I stand here now looking at these small human men. Tied to these racks of wood and smiles of triumph worn on their faces like some kind of badge of honor. No… It seems their expressions are nothing but a farce. When their eyes glance over me… I see… concern, maybe fear? Not as brave as they would like to believe. But… fear is good. A sign they are truly alive. Darius asked me to break these men. In his eye I can see why I would put fear in the instincts of these creatures. I turn to Darius and speak, “Tell me what you say as you leave me in the room with these men Darius. What are your last words before you remain silent? Or... do you wish to say your piece as I work?”
Darius then stands from his chair at the edge of the room. He walks ever calm towards the 4 men and stands in the center of the room with a presence that demands there attention. They stare at him, waiting. Darius only stares back in return for a moment before turning to stride back to his spectator’s chair, but before he sits he addresses the room with a cold calm statement, “Blood is thicker than water.” He glances toward me and with a nod of his head I move towards the 4 men. 3 were on wooden racks while the other one was in a cage designed for coffin torture.
“What are you going to do lizard? Huh? What are you going to do that I wasn’t already prepared for! I knew this could happen! I’m ready for it! Come on! Do something! You gutless, filthy lizard!”
I turned my gaze over to the one who was cursing me, “You’re a talkative one. I think you just became my favorite.”
“What is that supposed to mean? You into men or something? You get off at thinking about dick?”
“Not particularly. No”
“Ha, you’re lying! Only a queer would deny it!”
“Hmmm, you may be right. I do have my fetish after all. I’m so glad you’re here. I want to meticulously enjoy….”
“Shut up lizard and get on with it. You’re starting to bore me.”
I smirked. This one would be fun to listen to as I worked. “As you wish.”
I let the armor I wore fade from my body. It slinked off me in the form of living black fire only to be extinguished in the shadows of the room. I wore on me my silvered gambeson and fine cotton pants. I chose to let the silvered steel boots I wore fade as well. I would rather feel the warmth of fading life between my talons while I began this form of art I’d taken such a liking. I could tell the display of fading armor shocked those men who were not but a canvas.
One of the men seemed to recognize me, “wait… you’re the one with that litch. The one who murdered hundreds of townsfolk! Why are YOU here?!”
I contemplated how to best answer as I walked up to the long haired man, “If a man dedicates his life to good deeds and the welfare of others, he will die unappreciated and unremembered. If he exercises his genius bringing misery and death to thousands, his name will echo throughout the worlds for a hundred lifetimes. Infamy is always more preferable to ignominy.” I placed my clawed hand on his head and let the talons pierce the skin of his scalp. His eyes screwed closed in pain and fear but opened after a moment to look at me. I could feel him trembling.
“Great art so often fails to find an audience with the intellect to appreciate it, much less partake willingly.”
I released my grip on his head and took a talon to his cheek. I slid it slowly across and the gash that formed bled over to trickle down and off his chin. He clenched his teeth and went still as I licked the blood clear. If only I could still taste but I could feel the warmth of life in the blood. This new craving to wash myself in the life of others was something new since my transformation to undeath but it felt better than any sensation of ecstasy. I wanted it more than the strongest drug or drink and these poor creatures of life were going to give themselves to me! But this is the finest wine, one must not partake all at once.
I couldn’t help but smile and began laughing. I stepped back and threw up my hands in delight, “Brothers! Welcome to the feast! Tell me, which among you will be the first course!”
The talkative one spoke in a whisper, “are you insane?”
I turned my gaze at him sharply, locking my eyes to his and pointed calmly at the cage, “insanity is relative. It depends of who has who locked in what cage.”
“What does that even MEAN!?” the talkative man yelled.
“I just told you talkative one. You should listen when I speak and you may yet receive the sweat ecstasy of a quick release!” I put my hand on my chin in thought, “then again, you are my favorite after all. The best should be saved for last.”
“By Lathander what matter of devil are you?” The man who had not spoken yet stated fearfully, tears rolling down his cheeks.
“A devil? No…” I trailed off as I let the blue runes of my demon’s greatsword show on my chest. The pale white chest scales seeping with the black shadows of necrotic fire. The fire silently writhed and swirled with a calm dance as it traveled over my right shoulder and outward towards my outstretched hand. Once there it fell like a wall of shadow and the blue runes formed on the wall. Like a candle being blown out, the fire vanished to show the physical form of my greatsword being support at the base of the handle by my hand. The blade tip in the stone. “…only death.”
A sharp gasp came from the man who had not spoken but was immediately followed by holy chanting. I could not allow this clerical spell to finish! I shot across the room as a wraith of shadow and grasped his lower jaw with my hand. I held his head in place with my other hand and moved my head close to his. I wanted to be eye level, “Ah ah ah, a holy man is not allowed to speak in the presence of undeath. Your words are painful to those who do not feel. Your life has been saved from sin and that makes you a friend of death. If nothing else, there is comfort in recognizing that no matter how often you fail, death will limit your suffering.”
To keep him silent I forced open his mouth and breathed undeath onto his tongue. Freezing the life within. I could see the soft tissue walls of his cheeks and tongue harden as they froze. Though I could tell he was having trouble breathing I figured he would live. The ice crawled as high as the man’s noes and as low as his collar bone. I was certain his ability to talk had been destroyed for the time being.
I could tell he was numb but that would soon end and feel like fire. So I put my clawed hand against his face almost lovingly, “Though Life and Death have abandoned me, Time has adopted me with compassion. This gift lets me revel in the spoils of civilization! I can forever continue my legacy in any manner I choose.”
I pulled my hand away from the cleric’s face and put it on the chest of the long haired man, “No longer will I be the slave of another but a slave to myself. Both Slave and Conqueror, through my vengeance, I will be the ruler of life! Nothing exterior of me will ever take command of me! I may follow, I may serve, but I do so of my own volition! If this wisdom to be defiled by any man, then I will kill that man as his Slave. In my vengeance I will kill thousands and become the Conqueror.” I leaned in close and whispered into the ear of the long haired man, “with the litch I will kill all and become a God!”
The man stammered out a response, “burn in the deepest layers of Hell dragon!”
I pulled away and stood tall. I looked at the 4 sets of eyes. The Cleric and my favorite will be paraded. That is my decision while the other two will die. I bowed my head and closed my eyes in prayer, “I shall reap a terrible bounty from the death I sow in your name, Lord Sargonnas.”
