarves had already fallen to their knees, their arms stretched out in worship towards the empty throne, while the others had folded their hands and closed their eyes in prayer. The courtyard bore an increasing resemblance to a church.

Xurl was a military man, and before Bjorn had come to the tribe, there had never been any need for religion. For any orc, for that matter, beyond the occasional shouts to a clan's patron deity during battle. Gods did not care about blood and death on the battlefield; that was a thing for mortals to decide.

Despite that, despite how it flew in the face of his upbringing, he had taken to Leor. The dwarf Priest's words of the lion's strength, power, and majesty, and how true they'd rung, had convinced him of the lion's power. The world would fall to him eventually, and he'd do better to be on the winning side.

He'd dismissed the other consequences, but now, it stared him in the face. Anyone conquered wouldn't be a servant, or a prisoner. They'd become a slave, their mind and heart lost as much as their freedom. No orc would have fallen on his knees like this, for anyone, no matter the power that had been arrayed against him. But they would, if Leor had his way. The dwarves had already fallen...it was only a matter of time.

So, why did he envy them? Why?

A door opened on the right wall of the courtyard, and he turned at the light that came streaming in. The greenskin narrowed his eyes, seeing some shadows, silhouettes in the back that looked as though they were talking to each other. A maned shadow - Leor, certainly - and someone else, just out of sight. What were they -

And then the moment was gone was gone, and the great lion stepped in, wrapped in a shimmering golden cloak. A crown rested on his head, and it glimmered with the light of a dozen suns. If the throne could have supported armies, then the crown could have run a nation for a year. And it looked...heavy.

How can he be that strong? Xurl thought as the god-emperor walked to his throne. That crown must weigh a ton. Torug's neck would have snapped in seconds. How can he...

More respect piled atop what Bjorn had already given him for Leor, and Xurl knelt with the rest of the dwarves.

The god-emperor sat on the golden throne. He did not recline on it, as some chiefs did, nor did he sit ramrod straight, as he had seen some foreign rulers do. Instead, he simply took it as if it could belong to no other, and smiled.

As one, the dwarves let out a long, happy sigh, as if the smile of their god was enough to cause them bliss and wonder. He wondered if it did; the dwarves around him looked as though they were on the edge of some sort of mystical climax, and it wouldn't have surprised him if some of them would walk out with wet pants, considering their expressions.

The god-emperor glanced at him, and suddenly Xurl felt...unworthy. He lowered his eyes, a stab of guilt hitting him again for his judgment of the others.

Soon enough, Leor looked away, and the feeling passed. Mostly. The orc shuddered as he remembered how it had felt to be under that eye, to feel as though he was utter nothing compared to the devoted dwarves around him.

And he knew, deep down, that it was the truth.

They've learned the lessons I've already recited. They are nothing without Leor, and I still think I am something...

The concept was anathema to all of orc kind. Even when serving the chief, one's own accomplishments belonged to them. They had ambitions to rise, dreams to achieve. Yet, for all he'd done, even in the lion's name, it was as nothing for himself, according to this. To anyone else, he would have been a picture of excellence.

But was he, really, if he didn't give the credit where it belonged?

The battle raged in his mind as the dwarves started to sing. It rattled around in the back of his head, a deep rumble in the dwarven tongue. The words were unintelligible, but the meaning was clear. Worship, service, and pride, pride to be under the rulership of someone like the lion. Someone like Leor.

He bowed his head, and let himself get swept away in the rumbling, stone-like chant, and lost himself in the avalanche of submission.

The 'service,' for lack of a better term, went on for hours. He remained where he was as the dwarves shuffled around. Some pushed forward to offer individual prayers and requests to their god-emperor, while others merely came forward to bow and kiss the lion's toes in thanks for various things. Every dwarf had some different method of submission, and he could hardly believe what some of them did, in public, no less.

Still, the shocks only hit him so often. He no longer gasped in surprise when the third dwarf came up to kiss the great Leor's cock, like he had with the second. He did gasp, however, when the dwarf in question turned and he saw the cock-sucker's face.

It was the king of the dwarves, or at least, the old king. The one that had ruled before Leor had come to power. He had always thought that Leor had killed him, considering the old king's popularity. Despite the hate that his kind had for the dwarves, he had known that Olof had been well-loved by his people. The idea that the dwarf king could have been made to submit like this...

He should have been utterly shocked, appalled, and perhaps a part of him was. The idea of losing one's power and mind to this extent was beyond something that he could entirely accept. Yet, at the same time, he could see that no dwarf had any complaint about it. None stood to protest in honor of their king. Or, he supposed, nobody protested what happened to a slave. Leor could do no wrong...to them.

But...

Xurl couldn't decide. Was it wrong, to use a slave like this? To offer oneself up to someone so much better? Was it something that he could truly say was a bad thing, considering the power and majesty that Leor projected? Bjorn had talked of things like this, of orgies that were held in the god-emperor's honor, but he had always assumed that it happened behind closed doors, or out of sight of the public, not flaunted in front of them with all to see. Then again, he hadn't understood slavery to this extent, either, or believed that the dwarves had embraced it so wholeheartedly.

He was left pondering it, hating himself and hating the dwarves at the same time as he tried to make it make sense in his mind. He didn't want to be less than these little miners in the service to the god-emperor, but at the same time, the sheer loss of any dignity, any honor, any power frightened him. His people had always gone for what they wanted, and protected what they were. This...this was the opposite of all that he had thought they would keep under Leor's service.

Eventually, the dwarves filtered out of the courtyard as the worship service ended. The god-emperor had been 'kissed' and sucked by over a dozen different dwarves by the end, but had not climaxed once. His stamina was...impressive, Xurl had noted through his distraction.

Which would explain why he didn't notice the lion's approach until the cloaked feline was directly in front of him. He jumped when he did, shaking his head as his armor clicked and clacked around his form, and bowed his head.

"God-Emperor. I apologize for the distraction."

"Bjorn had trained your speech well, I see."

"He's been insistent that I talk with respect towards someone like you."

"He's most correct. And a most obedient servant."

The lion gestured towards several stone benches on the left end of the courtyard, and Xurl followed him. He sat, and the lion did the same after dragging a chair out so that they could look at each other as they talked. Leor continued, chuckling.

"I imagine that coming here has been a great shock to you. The sight of so many people having changed what they are...the idea that the dwarves worship me so fervently...it's something that I don't think anyone else would have expected."

"I admit, no. I didn't expect to see slaves."

"I don't see how that's a bad thing."

"They are mindless, God-Emperor. I have seen broken men, and I have seen trained ones. The latter at least still have their minds, are still themselves. What I see here...the blank eyes, the empty souls...all they think of is you. I thought Bjorn was merely eccentric, but he's the best of them. He, at least, can think to advance himself, even if it's only through you."

He expected to anger the great lion. After all, his words was hardly complimentary, even if they were true. He braced himself, waiting for the wrath of the God-Emperor.

Yet, it didn't. If anything, the lion seemed amused rather than annoyed, and leaned back.

"You're bothered by this?"

"Greatly."

"Why?"

"Because...because it's wrong. Even if you are the only one that has the power to enforce it, do you have the right to enforce it? I don't know the answer to that, but I suspect that the answer is no."

"Do you see unhappiness anywhere?"

Xurl slowly shook his head. Much as he wished he could bring that up, not one dwarf had been frowning or unhappy. Every single one of them had been perfectly content, if not outright giddy. Yet another reason he envied them.

The lion shook his head.

"There is no unhappiness under my reign. Do you know why?"

"Because you've told them not to be?"

"Because I make sure that they are happy."

Leor smiled, folding his arms under his chest.

"They aren't commanded to be happy. They simply are. They know what I am to them. They know that I give them everything they need. Food, structure, safety, security. I give them strength, and I give them leadership. Everything they could ever want, everything they could ever crave, is freely available.

"All I ask in return is their loyalty. True, unbreaking loyalty, from the heart and soul as well as the mind. Perhaps that is slavery, to you, but there is nothing wrong with being a slave, if you get what you want. And I have made sure that everyone under the mountain has gotten exactly what they want."

He could almost imagine that that was true, and it ached to question the lion. At the same time...

He looked back to the courtyard gate, towards the city. The dwarves were not what he remembered. Their happiness couldn't be denied, but had they surrendered it? Or had Leor merely taken it as his prize, and justified it later?

That, Xurl knew, he could respect. Orcs had done it for a long time, themselves. Take what you want, and pay for it later. War was simple for them. If you won, you took whatever you wanted. Goods, resources, and people, if you liked, to keep or sell as you wished. It turned into a better life for the tribe that won, and the tribe that lost got to live, cared for by others as long as they kept working.

In reality, was it so different? Was it wrong for Leor to do something like this?

He took their minds. We just took their bodies...

Xurl groaned, trying to work it out. The mental conflict that had started ever since he'd entered the mountain threatened to overwhelm the orc, and a part of him wanted to give up. If he could just hand it over, if he could give up like the dwarves had, it wouldn't hurt...but dare he do it? There'd be no going back...

He rubbed at his forehead until he felt a furry paw grasp his hand. He opened his eyes, and saw Leor smiling at him.

"You want to know what is right here."

"Yeah...I don't feel right."

"I can help with that."

"You can make me like them. I don't know -"

"I had Bjorn send you here, because I believe that you can be like him. I believe that you can be a Priest among your people, and spread the word of me."

There it was again, his 'reward' dangled in front of him. It was more tempting, yet more terrifying than ever as Leor continued.

"Bjorn has done a great deal, and done nothing wrong. However, he is a dwarf, and there is only so much access he will have with your people, only so much credibility. There is much that you can gain under me, if you will submit fully."

"Haven't we already given you everything? You have your armies."

"Xurl, you've only given me your bodies."

The lion leaned in, and for the first time, the orc got a look at those brilliant eyes. He saw the intelligence behind them, the wisdom that was held back so often, the glittering power that came through with every glance. His breath caught in his throat as the lion leaned in, the feline's nose barely an inch from his, tawny paws on his thighs as the monarch spoke.

"I will never fear the results of an uprising because all that come beneath me never think of it. Their minds, their souls, their hearts will belong to me. Not one person will consider a life without me, because they will be too devoted to me. The thought will never cross their mind.

"You already have the beginning of it. You envy those who've taken the final step, though, do you not?"

"...Yes..."

"You want to give yourself fully to me. You want to lose the part that questions, the part that makes you weak."

"..."

The lion's eyes narrowed, and Xurl swore that he could feel something tugging at his mind. Once, months ago, he would have given everything he had to fight it. Maybe, back then, he might have won. Orcs had triumphed against stranger odds than this. But now...

Now, he was tired...he was in pain. He just wanted it to stop, to have things be easier for once. And he was easy prey. The god-emperor walked around him, Leor whispering to him.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Xurl. There is only so much that a Priest can convey of my power, only so much of my essence that he can bring to the world. That is why you need me. That is why you had to come here."

A paw pressed down on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. The orc groaned, his mind a battleground, but it was hardly a war of epic proportions. What little he had left that questioned Leor's service were pinned at the back of his mind, in a ditch behind a hill, and everything that the lion said was another barrage of arrows that keeping them there.

"You are a servant already, Xurl. You let me in at Bjorn's suggestion, and pulled Torug down from power. You did as I asked, and declared war on those around you, bringing them into the fold. You followed my orders, bringing Bjorn to talk to the other chieftains, bringing them around to our point of view. Ours, Xurl. Mine, Bjorn's, and yours."

The words were filtering into his mind like weapons against the questioners. Arrow after arrow sunk into them, felling them by the score.

Our point of view... The idea chilled him, in a way, but also excited him. He was part of the winning side. He was part of the powerful side. He'd done right.

"Yes, you've done many things, Xurl, all of them for me. You know what the true motivation in your rise to power has been. Not to make yourself powerful, but to increase the reach and the might of the great Leor."

That...that wasn't...was it right?

His questions faded, breaking down under the lion's persuasion and charisma. The orc groaned, rubbing his head as he leaned back, his palms pressed to his forehead.

It was true, wasn't it? He had given so much of the orc people to the lion. They were prepared to be his army, the greatest ground forces that the world had ever known. Infantry that would roll over those that stood before them, giving it all to the...to the...

To the god-emperor, yes? There was...was there need for the raiders to get paid, for them to be given the prizes of battle that they'd always taken? Xurl groaned, shaking his head. That wasn't...wasn't need...

Leor's hands pressed on his, gently forcing his hands down from his face until he was staring straight ahead. Xurl whimpered, a sound that seldom escaped an orc's lips after they passed from childhood to adulthood.

"I'm..."

"What is it, Xurl? Are you afraid?"

The orc nodded slowly.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Losing...losing everything..."

"You are scared. I understand. You have always been free...but have you always been happy? No. We both know you haven't. Give in. Let me help you. Will you let me help you?"

Xurl nodded again, his vision hazing over as his eyes watered. He couldn't take it any longer. He was breaking, torn between pride and the need to serve the lion. It was one or the other, and if he didn't choose, it would break him apart.

The lion seemed to understand that, and the great Leor pulled something into view. A golden coin, the orc realized, one that hung from a string.

"Then let me help you..."

The coin began to spin, rotating at the base of the string, and the shimmering metal held his attention even when he tried to look away. Xurl's focus fell entirely on it, his mind slowly pulling towards the slow-spinning circle.

"Just do this, for now. Look ahead, focus yourself on the coin. There is nothing else that you need to do right now, nothing else that you need to worry about. All that exists is the coin. Not your worries; they are for later. Not your questions; they are not around. All that matters is the coin, and the slow spinning of it, and the words that you hear.

"I will help you, Xurl. I will give you what you need, what you desire. I will take away the pain, and give you confidence. I will take away the fears and the splittings, and I will give you power. I will take away the questions, and I will give you certainty.

"All you have to do is look at the coin, and listen to me. All you have to do is stare ahead, and listen to me."

He knew about Leor's power. Bjorn had bragged about it, declared how it had helped him, after their conversion. Hypnosis, mind magics, things that changed people and made them different to what they had once been. He knew it, and he feared and craved it.

Again, he might have fought it in the past, but now, now, he was so desperate for the questions to go, so desperate for the rending guilt to disappear, that he pursued it. He stared at the coin, the world falling away around him as he gave himself up. The courtyard disappeared and the hand holding the coin faded to darkness. All that mattered was the coin. All that he could hear were the words. That was what Leor said, and if Leor said it, it would be true.

The coin spun slowly, and his eyes followed it. Everything else disappeared, and the orc gradually felt calmer and calmer. The rending indecision faded away, leaving behind nothing but the coin...nothing but the words of the god-emperor.

"You can fall into me, Xurl. You can trust me to take care of you.

"You can listen to me, Xurl. You can trust me to take care of you.

"You can obey me, Xurl. You can trust me to take care of you."

The orc groaned, his eyes slowly closing to slits. Could he? Could he really? He wanted to...

The words came again.

"Your pain comes from choice, and power. You can be rid of it so easily. All you must do is submit...all you must do is give me your power, and I will give you happiness in turn.

"You've risen so far, so far from what you once were. A warchief, now a chief, and more. The leader of armies. The grand power that rules over the greenskins, but with such weight to that responsibility, such pain...you want to be rid of it, don't you?"

The temptation was certainly there. Every responsibility that the great Leor mentioned weighed on him, and more so with every piece that was added to the pile. He didn't want it...he didn't want it at all...

"You didn't earn this on your own, and you know it. You don't want the end of this. You just wanted to finish it. Finish it, so you can hand it over. And you've finished it."

"Yes...finished...job..."

"Now, all you have to do is give it up. Give up the power over the greenskins, and give it to someone who'll take care of you. Take care of them. Do you know who that is?"

"...Y...You?"

The silence and darkness continued, and Xurl thought to himself, I must be certain. I must be certain.

He could barely think, but for his people, he tried. Leor had given him everything. Power, success...but he was right. There was no way he could hold it. He was close to breaking, held off the edge by the lion's power. The lion had nothing to gain...he didn't think...from holding him back. Everything to lose by keeping him sane. The orcs would break if he went insane, become leaderless, weak. The lion proved himself...

And Leor was strong. Strong enough for them to respect. Strong enough to rule properly. He was...he was the ruler the orcs could follow...and he...he could, maybe, become nothing more than a warchief again, away from the pain and confusion, be devoted to his leader, properly.

"Look at the dwarves," the lion continued. "They are happy beneath me. The orcs will be as happy as they are. My word on it, the greenskins will live as happily as you can imagine. Fed, cared for...as long as they are loyal to me."

Xurl groaned softly, his eyes half-closed as he continued to stare at the coin. Yes, loyalty was important. His loyalty to his people...he had to care for them, as the top chief, but he couldn't, not as he was. Leor, on the other hand...

"Give up your power to me, Xurl. Allow me to make all your decisions for you, take the pain away. Allow me to take your mind, and mold it properly. You will be a slave, and you will enjoy it."

Yes, the more he listened, the better it sounded. Thinking had hurt him ever since he'd come to the mountain. Ever since he'd seen the choice between devotion and freedom, he'd been divided. Better to give it up, now.

Then he thought, what about the rest of his people? What about the pain they would feel, the conflict? Again, the god-emperor seemed to know what he needed.

"You will bring the power of my voice and my words to the rest of your people, Xurl. You will be my Priest among the greenskins, the speaker of my words among them. One by one, they will learn as you do, and one by one, they will share in the bliss you will have.

"It only takes one word, Xurl. One word, and you will be my slave, happily obedient and without conflict. You will have peace of mind, and confidence of body. You will be strong, sturdy, and steady. You will be all that you've ever wanted to be, and be the one that brought that gift to your people.

"All I need...is one word, Xurl. Will you submit to me? Will you give up everything for me?"

There was no longer a reason to refuse. The great lion offered all he could ever want. Confidence, strength, surety, safety. All things that the orc clans needed, all things that the tribes would savor. And he could give it to them.

How could he ever repay the lion for this? The answer was, he couldn't. But he could strive to, serve him as best he could for the rest of his life, and perhaps he would come close.

"Yes..."

"You surrender yourself to the god-emperor?"

"Yes!"

"You surrender your people to my rule?"

"YES!"

"You will do as you are told, and always worship me?"

"YES!"

"Then turn, Xurl, and look upon your god-emperor properly."

The orc slowly turned around, finding himself staring up at a lion with no clothes. The cloak had fallen at some point, leaving the god-emperor without a stitch on him, and his cock stood up, hard and proud, almost like some sort of -

"Kiss the scepter, and swear your loyalty unto me."

Slowly, Xurl reached out and grabbed the base. The orc steadied it, staring at the head for a moment before leaning in and giving it a kiss. Then another, and another. The end passed into his mouth briefly before he pulled his head back.

"I swear...my life...my mind...my heart...and my soul," he whispered, punctuating each oath with another kiss, "upon the scepter...of god-emperor Leor..."

"I accept your oath, Xurl."

The lion stepped closer, one foot coming up and resting on the bench, the great, tawny sack in his face.

"Swear the people of the plains, the greenskins, upon the royal jewels."

He nodded before leaning forward, his nose resting against the heavy sack. His mind fogged further, the soft scent of the god-emperor slipping down into his mind, making it harder and harder to think of anything but his destined submission.

What better thing could he do? There was no better person to hold him, to command, than the great Leor. The lion's power was limitless. Free will didn't matter. It was worthless compared to what his God-Emperor could give him in return.

He kissed his way across the sack, panting softly as he went along, his eyes closing to little more than slits.

"I swear...the power of the greenskins...the power of the orcs...to the god-emperor Leor."

Every pause came with a soft lick, dragging his tongue along those balls, making them rise and fall. Each lick brought the taste of the lion to his mouth, beyond the potency of Bjorn in every way. Yet, reminiscent, at the same time. The lion gave power to all, in many ways, it seemed, and he smiled slightly. Perhaps he would be likewise marked.

"I swear...the power of the tribes...the loyalty of them...and their bodies...and their minds...and their souls...to the God-Emperor Leor."

He kissed the sack one last time, his breath coming fast as he tried to hold himself back. His armor felt tight, his exhilaration at the lack of conflict finally hitting him. He wanted to serve the lion, wanted to give himself up properly. Was this what was the dwarves had felt during the service and worship? He now understood why they'd been making such ecstatic expression.

The lion looked down at him with an approving smile, and he smiled back. He was glad to know that he had done well.

"Turn, Xurl, and give yourself to me. One final offering."

Yes, there was one more way that he could offer himself to the great God-Emperor. The orc turned around, pressing his hands down on the bench. It wasn't the most comfortable, but his ass was perfectly displayed for the lion.

He heard the clasps coming undone, and blushed as he realized that the god-emperor had to do work on his behalf. He wanted to apologize, to throw himself to the ground and beg for forgiveness, but to do so would have interrupted Leor's work, and there was no way that he would have done that.

He groaned as his armor clanged to the ground, his rump on display at long last, and he moaned as a clawed finger worked its way between his ass cheeks. Xurl shuddered as the great God-Emperor touched him, pushing further between them until the lion found his puckering hole.

"It seems that you are more than ready for me, little orc."

"Mmmph...yes, great one..."

"You are willing to surrender everything...to live a life with no questions, no worries, so long as you serve me..."

"Yes, sir, yes, great one..."

"You will commit to this?"

"YES! Mmmph!'

Leor immediately rewarded him with a finger inside, and it was perfect. The orc squirmed, his eyes rolling back already. Was it his new devotion that made the light touch feel so good? It had to be; nobody else had ever felt like this.

The lion pushed him, two fingers replacing the one, and the orc moaned all the louder. His cock dripped over the stone bench, and his toes curled in his boots as his God-Emperor fingered him, filled him.

"You know what you are...you know what you need."

"I am...I am yours...and I need...your...your 'scepter' inside of me."

"To take it is to lose yourself...and become mine entirely. To no longer be a slave, but a Priest. Are you ready for that, little orc?"

"Ready...and craving..."

Two fingers became three, scissoring back and forth inside of him in short, teasing strokes. He groaned, biting his lip as the lion opened him up, working his hole until it was twitching and puckering like a mare in season flaunting for a stallion. He groaned, trying not to beg, but everything in him needed this. His pride and his wish not to hurry the God-Emperor were the only things that held him back.

Bit by bit, the fingers pulled at him, dragging his rim open, until he could feel it hanging open when the fingers pulled free. He felt the gape that had been left behind, but only for a moment. The slick tip of the lion's shaft pressed against him, and he moaned, going up on tiptoes.

"Please...great Leor...fill me..."

"You will be filled...and you will be taken."

One thrust filled him to the brim, and the orc moaned as he was pinned against the bench. He couldn't hold back his moans; there was no holding back when Leor was the one involved. He squirmed and gasped, his body wracked with sudden pleasure as it was stretched to the brim, but two clawed paws held him firm, keeping his hips from moving forward or back, keeping him from escaping the great lion.

Leor thrust forward again, his balls clapping against the orc's, and Xurl panted hard at the feeling of being opened, of being claimed. More than once, Bjorn had done this, but never had it been bliss like this.

In, out, in, out, the god-emperor took him, never hurrying, but never taking it easy on him either. The orc was tough, and the lion seemed to respect that, giving him just as much as he could take.

One hand moved from his hip to his sack, and Xurl groaned as his orbs were squeezed.

"What..."

"Your doubts are in here...your questions...your fears...everything that is wrong with you is here. When I finish, there will be nothing left. There will be nothing that can harm you, slow you down, leave you in fear. When I am done, you will be all that you are meant to be. For me, and me alone."

"Thank you...thank you!"

And it was the most sincere thanks he had ever given, his eyes rolling back as he was fucked harder as the lion's need seemed to rise. Little whispers filled his ears, words that he could barely make out, but it made him harder,, and his balls slowly drew up against the lion's fingers.

In, out, in, out. He was filled, his ass bouncing around the thick lion cock inside of him. He leaned forward, his eyes closed tight as he moaned shamelessly. The sounds had to echo through the courtyard; there had to be dwarves that heard him, that could make out what was being said, that knew what was being done.

But there was no shame to it. Not now, and not ever again. This was not the act of rutting with another person. This was being blessed by the God-Emperor of the dwarves, the orcs, and soon, the world.

Xurl wanted to lose himself. He wanted to give up everything. Becoming a slave, becoming a Priest; it didn't matter. Devotion, total and complete, to the great Leor was all he needed now.

He pushed back when the great Leor allowed it, impaling himself on that thick cock, fucking himself on it in an attempt to hurry the blessing along. His own cock rocked up and down, smacking between his belly and his thighs Dripping constantly, it left a mess everywhere, but he hardly cared. All he wanted was the blessing of his god and to lose his mind.

In, out, in, out, it went and his slow grunts and moans got louder. He couldn't stop, feeling the lion's claws pulling him back, feeling himself getting filled, getting slick and wet as the great lion oozed inside of him. Nothing but slickness and wonder and easy thrusts. In, out, in, out, those furry balls battering against his hairless ones, his eyes rolling back in their sockets. He was so...so...

"Great one...I'm close..."

"Cum, then, orc. Cum for me, and surrender everything to me."

Xurl couldn't help himself. He needed it, and he gave himself completely as his orgasm washed over him. The warrior came, shooting his load all over the great stone bench, white and clear, and plentiful. It splattered loudly against the rock, forming long strings, and then a thick puddle beneath his cock as he kept on oozing.

He felt it all go...his mind, his conflict. Everything was gone. No more questions. No more worries. Everything was settled. He was Leor's, he belonged to the lion, and that was all that mattered.

It was perfect.

And then...and then, the lion took him.

The hard thrusts got rougher, and Leor squeezed his hips tighter. Where he had been strong, where he had been tough, the great lion showed him who was truly the stronger. In and out, in and out, smacking into him with abandon, grinding him into the seed he had spilled, the lion claimed him.

And through it all, the God-Emperor whispered.

Words of power, words of connection, words of binding. They slipped through the orc's defenseless mind, settling into the depths, finding their way into his empty places. Words that showed him his place, words that left him without any doubt in the world the Leor was the one destined to rule them all. He, the world, everyone, was destined to bow to the great lion.

"Priest...Priest...Priest..."

He was a Priest, or would be, in time. The rituals would be learned, the scripture memorized. He would follow the lion, would spread the word of his name and his power. Magic, and strength, and tricks, would serve to bring others under his banner, and would show the world the great lion's power.

In time...in time...

For now, he was satisfied with being pounded, and screamed his pleasure for all to hear.

One week later...

Since his conversion to being a Priest, Xurl saw the dwarven kingdom with fresh eyes. No more questions, no more concerns filled his mind. The orc only felt admiration for the various little men hard at work. The changes to the city were ever more apparent to him now that he knew what the different buildings used to be.

What he had assumed was a long-established market had, in reality, been converted to a shrine of worship, marked with a statue of the great Leor and various smaller ones of his Priests. One had recently been commissioned of him, and he knew he'd have to pose for it soon.

What he had guessed was noble housing was, in actuality, a debate hall to bring about discussions and worship of the theology of Leor. He'd already attended several meetings, and had been impressed at the depth of knowledge that the dwarves had already assembled at the greatness of the wonderful lion. It all boiled down, of course, to the fact that their God-Emperor could do no wrong, that everything he did was for the good of all his followers.

Xurl rather liked that. It made him comfortable, and reminded him how lucky he was to be Leor's Priest as well as his slave.

He walked down the streets, following the same gestures as the dwarves during the day. Bowing to the shrines, turning towards the great palace and giving his respect to his god, making offerings here and there towards the god-emperor; he wanted to show his loyalty, constantly, and it felt right.

Of course, it was not all playing tourist. He had to assist with the other Priests, giving sermons and speaking of the greatness of Leor. While the dwarves spoke of his cunning, wealth, and strategies, Xurl had other things, better things to speak of.

He spoke of the great lion's body. He spoke of the pleasure and power inherent in that feline form, of all the grace and wonder that came from their god-emperor as he prowled the palace. He spoke of the strength and the dominance that it displayed, how it could claim anything that it wanted, and how right it was that it was so.

He even spoke of his conversion, sharing the story of how he had been brought into the fold of Leor, first by their Priest Bjorn - which left the family of that dwarf quite happy - and also through the touch of Leor himself. Shamelessly, he told of his hypnosis, of his taking, of his being fucked and filled and given the blessing of surety.

He knew that they felt the same as him. There was no need to think of their free will and miss it. No need to wonder what they might do without Leor. Xurl felt better without it than he ever had with it, and praised the lion constantly for saving him from himself. Never again would he question Leor's decisions, and he'd happily praise him til the end of his days. Just as the dwarves did.

He praised Leor regularly for how well his early sermons went, and thanked the dwarves for allowing him to share his story, and every time they thanked him for sharing it.

It was, perhaps, one of the most civil examples of exchange between their races in years.

But when he was not preaching, he was up in the palace, continuing to learn about Leor's plans for him and the greenskins. Far from simple military, they would be something even more important to the lion's plans.

They would be an example. An example of what happened to even the greatest, most un-religious folk on the continent. They would be brought to Leor, and their ceremonies would shake the world.

One such day, when he was being told this, Xurl looked up from the map to see Leor smiling at him, and he asked why.

"You have shown me just how right this is, Xurl. There is no longer pain in your eyes, no longer any confusion about what you have to do. You are...happy."

"I serve the one and only Leor. There is nothing to be unhappy about."

"No longer missing free will? No longer believing this wrong?"

"How could I? You have taken my worries from me."

He smiled. He was aware of what had happened. There was no loss of knowledge, no lack of memory. He knew what had been done to him, and it was the best thing that could have happened. No fears, no worries. Only obedience, and bliss in service. Nothing, nothing could be better.

"I believe that I will be of service to you for a great many years to come, God-Emperor. I will serve you in every battle that I may, whether that is on the field or among the other races that will fall to you. I will follow you onto any battlefield, and I will serve you in any way that I possibly can."

"You speak the words of the third book of scripture, I see."

"It was part of my studies this morning, yes."

"And do you remember the endings of the second book?"

The orc thought about it for a moment, and nodded.

"And so, the follower of Leor abandons ownership of his body and his mind and his soul, giving up all that he was before, to allow it to be used in any way. And should he be chosen to forsake battle and the rest of the world and live only for the pleasure of his god, then he should be merry and thankful, for he is blessed with the touch of the great Leor beyond the lot of common mortals."

"You quote it well."

"Should I look forward to being taken from the world, then?"

"Not yet, not yet. You are my only priest among your kind, after all, Xurl."

The lion smiled, patting the orc on the back gently. And then, patting a little bit further down.

"But in the future...well, who can tell? You are certainly appealing, and I begin to tire of dwarves, exclusively."

"I will obey, whatever your commands may be, God-Emperor."

"I know you will...I know you will."

The End