The stink was overpowering. I saw Obok frown as we entered the darkened halls. There were still longburning torches set, a marvel of dwarven engineering in itself, but many of them were destroyed. Personal effects were strewn across the stone floor, torn clothing and blood stains in every direction. I noticed a curious streak of black, and advanced slowly towards it. Leaning down, I registered that it wasn't black stone, but charred stone.
There was a horrible shreik form the south. Obok and I were immediately in form, slightly crouched with shields held out front, axes at the ready. We stared silently into the far hall, waiting for whatever had made the noise. The only sound now was our breathing, heavy and loud in the gloom.
''What was that, Rigoth?'' Obok whispered.
I eyed the corridor, melted around the edges, as if by some sort of acid, "I don't think I want to know, me friend..'' Obok gave an agreeing nod.
Another shriek, this time form the north. In unison, Obok and I turned, rolling our shield over our shoulder and readying instantly, as we were trained to do. There was an odd click and a heavy thump, then silence. I could feel the sweat forming on my brow.
''I don't want to be here any longer, Rigo-'' a scream from outside sounded. Obok glanced at me, his face a mask of concern, and we ran. Our booted feet thudded against worked stone as he ran down the hall and to the outside. The sun momentarily blinded us but cleared instantly, and what we saw was horror. Tosid and his brother, Endok, were torn apart. Tosid's axe lay on the ground, broken in half. Momuz, the miner, lay slumped against a stone wall, breathing but dying, his pick embedded in his chest. He looked up weakly, and shook his head in reignation before closing his eyes, his chest halting it's slow heave. Goden the mason, and Edem, were atop the wagon, dodging the blows of two.. things.
The first was a gigantic eyeless dimetrodon. It's gaunt appearance was further horrified by the four long, spiralling hornes protruding form it's head. It was greenish yellow, and seemed to secret a sickly poison. The second seemed a huge lizard, with thick black hair covering it where it's scaley skin did not. Two long antennae topped it's head, and fire leaked form it's jaws as it swiped at Goden, it's claws ripping his chest open and spilling his insides. Edem saw us, and scrambled over the wagon.
''Help me, Rigoth!'' he yelled, and stumbled towards us.
Obok and I are trained soldiers, but in the face of such horrors, we hesitated. A cold fear gripped us, and for a moment we could not react, and it was a moment Edem did not have. The dimetrodon, moving impossibly fast, leapt from the wagon and came down atop Edem. It's horns gored into his back, spilling the farmer's blood onto the ground in gallons it seemed. The sickly poison dripped onto the still-living dwarf's form, searing the flesh and rotting it before our eyes.
''Rigoth..'' Obok said, and took half a step back.
''Run!'' I yelled, and Obok and I both turned and bolted. We werent far from the entrance, but the demons were very fast. I heard the one breath it's fire and the dimetrodon stomping towards us. We'd barely made it to the door when it reached Obok. It's horns sheared into the stone as it lunged forwards and down with it's head, like it has done to Edem outside. My boots slid on the stone as I stopped, but as I said before, Obok and I were trained soldiers. He tucked and rolled, copper breastplate sparking as it ground against the stone. He turned in the same movement, bringing his left arm up with his shield, slamming it into the downward swipe of the beasts claws. His axe came neck, striking the creature across it's scaley face but doing no real damage. He glanced back to me.
''Rigoth, run! We can't both outrun it, but one of us can!'' Obok growled. It was the most heroic thing I'd heard anyone say. Every fiber of my dwarven being screamed at me to grab my axe and join the fray, but it was not what Obok wanted. I nodded and turned north, sprinting away.
''Come on, ye elf kissin sissy! Is that all ye got, or ye been holdin' out on me, sweetheart?'' Obok hollered, laughing as the creature struck again with it's horns, only to receive a nasty shield slam for it's trouble.
I ran past several shops, smelting furnaces and a metalsmith's forge, but it went by ina blur. I reached the northern hallway and was out of sight by the time I heard a horrible crunch of ripping metal, and the triumphant roar of the lizard beast. A moment later a brightening of fire, and silence. I shut my eyes and prays for Obok, but prayed harder for myself. I was lost in a demon filled fort, and all alone.
[This is pretty much a dramatization of what just happened with my rembark, by the way.]
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