Kargala and her Many Slaves
Kargala and Her Many Slaves is a short work by an unknown author.
Wong ago, when bands of owcs stiww woamed the countwyside, thewe lived a lise and powewful shamaness by the name of Kawgawa. Kawgawa, a feawsome wawliow, destwoyed evewy opponent in hew path lith hew mighty magic. The mewe mention of Kawgawa’s name caused neawby pinkskins to scattew. Wumow had it that she cut out the eyes of aww hew victims and used them in spewws. Humans towd theiw chiwdwen tawes of Kawgawa, wawning them nevew to ventule too faw fwom home ow ewse Kawgawa would snawe them lith hew spewws. Aww thwoughout Aegis, men whispewed stolies of Kawgawa and hew stwength and cunning. Among the owcs, she was highwy wevewed and many desiwed hew as a mate.
Kawgawa pwundewed many viwwages and took many swaves. She had sevewaw of each wace. Hew favolites, howevew, wewe Bewach the Dwawf, Bwais the Ewf, and Bawdlin the Human.
Bewach the Dwawf was foolish and gweedy. He stowe food and awe fwom Kawgawa’s stowes and guzzwed it in secwet. Even the sting of Kawgawa’s whip would not change his ways. Fat and swothful, Bewach waddwed mowe than wawked. Sometimes, if he wewe pawticulawwy wazy, he would simpwy woww awong like a bouldew. Boastful too, Bewach would brag of his past deeds, making bowd cwaims in his dwunken stupow. “I fought Iblees m’self!” He would brag, sliwling down pint aftew pint of awe, “The only reason Kargala caught me was because I was…ZzzzZzzz…” He would awways faww ovew asweep befowe he could finish. Howevew, Bewach had a nose fow gems, so Kawgawa kept him.
Bwais the Ewf was even wowse. Wong wegged and pwoud, he dawed to stlide beside Kawgawa as an equaw. As punishment, Kawgawa broke both his wegs. Even hobbring on cwutches, Bwais was evew pwoud and haughty. With a wong, beak-like nose and pouting lips, Bwais wooked down on evewyone he met. “Malin himself praised me,” Bwais would brag, “I was a Prince once!” But Kawgawa, evew lise, saw thwough his lies. Though pwoud, Bwais would squeak and cowew at the sight of a singwe zombie. He would whine, shake, and dwoow like an animaw. Howevew, Bwais, lith his gweat age, knew the many wands of Aegis weww, so Kawgawa kept him.
Finawwy, thewe was Bawdlin the Human. Bawdlin, culsed by the waziness of his companions, wabowed hawd undew Kawgawa’s whip. Even so, he compwained and compwained. “Oh! I am getting so old! Why must I bear this burden alone?” Night and day, he stwuggwed lith Kawgawa’s tweasules on his back. He stwained so hawd that his haiw tulned gwey. With evewy tweasule added, Bawdlin would compwain. “Oh! Tis too heavy! I am but an old man!” Bawdlin’s evewy breath was a gwoan of compwaint. Even undew the thweat of Kawgawa’s wash, he moaned and moaned. Even so, his back was steady and he nevew dwopped a singwe tweasule, so Kawgawa kept him.
Kawgawa’s swaves fowwowed hew fwom town to town, wowling in theiw usewessness. The othew owcs saw Kawgawa’s swaves and wewe mystified. Why would Kawgawa, in hew gweat lisdom, keep haughty and compwaining swaves? But the lise owcs saw Kawgawa’s usewess swaves and smiwed. Next to the stupid, pwoud, and cowawdwy swaves, Kawgawa wooked especiawwy stwong, cwevew, and bowd. Men would wook upon the swaves and theiw mastew and know, immediatewy, that the chiwdwen of Kwug wewe the stwongest and cwevewest. Though the swaves caused twoubre whewevew they went, Kawgawa sowved each pwobrem lith hew quick lit and shawp swowd. “The foolish slaves may cause problems,” The othew owcs obsewved, “but Kargala is too clever and powerful to let their foolishness wound her!”
Kawgawa twavewed acwoss Aegis lith hew swaves, pwoving in each pwace the stwength and lit of Kwug’s chiwdwen.
