Post by dukejebawe on Dec 30, 2007 0:10:28 GMT -5
Taking a break from the Prince of Blood, I decided to write a short based in the Dungeon Keeper universe.
Under the realm of Emberglow, lava tubes run deep beneath the earth. Here, evil creatures stir in the shadows, and the dead grow brave. Recently, this evil had launched an assault on the overworld, so the heroes had sent forth a battalion of giants to see to it that evil met it's demise.
And so, Gormaldor, Shommalin, Gutt, and krizz had descended through the hero gate, seeking to root out the corruption which had tainted the underworld.
"By all that be holy, this canna be natural" Krizz cried as they exited the hero fort containing the gate. "Aye, T'is aint" Shommalin replied. "This be a sign of the evil corruption that has tainted this land. It be why we're here."
The cavern they were standing in was huge. Walls of jagged black rock stood tall, and molten stone flowed beneath their feet.
"An' this be why King Reginald sent us." Krizz piped in. "Because mere humans can't survive lava. O'course, Giant constitution is strong, and molten rock danna hurt us"
"And that all be well an' good, but we should be movin' on." Gormaldor instructed. "Aye, listen to the Cap'n" Gutt roared in agreement.
Silence came over the group as they set out on their journey. Stepping into the lava, each giant felt a warm stinging sensation on their skin. It was painful, but they were the only heroes capable of surviving the extreme heat, so they had to bear it.
Suddenly, Gormaldor saw something shiny out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to get a better look, however, yielded nothing. Whatever it was, it was gone now. A splashing noise behind them. Weapons drawn, arms tensed, the giants turned to face the anomaly.
Waves shifted in the lava. Gormaldor's eyes narrowed. there was no wind here, and lava was too heavy to be lifted by anything less than a storm. Why were there waves? For half a second, Gormaldor thought he saw some yellow spikes extending from an orange arched back, but it disappeared before he could confirm.
"Be on yer guards, I Don't like the looks of This." Gormaldor warned the others. "I don't want anyone ter be showin' up dead now, got..." Gormaldor stopped. For a second, he thought he could see eyes looking at him from beneath the lava.
"What be the matter?" Gutt inquired. "Did yer see somethin'?" "Naw" Gormaldor said."T'was nothin'. Let's be movin' on" Gutt didn't look satisfied, but he didn't dig deeper.
Silence once again fell over the group as they moved on. After they had walked for a while, the giant's nostrils flared. They could smell the fetid odor of Bile Demons. Suddenly Krizz cried out. "Argh! Somethin' bit me!"
Everyone raised their weapons and turned to face Krizz. The wounded giant raised his leg, revealing bite mark left by a row of long, jagged teeth. "By the gods, yer lucky ter still have yer legs" Shommalin cried.
Gormaldor's soldier instinct took over. "Get ready, boys. Somethin's hidin' in ter lava" The giants took a battle formation, hoping to find the vile fiend before it could do more harm.
Suddenly, a reptilian head burst from the lava, liberating Gutt of his manhood before anyone could react. Crying out in pain, Gutt swung his Axe, cutting the creature's head off before it could retreat. Breathing a sigh of relief, the giants lowered their weapons. Shommalin went to help Gutt.
"Keep yer weapons up, there might be more of 'em" Gormaldor said, but it was too late. Reptiles burst from the lava all around them, teeth bared.
Shommalin raised an arm to defend himself against the attacking salamanders, but he was too slow. The reptilian foe knocked him to the ground, his face falling beneath the lava. Two other salamanders jumped on top of him and began clawing at his face.
Gormaldor cried out, and smashed one of the salamanders with his warhammer. The other jumped to the side and sank it's fangs into his arm. Suddenly Gutt was there, and he cut the Salamander down with his greatsword. The third salamander, seeing it's defeat, retreated beneath the lava.
Gormaldor ran to Shommalin's side and attempted to pull the giant up, but Shommalin's body was limp and heavy, and he did not react to Gormaldor's calling. Rage entered the giant's eyes, and he turned to face the rest of the reptilian assailants.
Krizz was struggling with a salamander, his gaping wounds preventing him from fighting effectively. The Salamander took advantage of this weakness, clawing at whatever part of Krizz' body that was exposed. Gormaldor rushed to his friend's aid, hoping to reach him in time.
With a swift swipe, the salamander cut krizz' eyes , blinding the giant warrior. krizz dropped his longsword and shield and fell backwards, salamanders clawing at his limp body.
"NO! Damn you, krizz. Damn you, Shommalin! Why'd you have to die?" Gormaldor bellowed. moving in for the kill, Gormaldor swung his warhammer, crushing a salamander's skull before it could move. Soon, Gutt joined him, and they moved in unison, spilling salamander blood wherever they went. Soon, all of their assailants were dead.
Too angry to be relieved, Gormaldor and Gutt moved on, working their way towards the evil lair. Suddenly, a rotting hand appeared before them, floating in the air. Then, a gurgling voice, like a death rattle, broke the silence. "Iram'Dia Quakius".
Then the walls shook, and rocks fell from the roof. "Run!" Gormaldor roared at Gutt, and they both broke into a run. Gormaldor knew that the area which a spell could effect was limited, so he kept running towards the source of the Bile Demon stench, knowing their enemy would not endanger his own creatures by dropping rocks on them.
Suddenly no more rocks fell. Gormaldor turned around, and saw that the rubble was still falling behind him. Gutt, who had fallen behind was rushing towards him, a relieved smile on his face. Then, a falling rock hit Gutt on top of his head, and the giant tumbled, falling into the lava.
"Iram'Dia Quakius"
This time the spell was concentrated on a small area, and all the rubble fell on top of Gutt, burying him alive. Gormaldor stood, alone, staring at the place his last friend had died, a tear rolling down his cheek. Then, turning away, Gormaldor moved once again towards his goal.
Hours later, Gormaldor came upon an opening in the cavern wall, the stench of Bile Demons heavy within. Gormaldor entered the tunnel.
Gormaldor entered a treasury, glistening gold and gems stored in several containers. Moving through the room, Gormaldor felt his heart beat in anger. The master of this dungeon did not deserve such treasures.
Going through a door on the other side of the room, Gormaldor found himself in a portal room. For a moment, he stared down into the depths of the portal, which seemed to go on forever.
Suddenly a door opened on his left. Turning around, Gormaldor readied his warhammer. Looking at him in surprise was a Dark Mistress, clad in black, blood stained leather. Her surprise quickly turned to joy, as she hurled herself forward, swinging her scything wrist-mounted blades.
Gormaldor stepped aside, and the woman shot past him, crashing into the wall. Gormaldor attempted to hit her with his hammer, but she recovered too quickly, and ducked under his blow, dancing around him.
Gormaldor felt pain soar through his back as the mistress cut deep into his flesh. Roaring in pain, the giant swung his hammer around, hitting her side, and flinging her against the wall. Falling to the ground, the mistress lay motionless for a few seconds before climbing to her feet.
Eyeing his warhammer, the mistress decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and fled out of the door she had come in from. Gormaldor prepared to pursue her, until he felt a blade in his back.
Turning once again, Gormaldor saw four goblins in battle formation. Raising his arm, the giant attempted to swing his hammer at the goblins.
Then he felt strong jaws clamp around the back of his neck, and he knew no more...
Gormaldor awoke to the sound of screaming. He tried to open his eyes, but they were fused shut by wax. He tried to move, but he was restrained. his limbs were stretched out in an uncomfortable way, and his head was pulled backwards.
"Hey, I think this one is waking up!" a troll voice said. "Let's show this soft boy what pain really is!" Gormaldor heard laughter, then a sound like a lever being pulled.
Suddenly, the giant's limbs were stretched further, and his skin tore, revealing white bone. The pain was unbearable, and soon, Gormaldor found himself loosing consciousness once again. And this time, he knew he would not wake.
Then, yellow flames erupted around him, forcing his skin to stretch and reattach to his muscles, and moving his bones back into position. The pain was unimaginable, but he found himself regaining his consciousness.
Then it struck him: The evil creatures would not let him die. They wanted to convert him. With tears in his eyes, he tried to shield himself from the pain.
Hours, Days passed. Even Months, until finally, Gormaldor heard his own voice for the first time in so long, he didn't even remember.
"I Yield! I Yield!"
From that moment on, his mind was no longer his own.
Under the realm of Emberglow, lava tubes run deep beneath the earth. Here, evil creatures stir in the shadows, and the dead grow brave. Recently, this evil had launched an assault on the overworld, so the heroes had sent forth a battalion of giants to see to it that evil met it's demise.
And so, Gormaldor, Shommalin, Gutt, and krizz had descended through the hero gate, seeking to root out the corruption which had tainted the underworld.
"By all that be holy, this canna be natural" Krizz cried as they exited the hero fort containing the gate. "Aye, T'is aint" Shommalin replied. "This be a sign of the evil corruption that has tainted this land. It be why we're here."
The cavern they were standing in was huge. Walls of jagged black rock stood tall, and molten stone flowed beneath their feet.
"An' this be why King Reginald sent us." Krizz piped in. "Because mere humans can't survive lava. O'course, Giant constitution is strong, and molten rock danna hurt us"
"And that all be well an' good, but we should be movin' on." Gormaldor instructed. "Aye, listen to the Cap'n" Gutt roared in agreement.
Silence came over the group as they set out on their journey. Stepping into the lava, each giant felt a warm stinging sensation on their skin. It was painful, but they were the only heroes capable of surviving the extreme heat, so they had to bear it.
Suddenly, Gormaldor saw something shiny out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head to get a better look, however, yielded nothing. Whatever it was, it was gone now. A splashing noise behind them. Weapons drawn, arms tensed, the giants turned to face the anomaly.
Waves shifted in the lava. Gormaldor's eyes narrowed. there was no wind here, and lava was too heavy to be lifted by anything less than a storm. Why were there waves? For half a second, Gormaldor thought he saw some yellow spikes extending from an orange arched back, but it disappeared before he could confirm.
"Be on yer guards, I Don't like the looks of This." Gormaldor warned the others. "I don't want anyone ter be showin' up dead now, got..." Gormaldor stopped. For a second, he thought he could see eyes looking at him from beneath the lava.
"What be the matter?" Gutt inquired. "Did yer see somethin'?" "Naw" Gormaldor said."T'was nothin'. Let's be movin' on" Gutt didn't look satisfied, but he didn't dig deeper.
Silence once again fell over the group as they moved on. After they had walked for a while, the giant's nostrils flared. They could smell the fetid odor of Bile Demons. Suddenly Krizz cried out. "Argh! Somethin' bit me!"
Everyone raised their weapons and turned to face Krizz. The wounded giant raised his leg, revealing bite mark left by a row of long, jagged teeth. "By the gods, yer lucky ter still have yer legs" Shommalin cried.
Gormaldor's soldier instinct took over. "Get ready, boys. Somethin's hidin' in ter lava" The giants took a battle formation, hoping to find the vile fiend before it could do more harm.
Suddenly, a reptilian head burst from the lava, liberating Gutt of his manhood before anyone could react. Crying out in pain, Gutt swung his Axe, cutting the creature's head off before it could retreat. Breathing a sigh of relief, the giants lowered their weapons. Shommalin went to help Gutt.
"Keep yer weapons up, there might be more of 'em" Gormaldor said, but it was too late. Reptiles burst from the lava all around them, teeth bared.
Shommalin raised an arm to defend himself against the attacking salamanders, but he was too slow. The reptilian foe knocked him to the ground, his face falling beneath the lava. Two other salamanders jumped on top of him and began clawing at his face.
Gormaldor cried out, and smashed one of the salamanders with his warhammer. The other jumped to the side and sank it's fangs into his arm. Suddenly Gutt was there, and he cut the Salamander down with his greatsword. The third salamander, seeing it's defeat, retreated beneath the lava.
Gormaldor ran to Shommalin's side and attempted to pull the giant up, but Shommalin's body was limp and heavy, and he did not react to Gormaldor's calling. Rage entered the giant's eyes, and he turned to face the rest of the reptilian assailants.
Krizz was struggling with a salamander, his gaping wounds preventing him from fighting effectively. The Salamander took advantage of this weakness, clawing at whatever part of Krizz' body that was exposed. Gormaldor rushed to his friend's aid, hoping to reach him in time.
With a swift swipe, the salamander cut krizz' eyes , blinding the giant warrior. krizz dropped his longsword and shield and fell backwards, salamanders clawing at his limp body.
"NO! Damn you, krizz. Damn you, Shommalin! Why'd you have to die?" Gormaldor bellowed. moving in for the kill, Gormaldor swung his warhammer, crushing a salamander's skull before it could move. Soon, Gutt joined him, and they moved in unison, spilling salamander blood wherever they went. Soon, all of their assailants were dead.
Too angry to be relieved, Gormaldor and Gutt moved on, working their way towards the evil lair. Suddenly, a rotting hand appeared before them, floating in the air. Then, a gurgling voice, like a death rattle, broke the silence. "Iram'Dia Quakius".
Then the walls shook, and rocks fell from the roof. "Run!" Gormaldor roared at Gutt, and they both broke into a run. Gormaldor knew that the area which a spell could effect was limited, so he kept running towards the source of the Bile Demon stench, knowing their enemy would not endanger his own creatures by dropping rocks on them.
Suddenly no more rocks fell. Gormaldor turned around, and saw that the rubble was still falling behind him. Gutt, who had fallen behind was rushing towards him, a relieved smile on his face. Then, a falling rock hit Gutt on top of his head, and the giant tumbled, falling into the lava.
"Iram'Dia Quakius"
This time the spell was concentrated on a small area, and all the rubble fell on top of Gutt, burying him alive. Gormaldor stood, alone, staring at the place his last friend had died, a tear rolling down his cheek. Then, turning away, Gormaldor moved once again towards his goal.
Hours later, Gormaldor came upon an opening in the cavern wall, the stench of Bile Demons heavy within. Gormaldor entered the tunnel.
Gormaldor entered a treasury, glistening gold and gems stored in several containers. Moving through the room, Gormaldor felt his heart beat in anger. The master of this dungeon did not deserve such treasures.
Going through a door on the other side of the room, Gormaldor found himself in a portal room. For a moment, he stared down into the depths of the portal, which seemed to go on forever.
Suddenly a door opened on his left. Turning around, Gormaldor readied his warhammer. Looking at him in surprise was a Dark Mistress, clad in black, blood stained leather. Her surprise quickly turned to joy, as she hurled herself forward, swinging her scything wrist-mounted blades.
Gormaldor stepped aside, and the woman shot past him, crashing into the wall. Gormaldor attempted to hit her with his hammer, but she recovered too quickly, and ducked under his blow, dancing around him.
Gormaldor felt pain soar through his back as the mistress cut deep into his flesh. Roaring in pain, the giant swung his hammer around, hitting her side, and flinging her against the wall. Falling to the ground, the mistress lay motionless for a few seconds before climbing to her feet.
Eyeing his warhammer, the mistress decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and fled out of the door she had come in from. Gormaldor prepared to pursue her, until he felt a blade in his back.
Turning once again, Gormaldor saw four goblins in battle formation. Raising his arm, the giant attempted to swing his hammer at the goblins.
Then he felt strong jaws clamp around the back of his neck, and he knew no more...
Gormaldor awoke to the sound of screaming. He tried to open his eyes, but they were fused shut by wax. He tried to move, but he was restrained. his limbs were stretched out in an uncomfortable way, and his head was pulled backwards.
"Hey, I think this one is waking up!" a troll voice said. "Let's show this soft boy what pain really is!" Gormaldor heard laughter, then a sound like a lever being pulled.
Suddenly, the giant's limbs were stretched further, and his skin tore, revealing white bone. The pain was unbearable, and soon, Gormaldor found himself loosing consciousness once again. And this time, he knew he would not wake.
Then, yellow flames erupted around him, forcing his skin to stretch and reattach to his muscles, and moving his bones back into position. The pain was unimaginable, but he found himself regaining his consciousness.
Then it struck him: The evil creatures would not let him die. They wanted to convert him. With tears in his eyes, he tried to shield himself from the pain.
Hours, Days passed. Even Months, until finally, Gormaldor heard his own voice for the first time in so long, he didn't even remember.
"I Yield! I Yield!"
From that moment on, his mind was no longer his own.
