Is it better to be lead by idiots or leading them? This is the question I had on my mind as I was being carried in a makeshift throne towards the beast of legend. Morley was behind me giving me encouragement as I went (encouragement in this case meaning not being a pessimistic jerk). The shorties had apparently been apeasing the beast with sacrifices and now that they had found a "champion" wanted me to take care of it. Honestly tribal socities are really scary in how they rely on superstition, what if the beast got tired of just eating sacrifices and came for the rest of the village? Pray to incompetent gods? (I mean at least with me as their champion they had a real living god) If you ever find yourself praying to a god for assistance, well I don't want to tell you you're screwed, but you're totally screwed.
It occured to me as I was being lead to their altar that I could just be a really large sacrifice to this ungodly beast they feared, but by the the time that crossed my mind it was too late to actually turn back. The altar was a simple stone affair set on a raised platform in a clearing, there were trees about twenty feet back from the altar (I don't think the shorties built it as their huts were all bone and simple animal hide, I don't think they were secretly big stoneworkers). The last sacrifice's blood still stained the altar. The shorties lowered the chair and pointed toward the altar, I moved toward and stood upon it, trying to see what they wanted me to kill, it didn't surprise me when I turned around all but Morley were gone.
"Ran away did they?"
"Of course, they want you to kill their problem, they don't want to help you Trezlan."
"Well at least that means I can use fire without worry." Not that I ever worried, I mean if worst came to worst in the village I would have just murdered all of them. Ok so I'm not the nicest guy, I'll admit this.
"You mean you'll use fire more openly? Not that the blade thing wasn't an interesting display of your limited ability."
"That was almost a compliment Morley, I'm touched."
"In the head yes." I waved him off and continued standing on the altar. Nothing, I thought to myself that perhaps the beast of legend was tired or full from the last sacrifice. A small lizard like creature emerged and came waddling toward the altar. It was no taller than my knee and walked upright with two stubby little arms out front. It made a weird squawking noise and came at me. I looked at Morley and shrugged, and then killed the little lizard creature with a quick stab.
"That was it? That was the big evil thing? I mean honestly the spider was more imposing." Anytime you say something that stupid, yeah fate has a way of kicking you in the balls (I believe I've commented on this in the past). "I can not believe that they had a huge spider with stone legs and evil venomous fangs, and this little lizard creature was the problem! That's ridiculous beyond ridiculous."
"Trezlan."
"What Morley? Here to tell me you have another task that requires my help? You know I'm done with this, whatever debt I owed you consider it paid, I want to go back to a city, something with a warm bath and no damn slimy creatures, I'm done hunting monsters!" At this point I got snatched up in the air. Never ever turn your back to make a rant, make sure to rant in all directions (a trip from your friendly neighborhood Trezlan). The real creature that was bothering the shorties was some form of giant (that had snuck up on me despite being huge, its not really my fault here, something that big should make more sound when moving around! Hell I can't go into a forest without making so much noise as to anger everything within a mile radius). I apparently had killed its pet lizard, so it was not very happy with me. I turned away from the giant (who looked made out of rock and the crushing force he was applying to my torso made me wonder if I would literally pop like an overstuffed sausage casing) to see if Morley was there, but he wasn't, he had left me to die as I could only expect (it was his entire plan after all, get me to distract his monsters and then steal whatever they were guarding). I had more immediate concerns of course, I was being crushed to death and teh creature doing it was intending on eating me (probably, I mean at his size would eating me really provide enough content to keep functioning?).
I gripped the stone finger with both my hands and conjured fire. The giant screamed and tossed me fairly far (its not the fall that hurts, its the landing) I heard a snap as I fell and pain flared up in my left ankle. The giant wasn't waiting around to see if I was hurt, his supringly quiet movement as he bull rushed me was alarming. I stood on the bad ankle and really regretted it (the alternative was being crushed by some kind of rock giant, not exactly a great alternative) each hobbled step was utter agony. I rolled out of the way and the giant smashed into a tree unphased. I could feel myself losing the fight against the pain and wanting to slip away to sleep with each exertion. The giant charged again, I rolled between his legs and swung my sword at his ankle, I was prepared for a clang and to lose my sword but it carved through his foot no problem, the giant lost its footing and took a tumble forward. I struggled to my feet and climbed on top of its back fighting back the waves of pain with each step I buried the blade into its back repeatedly until I was covered in the creatures blue blood (I've been a part of toppling regimes before, but this was the only time I ever truely killed a blue blood).
The giant moved no longer, I felt worn down, my ankle was in extreme pain, and my ribs also felt bad. I couldn't even muster the strength to get my sword out of the giant. I stumbled off the beast and hit the ground with a thud (which made my ribs scream in opposition). I figured I'd take a nice nap and when I got up things would be better. Alas things were not better when I woke up, they never really are, the old adage of sleeping something off doesn't apply to world ending armies of the necro undead. I know it surprised me too.
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