The Passage of TimeThe Soulsmith sat, and waited. The dwarves above would grow complacent, and then he would strike. But that did not mean he could not enjoy himself in the interim.
His hold on Xotes' soul had not diminished with her death. It wasn't a member of the Progeny who had struck her down, and so she still belonged to him. She had proven worthless at the critical moment, but he was a merciful god, and was willing to grant her a second chance. The horrible torture was just a means to an end.
Above, the stress of the battle had weakened fragile minds. Families mourned their dead, and killers mourned the victims they had once called friends, or at least fellow citizens.
It made minds easy to influence, and break.
In plain view of everybody, Vugor snapped, striking down Fireheart and the Colonel in a berserk rage before being shot to death by Peekama, a relatively recent arrival at the fortress.
The bath-house turned bloody when Onol Claspbreeds, legendary hammerdwarf went mad, and crushed the unsuspecting Nagash II in a single bloody strike. She waited there, waiting for justice or her next victim. She wasn't picky.
Not all of his minions had died, either. One remained alive, and crept into the fortress quietly, murdering dwarves left and right when he was discovered.
He had struck down Katsuun and Rhynac before meeting with Thingymaster in fair battle. Unfortunately, his skill in battle allowed him to distract the creature for long enough to have reinforcements arrive.
The distraction, however, allowed for more victims to be claimed by the bath house butcher, Athel the Guard, and Monom Lerommeng, one of the few remaining children of the last Baron.
But better than that, he had broken Nok.
Cracking after the loss of too many children to the monsters, Nok had hurled her baby across the food stockpile, and had gone on a rampage. Mostly people had fled successfully, except for Zon the leatherworker.
She fled through the fortress, chased by Alath and Captain Ironblood, slowly being hacked to pieces as she struggled, her child bleeding out nearby.
Oh, but it grew better. The Fortress guard slowly maddened under his grip, and the next killer was Libash the Guard, murdering one of the daughters of Kodor Ironblood, thus extinguishing another potential line of the Progeny.
And it had happened within shouting distance of his brother. How could Kodor ever forgive his brother that? The Soulsmith delighted in the ruin of their family.
Wild Goose drowned himself as he opened the gates on the bath-house, emptying the pool in a flood that filled his lungs. Unfortunately no harm was done apart from causing greater confusion to those battling the insane Bath House Butcher upstairs.
Adalore and Vanon arrived, chasing the Butcher to her hiding hole, where she launched ambush, mangling Adalore's leg and dashing off into the fortress.
Starhammer locked her crossbow, giving chase down the stairwell. The Butcher had cunningly hidden herself until Starhammer entered range, and had, ironically, smashed her into a mangled corpse with her steel warhammer.
Nosey, Royal Guardsman and surviving husband to Nok, found himself locked in battle with Libash in the storage room. Libash had crushed his body at least. After all the death in the family, Nosey's spirit was already well and truly gone.
Captain Ironblood gave chase, and Libash fled up the stairs, finding himself in a room with Duncan the Tax Collector and Melica Ironblood, who screamed and ran, clutching her infant.
Libash was in hot pursuit, a look of delighted madness on his face. Captain Ironblood slowly closed the gap as Libash closed the gap on Melica.
Stopping unexpectedly, he whirled on the Captain, striking him in the back as he passed, sending him sprawling and winding him. He brought down his hammer again, breaking the Captain's arm, and then the other. It seemed Ironblood had no chance! There was no help in sight, no help that could possibly reach him. There was nothing he could do!
A blow across the face knocked the Captain unconscious. This was it! This HATED dwarf was about to die.
The Soulsmith broke into a chuckle, and then into laughter. The Fortress would crumble without this dwarf! There would be no stopping him, then!
And the best part was, even though the Captain would awaken again, there were no choices he could take that would...
He stopped. When had Ironblood slept last?! WHEN!?
"NO!!!!!!" he roared, as the fatal blow was struck. When had Ironblood last slept?!
Author
Topic: Nist Akath - The Complete Story (Read 603415 times)