anasta

When Brutus was a little boy, the goons had not yet drowned in internecine strife, and most of his few memories of a quiet life are associated with childhood. In those distant times, the great leader of the thugs still enjoyed honor and respect, despite the fact that immorality and vice were already approaching the defeat of the thugs. Admiring the power of the leader, each tribe secretly sought to get it, although they hid their true intentions. The death of the great leader became like the breaking of a dam: the accumulated aggression spilled out, flooding the desert with a merciless struggle of all against all. Falcons, centaurs, bears—all bared their fangs to get land, resources and slaves. So the goons plunged into wild wars for many decades, in which stronger tribes slaughtered the weak and took everything from them without fear of retribution. Day after day, the tribes disappeared from the face of this desolate and barren land. Countless tribes that once formed the great union of thugs were rushing to their own destruction with all their might. Those who lacked military power were shaking with fear every day. No matter what, they hoped that a mighty hero would come who would be able to hold the throne of the great leader of the thugs and put an end to years of bloodshed. Everyone knew Anasta, who was a Bloody Claw at that time: in turbulent times, it is strength that gives a position in society, and the thugs did not just call her a Bloody Claw — it was a sign of the highest honor. Anasta could change the course of events in the desert not only due to unsurpassed combat skills, but also thanks to the huge support of her followers. "Blood Claw is the most revered warrior among the goons." After the elevation, Anasta had a lot of fans, one of whom was Brutus. He considered Anasta an ideal warrior, and in order to join her squad, he went through very tough training. He became her disciple thanks to his unsurpassed fighting instincts and iron will. Like other followers, Brutus firmly believed that someday Anasta would rise even higher and return the goons to the golden age of unity, as it was under the last great leader. As expected, Anasta led her brave and battle-hardened squad from victory to victory, little by little gathering together the fragments of the thugs' territories. The weaker tribes needed protection, and they were the first to kneel before Anasta. Those who dared to resist her victorious march had no mercy. The leaders submitted one by one and signed the union treaties. Even the infamous Sand Claws were afraid to mess with Anasta and avoided clashes with her squad. However, not everything went smoothly. Over time, the balance of power among the tribes of the Scorched Expanse has changed. While the strong tribes absorbed the weak, some gathered strength to assert themselves. The battles were fierce, and neither side wanted to give in. The opponents were so stubborn that they were ready to pay any price for victory. Not so long ago, a rumor spread everywhere about a young falcon named Skriat. After he enlisted the support of the Blood Guards, it became clear that this upstart posed a real threat. In just a few years, he became a serious rival of Anasta. The latter was getting out of her camp less and less often. Brutus had seen her sitting in her tent more than once, bent over the map in thought. One day, Skriat himself came to her in the middle of a sandstorm and said that he had something important to discuss with Blood Claw. To confirm his intentions, he came only accompanied by his bodyguards, led by the Bloody Guardian Anoka. Brutus decided that Skriat's visit was a provocation. He was ready to rush at the enemy, but Anasta stopped him. She told everyone to leave and stayed in the tent alone with Skriat. No one knows what happened between them, but when the visitor left, Anasta looked dejected and lost. She was silent for a long time before saying: "Thugs can only have one great leader." From that day on, Anasta and Skriat became enemies. They faced each other more than once, but their forces were equal. Anasta became more secretive, as if she was up to something, and some mysterious personalities kept coming into her tent. All the factions that inhabited the desert were closely watching this struggle, realizing that the winner would become the next great leader. Soon, Skriat made the first move. Declaring himself the temporary grand chief, he invited all the other chiefs to discuss the future of the goons. Anasta, of course, was also invited. The day before the meeting, she, as usual, trained with Brutus. The skills of the young warrior grew so fast that it was no longer easy for Anasta to compete with him. When the fight was over, Anasta's voice rang out over the entire camp: "Remember, Brutus: warriors never stop fighting. Sometimes you have to make difficult choices, and at times it can seem dishonest... — It was unclear whether Anasta was instructing Brutus or trying to convince herself of something. "The day after tomorrow, the goons will glorify the new great leader." The desert wind blew up the sand, obscuring the pale face of the moon. Brutus looked at the mentor and did not recognize her. The next day, all the leaders came to the meeting, except Anasta. The fatal news came when Scriath was about to call the assembly to order. Anasta, at the head of a gang of Sand Claws, attacked the gathering place. They surrounded the audience and demanded that each of them recognize Anasta as the great leader of the thugs. None of the leaders dared to move, and it seemed that they were ready to obey the fearless Anasta. Suddenly, a small detachment under the command of Brutus crushed the ranks of Sand Claws. Brutus had long thought that something bad was happening to his mentor. On one of those rare days when Anasta left the camp, he searched her tent and found evidence of collusion with the Sand Claws: a letter from noble light bearers. The Empire secretly supported the Sand Claws to sow discord among the goons. They were frightened by the ascent of Skriat, and they decided to help Anasta get the title of the great leader of the thugs. Brutus couldn't believe that his mentor had betrayed the warrior code and become a servant of the light bearers, that she had fallen so low that she was ready for such stupidity for the sake of power. However, the stakes were high, and therefore he secretly gathered a small detachment of the most loyal warriors in case the unthinkable happened. So, the conspiracy was discovered, and the audience was furious. If Anasta's plan had succeeded, the goons would have become puppets of the light carriers. Despite the deadly threat, the leaders rebelled, and the fearless Skriat led them into battle. They attacked the Sand Claws on one side, and Brutus and his squad on the other. The bandits faltered and fled. Anasta realized that her luck had changed, and decided not to ruin her life in a senseless massacre. Together with the remnants of the Sand Claws, she left the battlefield. Brutus, determined at all costs to call the mentor to account, personally rushed in pursuit. However, it was Anasta who taught him everything he could. He had never been able to defeat her before, and he had not succeeded that time either. The traitor he had once admired had vanished into the desert before his eyes. In anger, he exclaimed: "WHY?!" "In order for the thugs to unite, someone had to make a sacrifice..." - Anasta's voice came from the shadows. He barely managed to make out her silhouette before she stepped into the darkness and disappeared forever.