I wasn't quite sure where this should go, since the 'stories' forum seems more dedicated to full fortress tales rather than random tidbits such as this. Anyway, this is a little tale from my otherwise rather boring and tame, if well-named, fort of Slaughtermuffin, where the only other really exciting thing that happened was an accident involving the fort's aqueduct and an accidental 'built ramp' order.
Dwarves and other Dwarves, I present for your amusement and edification, the tale of the Hunting of the Bat, as rendered by Urist McBard.
Listen well, my friends, for here is recorded the tale of Ginodedos the Bat, a fell creature spawned from the very heights of heaven, whose fangs glisten like the sun and who flies to the very heights of depravity. Granted by the high powers with size and strength far beyond that of its winged-rat cousins, Ginonedos fell upon the fortress of Slaughtermuffin in the year of 205 in the month of Timber.
On the first day of that month, it fell upon a dwarven hunter seeking his prey in the woods and tore him limb from limb, scattering his body across the woods. The dwarfs faithful hound, seeing his master dead, hurled itself at the beast but was no match, suffering himself the same fate as his master, for despite the courage and strength of the hound, it was no match for the fell bat, failing to inflict a single wound on it.
On hearing the hunters cries, the soldiery of the Slaughtermuffin issued forth in great numbers, their horror at the sight of the scene which lay before them, both hunter and faithful hound dead and scattered about the clearing, matched only by their rage at the beast which was even now making good its escape.
Trackers were dispatched to follow Ginodedos' movements while a plan was devised. It was quickly determined that, as the creature could fly, only the crossbowmen would pursue it, the remaining soldiers were to return to the fortress and keep safe the rest from the kin of the bat and, of course, the Goblin raiders which frequented the area.
The atmosphere at Slaughtermuffin was tense in those days, for Goblins, having heard of the great wealth of that fortress, were coming more and more often to plunder its wealth, although they recieved only the wealth of crossbow bolts and axe blades. The surprising assault of nature in the form of Ginonedos caused a great stir and discontent amoung the populace, and it was clear that the bat's actions could not go unavenged.
The squad of five who were dispatched to follow the beast, called, by some strange tradition, 'the warm keys,' set out in pursuit. Led by the Dwarf known as 'Fun Sized Urist,' a reference, according to that famed Dwarf, to the prodigeous size of his beard. Also present in the squad were the Dwarves Gigantic Urist, Nano Urist, Smaller than Big Urist Urist, and Bigger than Little Urist Urist, it having long been a tradition that every soldier of Slaughtermuffin take the name of Urist, and thenceforth be differentiated only by size.
Daring the light of the sun, so great was their rage and desire to avenge their comrade, the squad set forth on its hunt, following the signs and signals of the trackers they soon spotted the beast as it flew through the sky, a great black blot on the blue sky of the day.
Holding back their desire for revenge, the squad held its fire until the bat swooped down, spotting some other prey, at which point they unleashed a flurry of bolts, missing the agile creature, but frightening it so that it fled across the hills outside of the fortress.
Setting after it with great speed, it seemed clear that the creature was suffering some confusion of the mind, for it hung low to the ground, not rising but a few feet above it. Not realizing the ambush set by their craven foe, the brave crossbowdwarves followed.
In that moment the trap of Ginodedos was sprung, a fellow creature dove down from on high and set upon the squad, although it was quickly driven off with bolts. Ambush foiled, the cowardly creatures fled together.
So they were pursued for two days, across hill and through forest, until at last a chance bolt struck the foul Ginodedos in its midsection, causing it to fall to earth, stunned with pain, if indeed the beast was capable of such a sensation. The brave Dwarves, sensing victory, approached, Nano Urist, the smallest and most agile of the squad, pulling forward and leaping upon the beast with naught but his crossbow as a weapon.
Alas, the beast regained its bearings as the courageous Dwarf lept and with its great fangs rent his leg from its socket and bit deeply into his side, mortally wounding him. It was over in moments as his lifeblood slipped from his body, soaking the ground.
Covered in the gore of its kill, Ginodedos let forth a fell cry as Fun Sized Urist entered the clearing and answered with one of his own at the sight of his dead comrade. His bolt went wild and the chase began again.
Only at evening, as the sun crept towards the horizon, did luck once again strike. A bolt perchance struck the damned bat in the chest, knocking it from the sky and sending it plumetting to the cold embrace of the stone. Cautious from the beasts last feigned unconciousness, the squad hung back this time and filled the foul bat with bolts from afar.
It was the end of Ginodedos.
Both the hunter and his dog were given funerals with great honor, the brave hound buried in a tomb next to his master, while Nano Urist was given high honors and entombed in Slaughtermuffin's military catacombs in a place of honor.
The corpse of the beast was recovered and its skull taken, to be made into a totem, its bones given to the carvers and made into bolts for the hunters. Its flesh was left to rot in the glaring light of the sun, a fate which only such creatures deserve.
To this day, the Dwarves of Slaughtermuffin retain a great hatred of all manner of bats and many of the foul creatures were killed in the events after the Hunting of the Bat, enough that the region was soon depopulated of their kind. The halls of Slaughtermuffin are decorated with images of the hunter and his dog, the brave dwarves of the Warm Keys, and the terrible beast they wove this tale with.
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Topic: The Hunting of the Bat (Read 1260 times)