Chapter Ten

Bongo's Bittersweet Bloodline

 * Bongo and the Battalion, back at good ol’ Koryn, are tasked by Field Commander Maldrek with investigating the gruesome murders of multiple travelling merchants near Shardstone. Maldrek also asks them to capture a brain jacker, for some fellow named Telvar Ironmine, who plans to attempt to read the brain parasite’s mind. The heroes meander around town for a bit, pestering the shopkeepers and POUNDING a few dozen innocent Koryn citizens, until finally they trundle off to the docks to Helmsman Glezdon’s ship; Shardstone was located within the Zorendal Empire, so the bois would have to travel via sea to get there in order to avoid TRIGGERING Terrick.
 * “Glezdon, old boy!” Bongo cried as the Bois boarded the vessel. The Helmsman uttered a hoarse sigh, realizing that he’d have to spend several days of travel with the ragtag party of hooligans. “Let’s try to keep the SUS to a minimum, Bois,” says Glezdon as he grabs hold of the wheel and starts steering the ship out into the sparkling Soresian waters. The Bois agree to try and control themselves, but they can’t make any promises. The Sus Theme blares on loop for the entirety of the trip, greatly agitating Glezdon.
 * A few peaceful days pass, and at long last the Bois reach Shardstone. They trek into the dense woods and are greeted by three young Ishandryn soldiers, who’ve been investigating these brutal merchant murders but to no avail. One of the soldiers leads the Bois over to the site of the latest murder: Bongo and the Breakfasts are met with a horrific sight. Before them lies a merchant’s caravan rolled over onto its side. The ground is littered with fallen traders, slaughtered viciously. Pinned against a tree with an arrow is a merchant with a gaping chest wound. 
 * Skimp inspects the pinned merchant, and finds an ancient book inside the chest: the book is called The Red Mark of Xhor.
 * Ripping the book free, one of the bodies sprawled out on the ground starts to stir. As it turns out, this young fellow was merely knocked unconscious by the attackers, and he’s not a merchant at all, he’s a cleric! The young cleric rises slowly to his feet, looking around warily at the five adventurers and one wolf. Consumed with fear, the cleric attacks Bongo, who in retaliation picks up the puny human by his ankle and dangles him upside down in the air. The Bois point and laugh at the weakling.  
 * “What do they call you, young lad?” Bongo asks as the ridicule continues. “Ezekiel!” the cleric squeals. “What a stupid name!” the Bois laugh. The druid drops the lad onto the ground straight on his face. He quickly scrambles to his feet. “Who are you people?” Ezekiel asked. The bois introduce themselves to the human. 
 * “The name’s Skimp… grew up on a slave plantation...” Skimp began his horrible rant. He would have gone on for hours, repeating the same basic bits of background information, if it hadn't been for James conking him on the head, “I’m James Hurley. I work at my uncle’s gas station. My mother’s an alcoholic. Sometimes, when I’m riding at night, I punch off the headlights, roll the throttle, and just rocket blind into the dark.” 
 * Aigee-Gorg flopped around and squawked, “I’m Aigee! I’m a bard! I’m goo!” Kaw pushed the Gorg to the side introduced himself to the cleric, staring unblinkingly into his eyes, “Eating me is evil. Eating me is murder! You can’t catch me, I’m the speedy hamburger!” he began repeating over and over, his voice getting slower and more distorted with each repetition. Kaw got onto his hands and knees, still repeating his chant, and crawled into the woods like a deranged animal. “His name is Kaw, and you can call me Bongo.” the druid piped up, not amused by Kaw’s foolishness.
 * Suddenly, out of the woods come a troop of Zorendal Soldiers who try to pull a fast one of the heroes. Ezekiel screams in terror upon seeing more of the Zorendal blimeys. James backhands the boy, silencing him instantly. The bois draw their weapons and ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!
 * Having fought against Jorlack, Necro, a monstrous Macho Man, and countless other fearsome foes in the past, these little Zorendal soldiers pose little threat to Bongo and the Banana Bread. A few of the soldiers, after seeing the immensely handsome Bongo, ran away in fear, they seemed to have mistook Bongo for somebody else. Kaw got to work setting the trashed caravan on fire, why he did this, not even he knew. Forevermore, the burning of the caravan shall remain a mystery. 
 * Ezekiel, proving to actually be useful (to the bois’ surprise), blasted the remaining freaks with some cleric spells. Aigee slid around the battlefield like a bar of soap slipping around on the floor of the shower, poking the Zorendal blokes with his trident. 
 * James conked some of the baddies, getting honey all over the place; one of the troops, a very tiny, bald guy ran up to James, handgun drawn, about to shoot. James instinctively ran forward and chopped the midget in his neck then twisted his tiny arm backwards. Holding him on the ground, squeezing the midget’s arm, James saw a small, strange, fleshy tree appeared before her. “Squeeze his hand off! Squeeze his hand off!” the tree screeched. James did as the tree commanded and gripped down on the midget’s hand, it exploded in a shower of blood. The tree vanished and peace came over the panda once more.
 * Skimp stood completely still and did nothing to contribute, “Grew up on a slave plantation. My only friend was a wizard named Klistmar.” he said to nobody as he removed his whip from his bindle and started giving himself lashes. 
 * This was the first time that Aigee had his fantasy of Skimp whipping himself and he enjoyed it all in the confines of his deranged mind. Skimp actually contributed as much as the other Bois. and rapiered a few of the little troops.
 * Only two Zorendal blimeys remained. Bongo approached one of them, Wound drawn, and slashed the freak down the middle. The final foe standing was about ten feet away, but Bongo was determined to strike him down like the rest. The goliath grabbed his wolf companion Thgil and launched the faithful beast onto the soldier. Thgil chomped and clawed savagely into the bloke, shredding him into finely-grain sawdust.
 * With all the soldiers defeated, a few brain jackers sprung out of their skulls. “Quick! Snatch one!” Skimp shrieks, vigorously motioning with his rat-hands, shouting “MORE” in sign language. Bongo administers the dreadful HANDLE ANIMAL upon the poor little brain parasite, jamming it into his bindle for safe keeping. Now that they have a brain jacker, all that’s left to do is solve the mystery of the murdered merchants.  
 * The bois questioned Ezekiel, “Do you know who attacked your caravan?” Skimp asked. The cleric explained that a group of monstrous orcs, goliaths, and giants attacked them. What made the attack strange was that the attackers did not take anything from the caravan, all of the goods were spared. “Is that all you know?” Bongo asked. “I’m sorry, but I can’t remember anything else!” the human squealed. 
 * Bongo used Commune With Birds to asked the local feathered friends if they know anything about the attack. “Bad people!” a black myna bird squawked, “Bad man! Looked like you! Lots of blood! Killed all the good people!” the myna bird squawked at Ezekiel, “Except for him!”
 * “Well, that doesn’t help!” Skimp squirmed. “Let’s take the jacker and these supplies back to Glezdon while we think.” the rat said, wanting an excuse to see Glezdon again. The bois, with the help of Ezekiel, gathered up the merchant goods and carried them back to the Helmsman. Bongo beckoned the myna down to him, having successfully befriended him. The bird, which Bongo named Waldo, flew a few feet above the goliath and followed the bois back to the shore. Bongo pondered what Waldo told him, The bad man looked like me? Hmmm….
 * “You’re back.” Glezdon said upon seeing the bois, a smile rising to his lips. “And you’ve made a friend.” pointing to the human cleric.
 * “Sus up.” Bongo told the helmsman fimly, a deep frown upon his face. An incomprehensible, awkward silence stretched between the stone-faced goliath and the deadpan helmsman. Twenty minutes of uncomfortable silence passed by, in which no one spoke or moved the slightest inch. Bongo eventually piped up, “Well anyway, here’s the stuff from the caravan.” the bois placed the supplies in the ship, “And here’s the brain jacker we needed.” Glezdon smashed the creature into a small crate. “Ezekiel stay here.” Bongo said, boying hard.
 * The bois began to leave. “Wait!” Ezekiel wailed, “I want to help you guys!” he jumped up and down, waving his scrawny arms like a desperate Baby-Salex that wanted to play with the big kids.
 * Although the Bois aren’t happy about it, they allow the slimy little welp to tag along as they march back into the woods. Waldo the myna bird squawks, “Laura! Laura! Hurting me! Hurting me! Leo, no!” “Would you shut that stupid thing up?” Kaw snarled to Bongo, shaking his fist at the squalling bird. “Bite the bullet!” Waldo screeched before flying away towards Jacques Renaults’ cabin.
 * “So what’s the plan, bois?” Skimp asked doing the “gimme gimme” gesture. Bongo started to answer, but as he opened his mouth, he was overcome with a vision. 
 * His visual perception turned a deep red, his eyes darted to the peaks of the nearby mountains against his will. The two mountains were exactly identical to each other. A familiar voice spoke in his head. “Bongo….Come to the twin peaks, Bongo!” The voice sounded similar to his own, but deeper and gruffer. Who is this? Bongo asked in his head. “You don’t remember the voice of your only brother? It is I, Lugg.” His vision seemed to go even redder with the word, “Lugg.” Lugg!? Bongo thought, What do you want with me?!. “To the peaks, Bongo, and your true power will be revealed….” The vision ended.
 * Seeing as how Bongo was standing completely frozen, staring off at the distant mountain peaks, Kaw took this perfect opportunity and STOMPED on Thgil’s tail with his robotic leg while the wolf’s master was distracted. “Take that, you dirty mutt,” the Kaw gurgled at the enraged wolf. Thgil leapt forward, claws and teeth out, ready to tear Kaw asunder, but the crow jumped ten feet straight up into the treetops. Thgil ended up latching onto the leg of the innocent Ezekiel and began shredding his pants.
 * Bongo snapped out of the vision and saw his wolf ripping the poor boy’s pants off. “AAAAH! GET HIM OFF ME!!!!!!!” the cleric shrieked. “Thgil! Leave the poor child alone.” Bongo ordered, but too late, Ezekiel’s pants were completely on his head.
 * The-pants-on-head Ezekiel was shunned for the remainder of the adventure. 
 * “Bongo, what was that about?” Skimp asked, “You just blanked out for a second there.” 
 * “Quiet, Skimp! We’re goin’ to the peaks!” the goliath commanded, pointing at the mountains’ peaks. The Bois started putting up a fuss, “Ugh, we don’t wanna walk all the way up there! Our legs are tired!” But Bongo lifted his smacking-hand, threatening to come unglued, and the complaining pandafolk, ratfolk, “sulli,” human, and tengu immediately hushed up. Papa Bongo lowered his hand, then once again pointed at the distant twin peaks. “Let’s. Go.” the goliath said, GLARING at his disobedient children. The rest of the Bois quickly nodded their heads and began the trek up to the peaks, careful not to anger their Supreme Leader yet again. 
 * On the trek to the mountains, the bois come across some more dead merchants and other corpses strewn about the Shardstone woods. Kaw and Aigee began moseying around the corpses, trying to locate the tastiest one to consume. James conked the two troublemaking cannibals on their weak heads, then threatened to pummel them if they didn’t give her the lamb sauce she had been desperately searching for. James grabs Aigee’s bindle and spills all of its contents onto the forest floor; among various goo-covered paraphernalia is the legendary Lamb Sauce. The panda snatched up the sauce and stashed it into her bindle. Before the Gorg noticed, Skimp quickly slithered his rat hands around a couple of Gorg’s potions that had fallen out of the bindle.
 * Bongo looked around the woods, “I grew up around these parts.” he looked up northwestward, his eyes squinting from the setting sun, this direction was approximately where his home was. “Lived in a small house outside of Shardstone. It was just me, my parents― Heirigg and Theresia were their names―, Thgil, and my brother Lugg.” Bongo said.
 * “Skimp stole my potions!” Aigee whined, searching through his bindle. Skimp was snickering as he stashed Gorg’s potions into his own bindle. “Continue your story, Bongo!” Skimp said, ignoring Gorg’s accusations.
 * “Well, there’s not much to tell.” Bongo continued, “My parents were killed when I was just a lad, about twelve years old.”
 * “Who killed ‘em?” James asked, cracking her honey-dripping knuckles.
 * “You’re about to meet him. We’re here.” Bongo said as the bois arrived at the Twin Peaks.
 * Before the adventurers lies the mouth of a dark, foreboding cave. Bongo’s mind was overcome with a vision once more. "Into the cave, Bongo! I’ll show you what you and I are really capable of!" Lugg spoke briefly, then the vision ended. Bongo turned around to tell the freaks following him his plan. 
 * “I’m gonna pick your avocados, old man!” Kaw screeched at Ezekiel, “What are gonna do about it?” he asked while he stole Ezekiel’s avocados from his bindle. “Get the hell out of my bindle!” the cleric cried. James slapped the avocados out of Kaw’s hands and asked the crow, “What would prompt you to do something so stupid, sir?” Kawkrookitar shrugged and said, “Guacamole.” Clearly this tengu was barking up the wrong tree.
 * “Hey, pay attention!” Bongo scolded the blimeys, “I want you all to stay here. I’m gonna try to resolve this peacefully.” the druid pointed to the pandafolk who was giving Ezekiel his avocados back, “James, you’re in charge while I’m gone.” the monk gave an affirmatory thumbs-up. Aigee-Gorg piped up, “Why can’t I be in charge?!?!” as he jammed Skimp’s tail into his goo-mouth. The rat instinctively backed away, visibly disgusted, and shouted, “You know why, Aigee!”
 * Bongo and Thgil proceeded into the cave all alone, unaware that Skimp and Aigee were invisible and following him. James, Kaw, and Ezekiel also followed; Kaw’s robotic leg clanking loudly on the stone floor, the crow was literally not even trying to sneak he just waltzed right in without attempting to conceal his presence with all the confidence of the Big McDad when the new batch of buttermilk mctendies have just arrived. 
 * Bongo traversed through multiple levels of Lugg’s cavernous mountain fortress; horrible, demonic beasts greeted Bongo as he passed by, “Your brother is waiting up ahead.” one of the creatures hissed. Thgil growled at the monster. The wolf and goliath continued upward to the mountaintop spire. The demons followed behind Bongo, eager to see what Lugg has in store for him. Skimp and Aigee invisibly followed closely behind, not attracting anyone’s attention. The other three followed far behind. Kaw tried to slish on forward, screeching at the demons, thus ruining any potential of Bongo handling this peacefully, but luckily James grabbed the slisher by his collar and held him back. Ezekiel awkwardly asked if he could take his pants off of his head, Kaw triggeredly replied with a mighty REEEEEEEE. Kaw’s ree wasn't loud enough to be heard by Bongo, Thgil, Skimp, Aigee and the demons following them, but it did catch the attention of a few of the lesser monsters still lurking around the lower levels of the fortress. The lesser cretins attacked the three. ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!
 * Meanwhile, Bongo and Thgil (as well as invisible Skimp and Aigee) finally arrived at the main spire of the mountaintop, overlooking the vast woods surrounding Shardstone. Lugg stood at the edge of the overlook, staring off into the sunset. Bongo and Thgil approach the half-giant slowly. Bongo stands next to brother, who is significantly taller than him.
 * “If you squint enough…” Lugg spoke calmly, still looking to the vast woods, “You can almost see it.” his voice was relaxed and firm. Bongo said nothing, he looked into distance. “Our old home. Where we used to live. Squint and you can almost see the old shack among the trees… so many trees.” he took a long pause. After a moment of pure silence, he began again, “I understand any ill-will you have towards me Bongo. Last you saw of me, I was killing our parents.” Lugg finally turned to his younger brother. Bongo saw clearly, for the first time in a decade, his brother’s face. He looked just like his father, a near mirror image, with very strong, defined features.
 * “Do you know why I killed our parents, Bongo?” Lugg asked. He received no reply, only a cold, grey stare. So he continued speaking while pacing around the mountaintop, “For one, it is not just because I’m a bad person, I had a perfectly good reason. I was contacted by the god Rovagug, you see, he told me to kill them to gain his favor. The Rough Beast himself saw me worthy of receiving his favor. ‘Now why would an all-powerful god like Rovagug contact a simple goliath like myself?’ I wondered.” Lugg put a hand on Bongo’s shoulder. Bongo quickly pulled away. Thgil bared his teeth and growled at Lugg. 
 * Lugg ignored Bongo’s disdain and continued, “Bongo, you and I, and our whole family, are descendants of the mighty warrior known as Horum.”
 * Meanwhile, back at the lower level of the cavern, James, Kaw, and Ezekiel took out the lowly demons that dared challenge them. James approached the final surviving freak, fist ready to strike, “Any last words?” she asked. The monster articulated the words, “Rovagug will rise again!” before being shattered to pieces by James Hurley. Ezekiel shrieked, “Yikes! I wouldn't want to get on your bad side!” to James. Kaw chuckled, “You should have seen her in Zan Saresh! It was like a golden light show!”
 * Ezekiel stepped away, “A golden light show?! In Zan Saresh?! You wouldn't happen to be the legendary Super Panda, would you?!” he asked.
 * “As a matter of fact, I am.” the monk said simply.
 * “Amazing!” Ezekiel cheered, “I’ve heard rumors that the super panda was working for the Ishandryn Empire, but I never would have guessed they were true! I remember when it happened, last week, I was going on my morning stroll when I saw a massive pillar of light pierce into the sky off in the distance! It was incredible! I’m humbled to meet you!” Zeke bowed to James.
 * “Now’s not the time for praise. We need to keep movin’... just gotta keep moving.” James said. The three continued further into the cavern.
 * Back at the mountain’s spire, Lugg explained to his brother the tale of Horum. Horum was a powerful, devout follower of Rovagug. Rovagug considered him his right hand man. Horum possessed immeasurable amounts of power for his time, as well as a horrifying ability to transform into a disgusting demon of Rovagug. “We are his descendents, Bongo. We have the blood of Horum.” Lugg said, “Let me show you the power we wield!” he growled as he began the terrifying transformation.
 * Bongo, Thgil, Skimp, and Aigee watched in horror as the humongous half-giant contorted his face and limbs as his skin turned dark red, his hands turned to twisted claws, his face grew a crooked beak, his eyes bulged out and turned completely black.
 * “This is who we are Bongo! Join me! Join Horum! Join Rovagug!” Lugg grumbled through large, sharpened teeth.
 * Bongo drew Wound from his bindle, “Like Hell I will.” he growled. Lugg hissed angrily, “Do you really think you can stop me?!”
 * Suddenly, emerging from the cave, was one of the lowly demons, crawling desperately towards Lugg, clearly on his last leg. He reached out an arm towards the Horum demon, as he opened his mouth to speak his final words, a massive furry foot STOMPED the cretin flat. The foot of James Hurley. Like a beam of pure light, James stood at the exit of the cave, beaming up at Bongo and Lugg. Kaw and Ezekiel tarried behind James, trying to imitate her prestigious, heroic appearance. Lugg stared straight into the eyes of James Hurley, “You…! Rovagug has told me about you…. You’re the legendary Super Panda.”
 * James stared back, “Yes. Yes I am.” she announced simply. Suddenly, from pure air, Skimp and Aigee appeared, their invisibility worn off. Bongo looked around at all of his friends, “What are you all doing here? I told you to stay back!” he yelled.
 * “We didn’t want you to have all of the fun!” Kaw cackled.
 * “Can I put my pants back on my legs?” Ezekiel asked.
 * All of the bois, demons, and Lugg all screamed in unison, “NO!”
 * ROLL FOR INITIATIVE!
 * The epic battle atop the peak commences. Bongo, Thgil, Skimp, Aigee, Kaw, James, and Ezekiel vs. Lugg and his demon forces.
 * “The SUS will never cease!” Kaw hissed as he flailed his Scazzle Scythe around madly, completely missing the demons he was aiming for. 
 * Skimp snuck up behind one of the smaller demons and jammed his dagger straight into the back of its neck. The demon hollered in pain, then turned around to administer a beating on the rat, the demon whipped out a massive greataxe and swung it down at Skimp, missing him by mere millimeters.
 * James unleashed her fury and conked the demonic heads of the foes that stood in her way. One demon stared its blood red eyes into James’ and said, “Super Panda or not, I’m going to put you down for good!” as he blasted James with a weak spell. James took the blast like it was nothing, then continued the assault.
 * Aigee-Gorg flipped around like Sportaflop, evading the grabby hands of the demons, chuckling the entire time. He dropkicked one of the foes then pinned him to the ground with his Immovable Rod.
 * Ezekiel shot a deluge of holy magic into the ugly, red faces of the demons. The holy light scorched their charred skin, inciting their rage. 
 * Bongo and Thgil were focused on the main man Lugg. Lugg, in his Horum form, barred his bloody claws and slashed at his brother mercilessly. “If you really want to defeat me, you’ll have to give into the power of Horum!” the monster hissed. Thgil growled back and bit into Lugg’s leg, drawing blood. “Ack! Get off me, you mutt!” Lugg cried, his voice grave and sharp. Bongo took the opportunity and slashed his brother with Wound. He heard the sword whisper in his head “Feed me blood!”
 * “That’s it!” Lugg howled. He launched Thgil off of his leg, the wolf landed near James. “You will face me one-on-one, Bongo!” he cried as he created a massive tunnel of flames that seperated himself and Bongo from the rest of the battle. Lugg attacked his brother ceaselessly. Bongo stood no chance against this Horum demon. 
 * Suddenly another voice spoke in Bongo’s head. It wasn’t Wound or Lugg this time, it was even deeper and more vicious sounding. Give in to my power, Bongo. The voice growled.  I sense in you a potential to be more powerful than Lugg. He is a weakling compared to what you could become. Slay your brother, and become my true champion! Bongo understood that this voice was none other than Rovagug. Bongo’s breathing was quick and unsustained, he thought about all of this. Transform into the aspect of my original champion, become the demon, become Horum! Rovagug hissed.
 * Bongo made his decision, on his last leg, he began the horrifying transformation. He grew jagged teeth and claws, a crooked beak, dark red skin, and cold, black eyes. Lugg looked on passionately, “Yes!” he said, “I knew you’d come around! Together, we will rule over the mortal plane, as the champions of Rovagug!”
 * Rovagug spoke to Bongo once more, No! There can be only one champion! Kill him, Bongo! HorumBongo pulled out Wound and began attacking his brother with the same strength and fury Lugg had attacked with.
 * Meanwhile, the rest of the bois were occupied with slaying the rest of the demons. Kaw finally managed to slash open the demon attacking him with his scythe, spilling his guts. Skimp grabbed his rapier and ran it through the greataxe demon that tried to slam him. Aigee finished off the foe under his Immovable Rod by stuffing a handful of goo into the freak’s mouth, causing him to suffocate. 
 * Ezekiel was now the main target of the remaining demons, as he was the one blasting them with painful holy spells. The demons surrounded him, brandishing their weapons, cracking their knuckles, ready to obliterate this human boy. “Stay back!” Ezekiel cried, casting more holy spells. The spells succeeded in slowing them down, but failed in ultimately killing them. The demons continued getting closer, large grins on their faces. “Get away!” the cleric yelled.
 * Suddenly a majestic beam of yellow light appeared behind the approaching demons. They all turned around to see none other than the Legendary Super Panda, James Hurley, standing before them, her fist covered in honey, ready to boosh. Ezekiel’s face lit up with excitement. “Leave that lad, alone.” James bellowed. The demons hissed back and went for an attack on the panda.
 * Too slow. James was already slamming her fist into each of the demons’ faces, shattering every bone in their faces, reducing them to a pile of broken bones.
 * Back in the tunnel of fire, Bongo is thoroughly slamming his brother. Lugg, his face beaten and bloody, howled, “Damn you, Bongo! Cease this assault! Join me!” Bongo booshed Lugg’s face in with a clawed fist. Lugg fell to his knees, all vitality and stamina beaten out of him. He was now back to his goliath form. “How?! How!?” Lugg shouted furiously, “How are you so much more powerful than me!?!” Bongo used his Horum form’s burrowing ability and tunneled underground, underneath his brother. Down in the dirt, HorumBongo used Damnation to drag Lugg into the earth, further pummeling him. Bongo grabbed his brother by his collar and held him against the dirt wall. His eyes burned with a raging fire, Wound was held up to Lugg’s neck, ready to feast on his demon blood.
 * Yes! Do it, Bongo! Kill Lugg! Rovagug hissed passionately in Bongo’s mind. Lugg, helpless and beaten, whimpered with a faint, dying breath.
 * Bongo dropped his brother, lowered his sword, and reverted back to his normal, goliath form. He let out a deep, low sigh. Rovagug screamed madly in his head, NO! NO! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! DO AS I COMMAND!!! Bongo ignored the wailing idiot in his mind and offered a friendly, open palm to his brother, who was slinked down against the dirt wall. Lugg looked up at Bongo’s hand with a groggy glare. He considered for a moment, then took Bongo’s offer. Bongo lifted Lugg back to his feet. 
 * Goliath's Peace played calmly.
 * “Y-you spared me…” Lugg mumbled, “Even after all I’ve done… to our family… you still have the heart to spare me…….why?” he asked unsteadily. Bongo stared for a moment, then sighed, “Rovagug corrupted your mind. He influenced you. He made you kill them.” Lugg stepped back, then muttered, “N...no. I-I…” he trailed off.
 * “Forget about all of this,” Bongo said, “Come into the light, Lugg, back into the light.” he nodded. Lugg’s beaten face showed a pained expression, he concentrated, an orb of red light magically appeared in his right hand. Lugg glared at his younger brother and growled, “You… were a fool to spare me. This won’t be the last you see of me, or of Rovagug!” he hissed. Bongo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Lugg used the red orb to teleport away, off to who-knows-where.