"I'll use your skulls as bowls!" Alina snarled.
"I'll rip out your spines and use them to strangle your pride!"
"I'll crush every inch of your coward bones!"
The Centigor paced restlessly, her four hooves churning the dirt.
The ground trembled with every step.
To Al, her swearing was almost cute, but to the other Beastmen, it was the sound of an approaching avalanche.
To these peaceful followers of the World-Shepherd, Alina wasn't a "waifu"—she was a nightmare.
Alina had been a terror since childhood. Gifted with freakish strength, no male Centigor her age could restrain her.
When she reached maturity, the tribal chief tried to claim her as his wife to "tame" her.
She challenged him, took his spear, and killed him that same day.
Later, in the wars against Forest Goblins, her brutality horrified even her own tribe.
She enjoyed crippling enemies before crushing their skulls and spines under her hooves.
The tribe feared she would fall to Khorne. Instead, she left for the human world.
Six months ago, she returned and joined Zhakun.
Within a day, she had hammered a dozen Gors into meat paste.
Even Zhakun was too terrified to touch her, which ironically made life better for the tribal females.
"It was a misunderstanding! Our fault entirely!"
Thal the Shaman bowed low, his weathered face forced into a submissive smile.
He tried to edge closer to the unconscious rabbit-girl.
Alina gave a cruel, mocking smile and raised her massive hammer high.
"Since it's your fault—assassinating a Living Saint in front of his followers is a death sentence in any faith!"
She began to bring the hammer down, clearly intending to turn the girl into a pancake.
"NO!"
Thal lunged forward, bracing his staff against his back to catch the hammer's weight.
"Hmph."
Alina applied a fraction more pressure. Thal's knees buckled, and he crashed to the dirt beside the girl.
She walked a circle around the Shaman, watching him tremble under her strength.
"If you hadn't resisted, it would have been over faster."
She lifted the hammer and set it down with ease, a terrifying display of raw power.
Alina trotted over to Celestine, scooped up the confused Al, and plopped him onto her broad back.
"Well? What do we do?" she asked.
"Huh? Me?" Al was flustered. He wasn't used to making the calls.
"Are you the God-child or am I?"
Alina's tone wasn't respectful—she saw him as a child, albeit a special one.
"Well... maybe we just..."
Al looked at the three dead attackers and the dying rabbit-girl.
In the Old World, you usually kill everyone to prevent revenge, but Al wanted to reach civilization.
He didn't want to be surrounded by Slaaneshi rapist-goats forever.
If he stayed with the "Orderly" Beastmen, he might have a chance at a neutral, stable life.
Besides, the rabbit-girl was cute in a fluffy, furry way...
Al suddenly pinched his own leg hard.
"?" Alina looked back, confused.
"Nothing. I just suspect I'm becoming a degenerate," Al said tonelessly.
I am NOT a furry! Why was I thinking about how soft her ears look?!
The banner of Slaanesh fluttered in his mind. He shook it off.
"Forget it," Al said. "Let them go. But they must promise: no more hostility as long as I don't harm them."
Thal the Shaman exhaled in relief as the pressure vanished. He sat in the dirt, gasping.
He had lived over a hundred years and knew how to handle hotheads like Alina.
"Of course. We honor your magnanimity," Thal said hurriedly.
He raised his staff. "Natural Mending!"
Green orbs of light gathered and flowed into the rabbit-girl.
Her breathing stabilized instantly. Al watched in awe; his first time seeing real magic.
The girl, Shalulu, coughed up blood and snapped her eyes open.
The first thing she saw was Al on the centaur's back.
"EVIL SPAWN!"
She tried to charge him, but Alina reached down and snatched her up by her long ears.
Shalulu kicked and hissed in the air, her eyes full of murder.
"She looks more and more human every day," Alina remarked, inspecting the girl like a doll.
"Ever since we left Zhakun's influence six months ago," Thal explained, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Our younger generation is shifting toward a more 'stable' form. The Shepherd guides us: the future of Beastmen is to merge with the world of Order, to look like the Elves and Men."
If a Dwarf heard that, he'd be writing in the Book of Grudges for an hour, Al thought.
Alina wasn't impressed. She flicked Shalulu's smooth forehead with a finger.
The rabbit-girl immediately turned red, covered her head with her hands, and started whimpering.
She finally realized she was at the mercy of the "Big Sister" of the forest.
Alina dropped her, and Shalulu scurried behind Thal.
Al watched her. She really did act like a rabbit. He noted her face, planning to pay her back for trying to kill him later.
Shalulu saw her three dead friends and her nose began to twitch as she started to cry.
Kinda cute. I want to punch her just to hear her squeak, Al thought, then shook his head.
My fetishes are getting out of hand.
"Thank you again for your mercy," Thal praised. "These youngsters were rash, fearing Zhakun. Your kindness puts the knights of the north to shame."
Alina waved them off. "Just leave."
As the Shaman led Shalulu away, Alina added:
"Remember: if you fail to keep your word, I'm using your skull as a cup next time, Old Thal."
The Shaman didn't look back, bowing as he retreated.
"Just us now," Alina said, trotting slowly toward the edge of the camp, away from Celestine.
She tilted her head toward the naked, blood-stained woman.
"So... how do you want to handle her?"