[I dont plan on reclaiming it, either]
*This tome is highly damaged, covered in century-old blood, and has what seems like a sword-hole through it's middle.*
(We've begun recording here because most of the book is of no historical significance or too hard to read)
He saved me from death. I was nothing but a poor drunk in Decapkulur. "Uthra Twlightwails," is what he approached me saying "Swordsman by choice, and looking for a companion. Have you any cartography skills, friend?"
"Yes!" I replied, happy, mostly because this was the first time anyone has talked to me as if I were another human and not a stinking horse. I wasnt lying to him, because my grandfather was once a map-maker in the capital. I learned alot from him.
"Are you willing to face death, beasts, and Megabeasts in a search for glory and wealth?" I thought he was kidding, but the straight face he had told me he was on a madman's journey.
"Hey, it's better than being here, let's start immediately!"
He went and talked to our mayor, in search of a task to complete. We were told to kill a Minotaur that has presumably wiped out an entire Kobold camp, and kept all the goods. Uthra and I went around asking locals for directions to the cave, and where any local hot-spots of grime were. We learned of a cave or three, and a few ruins. We left the next morning, going the direction a local had said to go.
It was only a 3 hour or so jog to the site. When we had reached the area, we saw kobold and monster corpses scattered about, in a very gruesome manner. I was barely able to keep myself from succumbing ti illness right there. Uthra kept his head though, and pointed out that the carnage led in a general direction. I nodded and followed him. We met a few kobolds along the path, but they were all long into madness, and attacked us with no fear of death. Uthra dispatched of them quickly. We killed many children in such a short time, I cant help but feel guilt.
We found a large hole in the ground, about 20 feet deep, lined with slopes. This had to be the cave, no beast could make this, only a kobold. Without a second thought, Uthra ran in, and I followed him closely, for fear that a spider may eat me alive if I stray too far. We found a large huddle of antmen and ratmen, they all seemed terrified, but without a pause, they charged us, as if pushed by some daemonic force.
An hour or so later, we had dealt with all the monsters, without finding the Minotaur, when a large, soul shattering bellow came from deep within the darkness. "I AM NESHAST APESSLING! PREPARE TO DIE!" Uthra replied with "I WILL BE THE ONE RIPPING YOUR GUTS FROM YOU THIS EVENING, BEAST!" Uthra charged at the voice's source.
A terrible fight ensued. I jumped onto his back and began trying to claw his eye's out, while all the monster did was focus on Uthra. He crushed his right arm and near-severed his left with a horn. But Uthra stood defiant! He took one large swing at his leg, and took it clean off! It released a deafening scream, filled with pain and anger, and with this, Uthra jumped back, ran at the beast, and took a strong swing at it's midsection, cutting it in half! I was utterly amazed, we had defeated a Minotaur! I knew that from now on, Uthra was the man I would follow, to hell and back if need be.
"Well, that about clears this up. Let's get out of here before the spiders come and try to eat these corpses. We do not want to be here if they come." I nodded and followed him out of the cave.
We reached the town the next day, slowed down by Uthra's wounds, which I had took the initiative to patch up. Uthra entered the city, with townspeople gawking at him as if he has just falled from the sky. People asked me if we really did kill the monster. I had a good time at the tavern that night, I got to regale the story to all the people who thought I would never become anything. uthra went to the mayor's quarters and discussed his reward and another task. Out reward this time was a rank, a Title, if need be. We are champions. Second to noone. It felt good. Uthra came back and told me we are setting out tonight. I didnt ask why we were leaving so quickly.
The next day, "Thine, we are tasked to kill a Cyclops. He resides in another Kobold cave, but this time, the Kobolds and him and friendly with eachother. This will be a very dangerous mission." He looked me in the eyes for a while, almost challenging me.
"Are you asking me if I would leave you because of danger?" Who the hell did he think HE was? Assuming that I am a coward who runs away from danger!
"It's good to be sure when a soldier is loyal to even death."
"Well I am! Why would you even ask me such a thing!" Uthra looked down.
"We need more soldiers. Me and you are not enough to complete this." I nodded, and pointed to a large city on the map, it was a good 40 miles southwest, but there was bound to be some grissled veteran looking for some more action before his age manage to beat him to submission, or a mercenary looking for some coin.
"Alright, let's go then. Watch out for wolves."
We reached the city, it was a large port town, filled with sailors and drunken comedians who were out of a job. I stayed in the tavern most of the day while Uthra went out to hire some manpower. I made a few friends in the tavern, and alot of people were interested in hearing of me and Uthra's deeds so far. Heroes are far and few between in these times. Uthra returned in a few hours with two Macemen and Axemen. They seemed like competent men. We set out that evening in search of the cave.
The desert ran red with blood this morning. We found the cave with relative ease, but tens, possibly hundreds, of kobolds mingled outside the cave in relative peace and comfort. Then we arrived. It was a massacre, five armed, armored, and trained soldiers again a horde of children and women. Nevertheless, we had defeated them, I guess. I just cant feel joy after committing such an act. We entered the cave and found nothing for a while, *bloodstains cover this book, and the writing stops, it is assumed that the writer had died in the next encounter*
"THINE!" Yelled Uthra, when he saw the Bat behind Thine, but it was too late, the bat latched onto Thine's body, and in one swift jerk, tore him in half. There was atleast 10 of them, and countless naked mole dogs, moles, and rats. Thine didnt care, it was only one he was going to kill. The mercenaries were holding the beasts from killing them, but it seemed that numbers would overcome skill.
A rat bit Uthra's left hand, and badly wounded it, causing him to drop the sword. Uthra let go of his shield, grabbed the rat's head, and tore his eyes from it's sockets. The beast then died after he punched it, causing the body to explode. He focused his attention back on the Bat. He WAS going to kill it. Monsters continued to fight him, and he beat them away. It seemed he would never get out of this cave alive, let alone kill the monster that had slain his friend.
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This is his general situation. Unconsciousness infront of these monsters is entirely possible at this point.
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Uthra felt the pain from his wounds, it was unbelievable to handle, but he did. It was the lust for revenge that drove him this far, and he would keep to it, to death, if need be.
The naked mole dog stopped following the bat, and turned to Uthra. It had a gleam in it's eye, as if he were a free meal, and it charged, Uthra didnt even try to dodge, he just held his sword in one hand, pointing it at the dog. It dodged the top of the sword, and bit him in the left leg, but it was completely open to attack. Uthra Pointed his sword down at the Dog's head, and thrust. The neck, along with the entire head, was cut off. He turned his attention back to the fleeing Bat. It was his now. He picked up the head, and threw it at the bat, battering it's leg. It was stunned long enough for Uthra to get within attack range. The bat latched onto his left arm, and mangled the shoulder. The sword dropped. Uthra felt more pain, but grabbed the sword and threw it at the bat. It hit him in the upper body, mangling the lungs and heart. But it continued to rip at his shoulder, with the determination of a demon, Uthra had no choice, he had the strangle it to death.
He put a lock on the bat's head with his left elbow, and squeezed, harder and harder until the bat finally passed out. Uthra punched it a few times, the Bat finally died. He had won, but at what cost? His arm was spurting blood, with no stop in sight. He felt death coming, until one of his mercenaries found him in the secluded tunnel.
"He's in here! Help me get him out!" Three of the soldiers carried him out of the cave, and back to town. Uthra was in a deep sleep for almost a month while he healed.
To be continued.
Edit: Whoops, a little redundancy I missed.
[ January 28, 2008: Message edited by: Torak ]
[ February 03, 2008: Message edited by: Torak ]