The fortress was empty. Or, at least the hallways and main work and living areas were. By now the fortress's remaining population was probably holed up in the panic room, pulling their panties out of their asses.
He wandered the hall towards the dining hall and the food stockpile, hoping to grab an unguarded snack. Then he saw him.
HIM.
His eyes narrowed into tiny slits, and his voice lowered to a slow, cursing, and accusatory tone.
"................this is the second time that the big and scaly things outside have caused trouble.........and once again, I find you in the middle............"
He smiled wickedly, and viciously. It was practically a snarl.
"I've got some new tricks this time, imp...... you have 10 seconds to start explaining why you are here. Last I heard, you were a 'guest' of those foul breathed oafs, now start talking... or so help me, I'll make an exception on my ethical practices writ large with your bloated and malformed corpse."
"He's with us lad!" Shouted a dwarf he had failed to notice. "We done heard 'bout ye and he havin a blood fued, but now aina th'e time!"
Weird turned to the dwarf, cold eyes like those found only in the vampiric undead focusing on him.
"Talk."
The dwarf looked at one of his companions with a bewildered look. "Is he always lik' dat?" The other dwarf shrugged. "Dunno. Creepy bloke's always cooped up by 'imself. Always right sour too."
His left eye twitched in his characteristic nervous twitch of surpressed rage.
The kobold in the business suit deftly reached a hand inside his vest.
"This creepy bloke hasn't slept in two days, because certain stupid blokes keep raining death and destruction from the skies." He intoned sourly.
"Not our fault mate!" Said the now sheet white dwarves, reaching behind them for broken off chair legs. "Its that bloody plainswalker's whatshisface, what with all his dirty dealin and cheatin and whathavya."
"So..........the imp is not involved?...."
"Naye mate. Just that dragon flappin feller."
The twitching of the left eye stopped, and the marble crisp features of repressed violence eased off his fascade.
The silence lasted several seconds before he answered.
"Good." He straightened, stern displeasure still dripping off his tone. "Where is Eric?"
"He's douwn sta'rs whit' all t'e women and chil'en." Mocked one of the motley group. "Too chick'n shit te' come an' play whit' us big boys!"
The anger broke. That was damn funny, and he laughed. Corai's hand slipped out of his jacket.
"Ok, so what's in the dining hall that needs 5 armed dwarves and a psychopathic, kleptomaniac, troublemaking imp to guard it?" He asked jovially.
Corai looked dour. "I missed you too, JOYKILL." He mocked, in his shrill, squeeky voice.
Weird simply smiled knowingly at him.... oh.... the things he could do to that little shit now.... oh....