The Treaty of Bulls

by Bob the Pariah

Malgaat shifted uneasily in her sleep. A growl of pain
escaped her, sounding like malignant thunder, and her lips
curled away from fangs larger than grown men.

Malgaat did not wake, though. Her sleep was restless, and
filled with pain, but little rouses her from it.

It was not always like this.

Malgaat and Her Children

Malgaat, the Mother of Bull and Ox, born from nothingness
in the days when the Primordials still ruled Creation, is
not what she once was.

Her beautiful children, so wonderful that their names are
synonymous with masculinity and strength, are not what
they once were.

In the days of the Primordials’ rule, the bulls and oxen
were greatly feared.

They were as fast as wolves, and as strong as bears.
Their mouths were filled with fangs, and their powerful
legs were bent like cat’s, and ended in claws able to
easily rend stone.

Bulls and oxen enjoyed the taste of human flesh, and
partook of it often. They hunted in packs, and in
humanity’s early days, there was little human’s could do
other than scream and die.

During the Primordial War, Malgaat, and her children,
fought against the Exalted and the human stock they were
elevated from. This was not because of any love Malgaat
had for the Primordials, but because of the shear joy her
and her children found in the slaughter of the two legged
beasts.

Even after the Primordial War, the bulls and oxen, and
their mother, continued to terrorize humanity. The bulls
and oxen were as feared as most demons, and humans began
to worship Malgaat in hopes of appeasing her and her
children.

Humanity; however, was now better able to handle this
threat. Lead by the Exalted, civilizations grew in
numbers, and weapons were forged capable of killing the
beasts. Soon, entire packs bulls and oxen were being
slaughtered by humans, while thousands of bulls and oxen
were being killed by the Exalts.

While Malgaat’s children were being threatened with
extinction, Malgaat herself was forced into the Wyld by
Exalted far more powerful than herself.

Therefore, when Voice of Law, a Solar of Eclipse Caste,
went before Malgaat into the Wyld, and offered a treaty,
she accepted.

Malgaat, unlike most behemoths, has some intelligence, and
she realized that without Voice of Law’s treaty, she would
die, and all of her children along with her.

Voice of Law cast a Solar Circle spell that bound all
bulls and oxen to Malgaat, and then he bound Malgaat to an
oath.

Voice of Law demanded that Malgaat could not eat meat, and
must eat only the most base of plants. Malgaat agreed and
the fangs of the bulls and oxen feel from their mouths.

Voice of Law demanded that Malgaat lose her cunning
hunter’s instincts. Malgaat agreed and the bulls and oxen
were not longer a pack, but a heard.

Then, Voice of Law achieved a certain level of revenge on
behalf of humanity. He demanded that Malgaat serve
humanity as her servants. Malgaat had no choice, and was
forced to agree. Thus, the bulls and oxen had their great
and powerful claws replaced by hooves, and their limbs
straightened like a horse’s, and they could be broken to
the yoke.

Finally, Voice of Law demanded that Malgaat’s womb become
barren as a broken field. Tearfully, she agreed, and the
first females were born among the bulls and oxen.

Although her children did, Malgaat never served humanity.

She broke her oath, not just refusing to serve humanity,
but also continuing to eat the flesh of humans. However,
the flesh of humans is now a horribly poison to her, and
she spends almost all of her time in a painful, restless
sleep, dreaming of a time when her children were free and
powerful and vicious.

Malgaat did what she did to save herself, and more
importantly, her children. Given the choice; however, she
would not do it again. Malgaat’s heart is the size of a
large house, and it is filled with shame for what she and
her children are.