Bump. *growls* This was three spots away from being on the second page. Wake up, people.
On that note, a short story.
It was late autumn... The humans had finally left, everyone was celebrating in the mead hall, drinkin booze and whatnot. Me, I was laying on my bed. I'd been having some terrible stomach troubles of late. Wasn't sure what it was about, and I didn't dare stop by the hospital for a diagnosis. Didn't want to lose my legs or something, see. I did actually stop by Count Splint's office and ask him if he thought I was all right. He'd been in the army once, he'd be sure to have seen his share of odd wounds and diseases. But no, he and that girl Rose of his (I think they're dating, but I ain't sure) told me I'd better shape up and shaddap, or they'd knock me into next week. Wasn't a hard decision for me - I've no desire to lose a week.
I actually kind of wish I'd pushed the matter... But I didn't. Instead, I went and got my gal and took her to the Dining Hall. We got good and drunk, danced on the tables some - it was wonderful. The wine worked wonders. We'd stolen a lot from the elves earlier that year, and we'd bought plenty when the caravans'd come through. I was actually pretty pleased by it all. My best friend, Brass, and I, went and got ourselves into a mite of trouble by taunting Draignean with a few well-placed "salutes" - Fischer didn't appreciate our roughhousing and told us to get lost. We ran off laughing wildly at our narrow escape.
It was an incredible day, for any dwarf. Spent it drinkin, roughing around with my best friends... My little Sassy girl (she liked it when I called her that) even surprised me in my bedroom later that night... And that's all I'll say on that. mmm, mmm...
But that was a while back. Few weeks, actually, I suppose. Anyhow... A few days back (I guess it was a few days) I was doing drills with Colonel Fischer... Intimidating gal, let me tell ya. Only girl I've ever seen who's sent a shiver down my spine and stood my hair on end. Looking at her's like sitting on ice - it chills you to the bone. We were in the new alleyway, or entrance, or whatnot, that Splint built. I don't see why we needed a new way in and out - the whole fortress is full of holes already. Still... Can't be denied his is the best looking one of the bunch. Though... floor on it's rough as an unsmoothed cave. I would've preferred tiles - less to catch your feet on. Really, the whole thing's just piled together with a lot of unshaped stones. A "rough road" he calls it. Well. Back where I come from, we call it soilless terrain. Hardly a road at all. Then again, I do hail from the mountainhome. So. I guess that could be part of it.
My stomach had been acting worse. I'd had a bit of a fever of late, but I ignored it like any Spearbreakers infantry. I'd fought the dead, for Armok's sake - what was a little heat in my forehead gonna do, right? Only thing was... I hadn't believed the tales... not one bit... the old stories they told around the hearth fire I'd laughed at. I'd went at looked at the two of them in their cages and mocked them as outlandish beasts. Freaks of nature. No... they weren't freaks of nature at all.
It started when I was patrolling the depot. I felt like something was trying to tear me in two... That's when I about figured out that something was wrong. I mean bad wrong. No joke. I dropped my pike and ran for the hospital. I heard Fischer behind me, yelling to fall back in line. I didn't obey. Fischer, the terror of the fort, meaner than the demons of hell on their slade thrones, and I disobeyed. I knew what was going on... It was only then that I knew, but somehow I had hope. If the docs couldn't fix me up, maybe they could at least misdiagnose me and rip my heart out or something. I had a few hours left, right?
Thing was... I didn't. Right outside the hospital, I started to change. I lost all control of my muscles, standing there screeching in horrible, horrible, unbearable agony as the fires of hell scorched my body, shriveling my skin. I watched helplessly in horrified terror as my arms stretched, ripping the skin from the flesh and skewing it across my bones - the bones in my fingers ripping past the nails and wrenching them off as they grew, changing into hideous obsidian claws. But Sankis, ol boy, he hadn't had enough... my ribcage itself split open as if on hinges, and my skin split right down my middle... I felt my neck ripping itself open, my chest... thousands of teeth grew painfully, almost instantly around my gaping wound as my blood and guts gushed and dribbled onto the floor, my lungs, my heart, my liver, everything enveloped in the cleansing fires of Hell until all that was left was a charred beast... a charred beast that was me. And I was stronger for it.
But I had no control.
I couldn't stop myself as I picked up that little girl and threw her down the hall. I tried to scream for her to run away, but my mind had no control. Willpower was useless. I couldn't stop myself as I ripped into a passing slothbear with my claws, before throwing my chest against it and gnashing, ripping at it with my teeth. It wasn't bloodthirsty joy I felt, but regret - remorse - sorrow. I had no voice... but I needed to scream. I needed to scream for someone to kill me. Anyone. I didn't care how inglorious a death I received. The devil had my soul, and I hadn't even sold it to him - he'd stolen it out from under me. As my evil, wretched limbs finished off the poor slothbear, I watched through dead eyes as I turned towards my next victim - a dwarf foolishly running towards me. I wondered hopelessly if it would ever end.
Wham.
An iron bolt flew through my back - what used to be mine - exiting through the open chestmaw on my front... my body turned, and I saw a dwarf standing behind me, legs firmly planted on the ground, wielding a Holistic Spawn bone crossbow. A fire was in his eye, yet at the same time, a matchless pity that I gratefully welcomed with tears that never fell.
I felt my obsidian heart shatter, felt the magma within it spilling over row upon row of evil, deadly teeth... melting them. I was going to die. I wanted to thank the dwarf - I knew him: Brass. I wanted to thank him for ending me, for ending that gods-awful nightmare... I watched him as I fell, blackness slowly encroaching on my vision. I saw him nod in respect; saw a manly tear on his cheek. And then everything faded... and here I am now, a ghostly wanderer, waiting with the others in line for Asphodel.
I just hope he takes good care of my Sassy for me. I miss that girl. If you ever see her... Tell her Gorefast sends his love.
Tell her I'm sorry.
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2279930 times)