[RamsHead]

The taskmaster cracked his whip at a slow moving slave.

"Work faster," he barked. Another taskmaster came up to him and started talking in a quiet whisper.

"So have you figured out why we are digging this hole?" One of the slaves overheard this and threw the taskmaster a nasty look. "Get back to work," he yelled, cracking his whip.

"No, not yet," replied the other taskmaster as the slave walked away. "I think that Sissassuss has lost his mind. I can’t believe that he replaced the C’tissian police with those pale riders."

"Well, at least the riots are down. A fact I am surprised by. I thought that after the public found out about Ama’lishia’s death, chaos would reign."

"I heard that all they found left of him were some ashes."

"Well, I heard that he was eliminated, because he was trying to build a resistance against Sissassuss."

"All I know is that it was a major loss. He was the only one in the Conclave who was ever against taking independent territories."

"Too bad there are not more peaceful Sauromancers like him."

"Quit fraternizing!" The two taskmasters quickly turned around and looked up to see Namchadnessar standing at the edge of the hole, glaring down at them. They immediately separated, walking in two different directions on the scaffolding. "I hate taskmasters. They’ve no sense of honor," he muttered to himself. Namchadnessar glanced at the sky. It was another hot and humid day, just the way he liked it. His gilded armor gleamed in the sunlight. His armor was a matter of pride to him. Namchadnessar had spent most his life climbing through the ranks. As a lizard lord, he was well known, but it was when he led the C’tissian army to victory after victory against the wild independent forces, that he became a hero. Unlike most commanders, Namchadnessar preferred fighting on the front lines alongside his troops. Such actions were impossible after he got stuck with a spear in his leg. He had a limp ever since then. Slowly, his heroic deeds got outclassed by more powerful beings, but he is still a hero to C’tis.

Namchadnessar looked down into the hole. It was large and deep. There was scaffolding everywhere. The predator lizardmen chipped away at rock with pickaxes. Taskmasters made certain that everything kept moving smoothly. This was the first day he actually saw the hole. Normally Ama’ushumgalanna would oversee the project, but Namchadnessar needed some air, and Ama, as Sissassuss would refer to him, looked like he could use a break. He suspected that Ama was behind his brother’s death, but that was a matter Namchadnessar would prefer to not talk about.

Namchadnessar saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned around and saw Sissassuss approaching him.

"Greetingsss Namchadnessssar. Where isss Ama?"

"I relieved him of his duties for today. It looked like he could use a rest. Should I go get him?"

"No, I jussst need you to get everyone out of the hole."

"Why? Are you not satisfied with the progress?"

"The progressss isss acssseptable, but it isss time for me to finish the job."

"Very well." Namchadnessar alerted some of the taskmasters to get the slaves out of the hole, and returned to Sissassuss’s side. "Is there anything else you want?"

"Return to the sssity with the diggersss. I wish to be alone."

"Very well."