Halls Hopper
Posts: 64
Joined: Friday, 8th February 2013, 02:38
Location: Tallahasee, FL
Tuesday, 5th March 2013, 03:14
The Other Side of the Coin Part 2
I got up, gathered my belongings and started exploring the floor. I ran into very poor opposition, a few giant cockroaches and kobolds. I found a silver and red amulet. I identified it as a corrosion resistant charm. I put it around my neck and kept walking. A moment later, I was battling an adder and a giant worker ant! I went for the adder first. I brought down the ax twice, but the serpent slithered out of range and retreated. The ant charged me with snapping pincers. I backed into the corridor and waited for the blow. It hit my shield and I stood fast. The dazed insect stumbled back, and I hacked away at its head until the thing stopped moving. I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow and noticed my body pulsing with raw energy. I felt like I was back at the Arena, a slave fighting for my life. But in this dungeon I was not a slave or an abomination. I was a champion of Mistress Joan.
I continued my descent to the fourth floor, slaying packs of hungry jackals as I ventured the halls. I found the most peculiar rings in one room. The ring of slaying greatly increased my progress. I was cutting down creatures left and right until I came to a glass room. There were humans and dwarfs banging on the glass, yelling at me to open the door. I walked to the door, raised my palm, and locked the door. One human watched with a fierce intensity as his only hope was casually taken away from him. The burning altar in the middle of the room expanded and blazed with a flame that seemed as bright as the Sun. Then, it was over. Not even ashes were left. It didn’t bother me at all. All of the other races have always looked down on me. In the Arena, in crowded bazaars of Rhun, even in Mistress Joan’s mansion, the ghouls viewed me with silent indignity. But the worst of all were the worshippers of the Holy Trinity. One afternoon, the Mistress sent me to get ingredients for a potion. The alchemist shop, however, just so happened to be near a temple of Zin. As I saw the building, I clutched my hood tighter and tried to cover my face. I walked in the store and the alchemist was in the back.
“Give me a moment. I’ll be right with you!” he shouted. I sat on a bench nearby and kept my head down. Then I heard footsteps coming near me. I looked up and saw a brown haired human with a white robe and a staff.
“We saw you, demon. You may be able to hide from the unbelievers, but you cannot from Zin’s wrath!” the man pulled out a book and started reciting passages.
“It is just that the forces of darkness shall be smitten in due time, for piety is what Zin has declared….”
As soon as he said it, I started to swoon and grab my head.
“…the law of the land, and Zin’s word is law!” he finished. I felt dazed and confused, so I ran from the store, bumping into people as I ran. The man had gathered knights, and I could sense them hot on my tail. I slipped into an alley way and blended with the shadows. The angry shouting died down and I made my way back home, without the ingredients. The Mistress beat me soundly.
“Where is your killer instinct!” she cried as she pounded my back with a mace. “When I send you to get something, I expect you to get it!!” I growled in pain after every blow, and trembled with disappointment after every harsh scolding. After it was over, I felt nothing but anger for the worshippers of the “Good” gods. But, again, I digress. After the flames died down, I walked inside the room to get a better view of the flaming altar. Suddenly, I heard a powerful yet oddly familiar voice in my head.
“Why didn’t you save them?” said the voice.
“They probably deserved it.”
“Hmm. What makes you think that?”
“Humans love to see death when it isn’t happening to them. They only care about their own entertainment. They thrive on pointless deaths to fuel their own self-righteousness and quell their insecurity.” I raised my brow in question. “Why do you ask?”
The voice chuckled. “You are quite well spoken for a demon spawn. Who do you serve?”
“I serve Mistress Joan, necromancer of Rhun. I search for the Orb of Zot.”
“So you are a mere peon, serving a greater power.”
I grew impatient. “Who are you and what do you want?”
The voice boomed. “I am Makhleb, Lord of Pandemonium and Enemy of the Three! And I can give you powers that would help you attain the Orb and vengeance upon those who would stand in your way. Do you accept this offer?”
I wasn’t so sure about worshiping him, but he seemed….right. Besides, I needed all the help I could get in this deadly place. I kneeled before the altar.
“I, Daka, pledge myself to you and your power.”
The fire danced and Makhleb replied, “Welcome, my child. Spread slaughter and bloodshed!” And with that, I continued my journey.
I hurried along to the eighth floor, where I found a flail of protection. My skill with axes gave me an affinity with flails, so I picked it up and dropped the ax. I remember the first time I wielded the ax in the Arena. Walking into the dusty Arena with only an ax and some leather armor, sometimes less than that, I battled other creatures, like tiny kobolds or goblins. Occasionally, I would battle a human gladiator with nothing but my hands and teeth. Those were usually the closest. I will never forget that fateful day in the Arena, when Mistress Joan found me. I was facing a rugged-looking human, brandishing a trident. The crowds rippled with ecstasy as he showed off his physique. He was a champion, and I was only fodder. I overheard my owner before the match.
“How much?” said my owner.
“1200 gold.” The man replied.
“You must be mad. That creature has made me rich. 50 wins and he’s an exotic; how often do you get your hands on a demon spawn!?”
The other man shrugged. “The Shining One’s paladins have been noticing your little monster. If they decide to come and kill your pet, they’ll investigate everything else here and I can’t have that. It would ruin our rep.” the man glanced at the crowd. “Besides, with this match we bring in some followers of Zin and we can get their money before Zin has a chance to!”
My master took the offer and I resigned myself to my fate. After the human paraded around for a bit, he charged me with the trident. I easily side stepped and had begun to counter, when he captured me in a net. I struggled and clawed, but it was no use. The net was made of mythril, and the gladiator proceeded to beat me with the butt of his trident. He wanted to give the audience their money’s worth. He covered me in bruises and turned his trident around for the killing blow, when suddenly, he stopped. There was a cloaked figure walking toward us. It marched right up to the man.
“I want him…” said the figure. The gladiator looked puzzled and insulted.
“What are you doing here? You can’t be out here!”
The figure didn’t budge. “I can be wherever I want, whenever I want. Do you know why?”
The figure threw the hood off, revealing an elderly woman with brown flowing hair that was graying at the edges. The man was so surprised; he tripped over my body while backing up. He stuttered wildly.
“M-M-Mistress J-J-J-J…”
“Silence!” she shouted. Even the crowd, most of which who had recognized who she was immediately, fell silent as well. “Take that net off him.” She said, pointing at me. The gibbering man removed the net and ran off the battlefield. She put her hand in front of me.
“Get up. You belong to me now.” I took her hand and stood up, looking at my unlikely savior. The manager of the Arena had other plans, though. He ran up to Mistress and threw his hands up in exasperation.
“Mistress Joan, please! The people paid money, good money! I charged 100 gold a seat! Do you know what will happen…” she turned to him and silenced him with a sharp look.
“Do you know what will happen if you saw one more word? With my powers, I could rip your skeleton from your body and make it dance, if I felt like doing so. Goodbye.”
The manager quietly retreated back from where he came.
“What is your name, demon?” she asked me.
“Daka.”
“Well, Daka, come on. You will tend to my beasts. Seeing as you are quite a beast yourself, you should feel quite at home.”
Damnit. I need to stop reminiscing. The sooner I finish the quest, the sooner I can see her again. After I picked up the flail, I found some splint mail and a cloak next to it. I donned the armor, threw away my scale mail, and continued down the musty corridor.
I continued my descent to the fourth floor, slaying packs of hungry jackals as I ventured the halls. I found the most peculiar rings in one room. The ring of slaying greatly increased my progress. I was cutting down creatures left and right until I came to a glass room. There were humans and dwarfs banging on the glass, yelling at me to open the door. I walked to the door, raised my palm, and locked the door. One human watched with a fierce intensity as his only hope was casually taken away from him. The burning altar in the middle of the room expanded and blazed with a flame that seemed as bright as the Sun. Then, it was over. Not even ashes were left. It didn’t bother me at all. All of the other races have always looked down on me. In the Arena, in crowded bazaars of Rhun, even in Mistress Joan’s mansion, the ghouls viewed me with silent indignity. But the worst of all were the worshippers of the Holy Trinity. One afternoon, the Mistress sent me to get ingredients for a potion. The alchemist shop, however, just so happened to be near a temple of Zin. As I saw the building, I clutched my hood tighter and tried to cover my face. I walked in the store and the alchemist was in the back.
“Give me a moment. I’ll be right with you!” he shouted. I sat on a bench nearby and kept my head down. Then I heard footsteps coming near me. I looked up and saw a brown haired human with a white robe and a staff.
“We saw you, demon. You may be able to hide from the unbelievers, but you cannot from Zin’s wrath!” the man pulled out a book and started reciting passages.
“It is just that the forces of darkness shall be smitten in due time, for piety is what Zin has declared….”
As soon as he said it, I started to swoon and grab my head.
“…the law of the land, and Zin’s word is law!” he finished. I felt dazed and confused, so I ran from the store, bumping into people as I ran. The man had gathered knights, and I could sense them hot on my tail. I slipped into an alley way and blended with the shadows. The angry shouting died down and I made my way back home, without the ingredients. The Mistress beat me soundly.
“Where is your killer instinct!” she cried as she pounded my back with a mace. “When I send you to get something, I expect you to get it!!” I growled in pain after every blow, and trembled with disappointment after every harsh scolding. After it was over, I felt nothing but anger for the worshippers of the “Good” gods. But, again, I digress. After the flames died down, I walked inside the room to get a better view of the flaming altar. Suddenly, I heard a powerful yet oddly familiar voice in my head.
“Why didn’t you save them?” said the voice.
“They probably deserved it.”
“Hmm. What makes you think that?”
“Humans love to see death when it isn’t happening to them. They only care about their own entertainment. They thrive on pointless deaths to fuel their own self-righteousness and quell their insecurity.” I raised my brow in question. “Why do you ask?”
The voice chuckled. “You are quite well spoken for a demon spawn. Who do you serve?”
“I serve Mistress Joan, necromancer of Rhun. I search for the Orb of Zot.”
“So you are a mere peon, serving a greater power.”
I grew impatient. “Who are you and what do you want?”
The voice boomed. “I am Makhleb, Lord of Pandemonium and Enemy of the Three! And I can give you powers that would help you attain the Orb and vengeance upon those who would stand in your way. Do you accept this offer?”
I wasn’t so sure about worshiping him, but he seemed….right. Besides, I needed all the help I could get in this deadly place. I kneeled before the altar.
“I, Daka, pledge myself to you and your power.”
The fire danced and Makhleb replied, “Welcome, my child. Spread slaughter and bloodshed!” And with that, I continued my journey.
I hurried along to the eighth floor, where I found a flail of protection. My skill with axes gave me an affinity with flails, so I picked it up and dropped the ax. I remember the first time I wielded the ax in the Arena. Walking into the dusty Arena with only an ax and some leather armor, sometimes less than that, I battled other creatures, like tiny kobolds or goblins. Occasionally, I would battle a human gladiator with nothing but my hands and teeth. Those were usually the closest. I will never forget that fateful day in the Arena, when Mistress Joan found me. I was facing a rugged-looking human, brandishing a trident. The crowds rippled with ecstasy as he showed off his physique. He was a champion, and I was only fodder. I overheard my owner before the match.
“How much?” said my owner.
“1200 gold.” The man replied.
“You must be mad. That creature has made me rich. 50 wins and he’s an exotic; how often do you get your hands on a demon spawn!?”
The other man shrugged. “The Shining One’s paladins have been noticing your little monster. If they decide to come and kill your pet, they’ll investigate everything else here and I can’t have that. It would ruin our rep.” the man glanced at the crowd. “Besides, with this match we bring in some followers of Zin and we can get their money before Zin has a chance to!”
My master took the offer and I resigned myself to my fate. After the human paraded around for a bit, he charged me with the trident. I easily side stepped and had begun to counter, when he captured me in a net. I struggled and clawed, but it was no use. The net was made of mythril, and the gladiator proceeded to beat me with the butt of his trident. He wanted to give the audience their money’s worth. He covered me in bruises and turned his trident around for the killing blow, when suddenly, he stopped. There was a cloaked figure walking toward us. It marched right up to the man.
“I want him…” said the figure. The gladiator looked puzzled and insulted.
“What are you doing here? You can’t be out here!”
The figure didn’t budge. “I can be wherever I want, whenever I want. Do you know why?”
The figure threw the hood off, revealing an elderly woman with brown flowing hair that was graying at the edges. The man was so surprised; he tripped over my body while backing up. He stuttered wildly.
“M-M-Mistress J-J-J-J…”
“Silence!” she shouted. Even the crowd, most of which who had recognized who she was immediately, fell silent as well. “Take that net off him.” She said, pointing at me. The gibbering man removed the net and ran off the battlefield. She put her hand in front of me.
“Get up. You belong to me now.” I took her hand and stood up, looking at my unlikely savior. The manager of the Arena had other plans, though. He ran up to Mistress and threw his hands up in exasperation.
“Mistress Joan, please! The people paid money, good money! I charged 100 gold a seat! Do you know what will happen…” she turned to him and silenced him with a sharp look.
“Do you know what will happen if you saw one more word? With my powers, I could rip your skeleton from your body and make it dance, if I felt like doing so. Goodbye.”
The manager quietly retreated back from where he came.
“What is your name, demon?” she asked me.
“Daka.”
“Well, Daka, come on. You will tend to my beasts. Seeing as you are quite a beast yourself, you should feel quite at home.”
Damnit. I need to stop reminiscing. The sooner I finish the quest, the sooner I can see her again. After I picked up the flail, I found some splint mail and a cloak next to it. I donned the armor, threw away my scale mail, and continued down the musty corridor.