QUEST FOR THE SCRORPION’S CLAWS
MORNING DEATH
It was during the moment of creation, long before the powers of life and death, good or
evil, knew of the existence of the other; when time itself was young, a great and mighty
conflict was sparred in the heavens! Sol, the sun god, did content himself by waging war
against all the lords of the planets! Mars, the war planet was the first to discover Sol’s
intentions.
However, he was not willing to neither lead, nor be led by any chosen champion and thus
was the first to engage Sol in combat! Mars was truly ferocious in battle, but he was not
an intelligent adversary! Prophetically, he was the fist to succumb to Sol’s might!
Saturn on the other hand was a cunning opponent! So much so that at the moment of his defeat,
as a token of respect Sol bestowed upon him radiant rings of pure energy from his own body
to wear upon his brow. Thus, savagery and intellect has failed, but the next challenger to
present himself to Sol came born of sheer brute strength: Jupiter the colossus, giant of
giants!
The struggle between them fell them fell nothing short of spectacular, but in the end even
he was subdued and was brought to ruin! The force of Uranus was of non-effect, and as for
Venus, even her most deceptive charms deteriorated into nothingness! The blinding speed of
Mercury was also rendered ineffectual! Neptune and Pluto, although they feared Sol singularly
believed that collectedly they may succeed whereas the others failed. They were swept aside
without even a second glance!
Sol has conquered them all! Now in servitude The Lords of the Planets must orbit around
Sol, perpetually guarding the boarders of his kingdom for all time; or so the legends say.
Now the Earth was said to be the humblest of all the planets. Not willing to engage Sol in
combat she willingly acquiesced to his wishes. Peradventure, this is the reason why she alone
is the most blest. A great, bluish-green gem, floating delicately in an ebony sea of stars,
Sol, confident of his recent victories was totally unaware that he was about to lose his
greatest confrontation! Of all the powers within the known universe, the greatest of these
is love!
It was for love’s sake that Sol surrendered his heart to Luna, the lovely goddess
of the moon! Upon the day of their wedding all The Lords of the Planets were assembled. The
Earth was Luna’s maid of honor, eloquently attired in soft, billowing clouds and revealing
a silk sky of blue. She sported a dazzling necklace made of pure lightning and a smashing
full length coat made of majestic trees and mountains delicately trimmed with polar ice and
snow.
This highly original, biosphere ensemble was completed with a quaint bonnet adorned with
countless flowers and a matching purse ornamented with priceless things. With this union,
Sol gave unto his beloved Luna anything that her heart desired, even unto half of his vast
kingdom! It if for this reason that for a short epoch, the powers of night rule over all
The Lords of the Planets! Thus, as it has done sine time in memorial, night has come to the
Kingdom of Jurranda. This was once such a beautiful country, but it has become a place torn
a part by war, famine and greed! The genesis of Jurranda’s sorrows began the day when
Barnabus Anthrax VI fitted his father’s crown upon his wicked brow! For much contrary
to his father, Barnabus was a conqueror!
A weak, pathetic monarch who ruled his people with an unrelenting hand forged of steel and
a heart etched from ice! The soothsayers have foretold the king that this seed would be an
evil birth, but he would not hear! Prince Barnabus was always an unstable bloke, even when
he was much younger! By the time he reached manhood, the unquenchable desire for rape and
murder was already written upon his name! Helplessly, his mind fell into the lulling arms
of insanity! Trapped within the prison of own madness, he has decided that the earth did
not contain enough room for more than one king!
Truly his forefathers were all fools, they were! Five generations of blind, asinine buffoons
obviously unfit to rule a kingdom! They cling to peace like passive, frightened infants dangling
from their mothers’ breasts! They qualities that separates nay, makes them superior
to lesser men than they! Their childish dispositions blinded them to such a degree that they
failed to exploit their positions designated to them by divine birthright! They did not grasp,
could not understand that supreme, executive powers meant precisely that doesn’t it!
As king, he can go wherever he so please and do whatever as to his own heart’s desire!
It must be clearly understood that the earth and everything that dwells upon it was his!
It’s a simple matter to conclude that his fathers did not understand this concept because
they were only men! Unpretentious jackanapes subjugated by the very laws they themselves
made into effect by the stroke of a pen! Barnabus has transcended beyond the mundane laws
of men! He has declared himself to be a deity; yea, an immortal! What who other than a god
can decide the fate of an entire nation?
When his own father lay grievously tormented upon his death bed, the royal healers tried
every remedy within their knowledge to cure him without success! Prince Barnabus terminated
the dilemma by thrusting his solid gold dagger, a gift from his father, repeatedly into his
father’s already dying heart! His blood stained hands seized his father’s crown,
and even before the good king could take his final breath, his arrogant son placed it upon
his own malevolent brow! Thus began a reign of terror the likes the kingdom of Jurranda has
never experienced before! Barnabus, “The Man-God”, as he preferred to be addressed,
mercilessly sapped the strength from the land! His armies then began a thirsty crusade to
conquer other kingdoms, leaving naught but death and famine in their wake!
But it was only ten years later, the people of Jurranda discovered that even a man god can
die! King Barnabus was found dead upon the spikes, his head turned completely around, his
face contorted into a blood curdling grimace! His mouth was agape as if lost in a world of
screams! Ten years later, the true Grim Reaper has come to the kingdom of Jurranda! No one
knows for certain why Gath the Terrible Troll have chosen this region to establish his sovereignty,
but since his arrival the startling metamorphoses to this vast estate is almost beyond human
comprehension!
There is no life in the few remaining tree here! At least, no life as we have come to understand
it! Photosynthesis is as meaningless as mud! Eerie, towering sentinels they are; they stand
queaking in the four winds whispering evil things! They are scattered about, these wretched
pseudo trees, each one designed to be Gath’s eyes and ears in any event that an interloper
should come! The animals of this habitat have all fled or been destroyed with the land! All
save for a few elite species bequeathed of a far more sinister nature! Over there, giant
emerald scorpions, some measuring a full twelve inches in length lurks among the rocks and
dead, decaying logs! A single sting from one of these creatures, even one newly hatched could
make a man very sick indeed!
The sting from an adult can kill a two hundred pound man within the space of a half hour!
Serpents, lethal and poisonous; some rivaling the size of the great pythons slither ominously
through the
Muck and mire of the cold, damp earth! Black, ruby throated vultures; they are huge birds
with an impressive wingspan of nearly thirteen feet from tip to tip! They soar effortlessly
several thousand feet in the often storm tossed sky high above! The wolf, the jackal and
they hyena dwells here too, habitually fighting and squabbling amongst themselves in order
to expand their habitations, but ever willing to join forces in order to bring down larger
prey! It is therefore no so surprising that Gath finds a sort of lineage with these creatures!
The sinister beauty of the scorpions charms him. although; it is a pity that they only have
one head! The serpents shares Gath’s icy blood flowing through their reptilian veins!
He admires the tenacity of the vultures’ feeding frenzies over dead and decaying flesh!
He enjoys observing the cunning strength of the jackals and the blood lusts of the wolves
excite him! the inhuman laughter of the hyenas fills his ears with music! Where in all the
world can anyone find more endearing offspring than these precious few?
On the other hand, Gath hated plants: loath them! Troublesome eyesores they are and nothing
more than that! They have no divine purpose, for they do not kill with intent! Therefore
they are useless! Puny organisms unworthy of life! How terribly pitiful are the subjects
of the kingdom of plants! Meekly they seek their nourishment from sun and rain! Notwithstanding,
the dogs’ whelps cry for food from the dangling teats of the bitch, and in that the
pups are preserved! But in so short of time the desire for milk is fled, and only the lust
for raw flesh will remain! Surely, tis a far grand thing to acquire one’s sustenance
by the power of steel, taunt sinews, the length of curled claws and the points of jagged
teeth!
Verily, the bittersweet taste of hot blood is a predator’s own reward! True, there
are plants that kill other plants! I believe they are referred to as “weeds”,
but that is their only charm! What indeed is killing without the urgent cry of pain; the
shedding of blood of the shattering of bones?! Without this, it is become an holy thing:
perfidious, blasphemy! The poisonous plants: the ivy, the oak and the toadstools are at the
very least tolerable! The Pitcher Plant and The Venus Fly Trap both possess a rather cultivated
nobility, slowly administering death by lethal digestion!
Peradventure, these alone may be spared in other allotments of the world, but Gath has decreed
that no green thing shall flourish in the kingdom of Jurranda! Instead the country had suffered
violent, massive upheavals! Earthquakes which shook the very foundations beneath the castle!
Gath used his mystic powers to induce the very ground itself to crack open like an egg shell!
Extremely volatile gases which for untold centuries remained pressurized underground was
at last released from the ever widening fissures only to merge with ambient heat: ignition!
Now flames several thousand feet in length and diameter erupt explosively like giant, solar
flares! The gaping mouth of the earth spewed forth molten saliva in all directions! Now jagged
rocky peaks slowly emerge from the smoldering sea of liquid fire, rising higher and higher
until they completely encompassed the castle! Within the next fifteen days it will require
for the mountains to cool, the pinnacles of rocks will have ascended ten thousand feet upon
the Akronian Sea! Now all this occurred a mere ten month ago, but it has only been two days
since Sir Hammond’s triumphant escape from the castle’s keep! Sitting alone of
the treacherous mountain heights, he still remembered a small hamlet called Isthlamas!
This village was approximately fifty five miles just south east of the castle! That is where
he shall go in the hopes of finding food, water, and perhaps provisions for his return home!
All this, providing that it too has not been destroyed with the rest of the land around him!
his search for the village was as relentless as the throbbing pain in his skull! His body
was filled with aches, and it seemed like each tortured step he took threatened to be his
last! The lack of food and water, not to mention the harsh, unforgiving winds of the night
air upon the mountains of Gath has weakened him exceedingly!
Yet, Sir Hammond knew that his must keep going if he is going to have any chance of survival!
With nothing more than a crude cane fashioned from the branch of a long dead tree, Sir Hammond
trudged forward! After several tedious hours of walking, another nightfall was rapidly approaching!
Then to further complicate his troubles, Sir Hammond could see over the horizon the eminent
rise of another thunderstorm! At first he thought that he would lose all hope, but then just
beyond an expanse of hills he saw the village of Isthlamas! When at long last he found himself
actually standing within the village, Sir Hammond almost wished that he was still stranded
upon the mountain!
There could be little doubt that the troll was here! All around him laid blighted cattle
and dead horses! Sparrows, robins and other song birds laid scattered in the streets like
so much straw! A disturbing scene: a cardinal frozen in death while still in the jaws of
a cat! Directly in front of him on the ground was the grisly remains of yet another animal;
a dog it appears! The putrid touch of decay has touched it’s body causing it to expand
to more that twice the size it was in life! It’s tiny mouth was agape, it’s dried
black tongue folded neatly over a small portion of it’s lower jaw! It’s eyes
bulged from their sockets, staring blankly into the void of eternity!
“In any form, Death is an gruesome artist!” Sir Hammond mused to himself, knowing
full well that if he do not find shelter soon, he will share their fate! Some of the homes
were completely destroyed! Indeed, some of them stilled smoldered in the ashes of what must
have been a brutal massacre! Curious, all around him were hundreds, perhaps thousands of
mounds of earth like miniature foothills of some valley! At first, Sir Hammond considered
them to be graves, but upon further examination he has concluded that this could not be the
case!
The knolls of earth were not consistent in their design, for they were of different shapes
as well as size! One would almost consider them a form of huge, ancient letters. Moreover,
the inhabitants of Isthlamas are not a heathen people! There were no statues, no crosses,
no tombstones or memorials to mark the burial places of their dead! Sir Hammond knew that
their cemetery was on the out skirts of their village! Even in a town as devastated as this
one, surely no one would consider burying their loved ones in the center of this catastrophe!
No, whatever these mounds of earth are, they must hold some sinister purpose to Gath!
Perhaps he shall uncover their secret another day, but for the moment there remains more
urgent matters! A tremendous roar of thunder awakened Sir Hammond from his query as he staggered
toward his first house that for the most part appeared to be inhabited! Even that short distance
felt like a hundred miles as far as he was concerned! Even something as elementary as yawning
caused him pain! Desperately he wanted to stop and rest, but the thought of his wife and
child urged him not to surrender to despair!
Summoning his last visage of his draining strength he moved onward! Suddenly, the world
around him began spinning at a dizzying speed! His legs felt as if they were made out of
lead, his breath came in short, rapid gasps! He only executed three steps, the next instant
everything vanished before him, dissipated in a brief flash of light only to be replaced
by a world of obscurity. Sir Hammond did not know for how long he laid upon the cold, wet
mud unconscious!
He could only assume that he couldn’t have been unconscious for too long considering
that there were still a few precious hours of daylight remaining. “Must…get
up!” Sir Hammond grumbled. Slowly, painfully he lifted himself up out of the mire with
trembling arms! Glancing down at the ground he noticed the enormous, claw-like hoof prints! “GATH!” he
gasped in terror. Another burst of lightning mingled with the sound of thunder shook him
like two huge fists! “The demon! The demon is here!!” Sir Hammond thought to
himself. Within a matter of seconds, he was upon his feet again instinctively reaching for
his sword which he has temporarily forgotten that was long lost to him!
Then, pain which was also so previously forgotten poured back into his body forcing it to
scream in protest! The world started spinning… “No! No, not again!” Sir
Hammond growled, powerless to prevent this newest grip of vertigo! “Bloody fool that
I am!” he thought, realizing that he rose to his feet too quickly! “Now the beast
will have his way with me, but I will not perish on my knees!”
He vowed, struggling to remain conscious! “Confound it all! Where the bloody hell is
he!? Surely the brute must sense my distress! Why does he hesitate!?”
Sir Hammond began turning in circles, desperately searching for any sign of his deadly enemy.
He listened carefully for any sound that may betray the troll’s location! But all around
him was nothing, nothing save darkness blanketed by thick droplets of rain! Sir Hammond lulled
his head back allowing the rain to pelt his face in a feeble attempt to draw strength from
it! “Bloody bastard is toying with me he is! Like a cat with a mouse! Sir Hammond grumbled,
but he stopped short when he realized he stepped on something!
At the first, he was too tense to move! Then, gathering his courage he slowly reached down
and seized the object beneath his foot. His hand came upon again, mud covered fingers curled
around his crude walking cane! Sir Hammond gripped it tightly in his fist! Any second now,
he will hear the voice of doom! Soon he will feel the creature’s enormous, talon hands
seize his body in an unbreakable grip like unto a steel trap! Tensely, Sir Hammond waved
his uncouth club before him…waiting!
“Hhmmpphh! A fine weapon indeed! A soaked piece of kindling against a creature whose
very skin is like unto the king’s finest chain mesh armor!” Now the waiting has
become unbearable! “Hear me ye fiend of darkness! Torment me no longer! Come out and
face me! Sir Hammond roared, blood spurting from his bearded mouth! More pain… it
hurts to speak! “Behold ugly one, I am here!” Silence… “Come out
I say!! I fear you not! Come out and face me or let the world know you as a coward!!” but
after several long minutes of silence, the only sounds Sir Hammond could hear was that of
the relentless fall of the rain and that of his own heart pounding ferociously in his chest!
Finally realizing that he was truly alone, he staggered to a nearby tree to rest! This tree
was not like the others Gath has cursed, for this one was completely destroyed; burned with
it’s upper portion sliced away! Sir Hammond wrapped his arms around it’s seared
trunk, mentally commanding his legs not to fold beneath him!
The cuts and scars he suffered earlier which were sealed with dried blood has re-opened,
sending a mixture of heat and cold down his arms, legs and body! The sweet, sickening smell
of the wood assailed his nostrils! When at last he could think clearly again, he slowly walked
toward the ominous footprints that filled him with so much dread! He stared at the foot prints,
studying them, pondering the creature’s enormous stride; revealing its’ massive
weight!
More of the same prints loomed on before him scattered in different directions, mingled
with human, animal paw and hoof prints! This told Sir Hammond that the creature simply annihilated
all life at his grim leisure being that there was no power within the village that could
subdue him! Then, for the first time Sir Hammond feared for the safety of his home land!
What terrible acts of vengeance will the troll execute once he returns to Abazar to renew
his search for his son!
Ignoring the throbbing pain in his skull, Sir Hammond reached the first house and pounded
heavily upon the door with his blood stained fists! No answer, “Surely there must be
someone inside!” Realizing that he was doing nothing more than wasting precious time
and energy, he walked to yet another house, pounded upon another door only to receive the
same response! Again to another door, and another, seven times in all! It was quite evident
that the survivors of this town were far too frightened to allow even the wind to enter their
homes after the sun has set!
Fear has made cowards of them all, although Sir Hammond could not rightfully blame them!
There were a few occasions when he could have sworn he heard hushed whispers from behind
bolted doors! He felt their eyes staring at him from behind opaque windows and the cracks
within the walls! This door marks number eight, and Sir Hammond have at long last reached
the end of human endurance! Leaning wearily upon the door he slumped through the ground!
His breath came in long, agonizing gasps; his ribs were burning as his back ached in painful
spasms!
Slowly, ever so slowly, he allowed his body to settle into place as he once again surveyed
the utter destruction and carnage caused by Gath and his demon army! As a man of war, Sir
Hammond is no stranger to sights such as these! He and his fellows have gone up against such
insurmountable forces such as The Mountain Gnomes or The Dragon of Zorrlakk! Time and time
again he has witnessed the aftermaths of such bitter confrontations; the damage, the horrors
and death!
But nothing, nothing compared to this! From the blackened ashes of such battles, there always
arose a new hope! A chance to regain that what was lost! That was not so in this place! The
Grim Reaper was the sole victor in this contest! Nothing grows here, nothing moves here!
Even the four winds have fled and the sun now hides it’s face, leaving naught but darkness
thick enough to be felt! Truly an evil soul needs not perish to enter into hell; he needs
only to come to the kingdom of Jurranda! Then his thoughts turned again to Crystal, his beloved
wife who laid broken, perhaps dying upon the floor of their home when Gath first laid hold
upon him and brought him to this accursed, god forsaken place!
“I swear upon my bones the troll shall pay a thousand fold for this!” Sir Hammond
vowed vengefully. Despite the bitter cold, Sir Hammond could feel himself becoming more and
more relaxed with each passing second! Fatigue has settled deep into his tortured frame,
gently bidding his eyes to close. A sharp stab of pain in his side caused his eyelids to
flicker open again. A slight readjustment of his body’s position and he was prepared
to attempt to sleep again. But through the narrow slits of his eyelids Sir Hammond swore
that he saw something move, something large coming toward him! still fully awake, Sir Hammond
focused his vision and what he saw filled him with amazement and hope! Barely able to contain
his excitement Sir Hammond gasped, “Blimey! It’s a horse! A bloomin’ horse
it is!” At last…transportation! A means to escape this nightmarish country!
Sir Hammond struggled vigorously to rise to his feet, but his strength has long since abandoned
him!
He fell back brutally slamming his scarred back against the unyielding door! “Aaarrggghhh!” he
groaned miserably. In his mind he could only hope that the horse was well trained enough
not to run away at his approach. He was certainly in no condition to try to chase after it!
undaunted by his first attempt to stand, he was about to try a second time when he noticed
something was wrong…terribly wrong! It was the horse: the manner in which the animal
was walking about! The beast was hobbling, no doubt its’ health was as in ill a condition
as Sir Hammond’s!
Its’ rear flank was drenched in blood, its’ sides, neck and muzzle bore deep
lacerations and bite marks! There were torn strips of flesh hanging hideously from the horse’s
side! There were also patches of raw, pink sinew in places where the horse’s mane and
tail had been, and its’ right ear has been bitten off! “Poor bastard.” Sir
Hammond muttered, remorsefully shaking his head. Surely compassion has no meaning in this
place! Mercy is of no value to the wicked! It would have been sufficient to simply slay the
beast and end its’ torment!
A pitiful, whining sound emitted from the horse’s mouth as its’ body quivered
uncontrollably! Sorrowfully Sir Hammond looked away, but only for a moment. When he again
gazed upon the animal it had toppled upon its’ side kicking and thumping violently!
In mortal agony, frothy saliva mingled with blood spurted from the animal’s mouth!
Its’ eyes looked as if they were about to explode from their sockets as the animals
began to go into seizures! “Poor bastard!” Sir Hammond repeated. He noticed a
large stone near the horse’s head! If he could just rise to his feet and lift that
stone, then he could end the steed’s pain!! Again he attempted to rise to his feet,
but he was still too weak to accomplish it! Inwardly, Sir Hammond could not help but wish
that death would take the animal quickly! His prayer was answered, but doubtfully from God
as seemingly out of no where four demons mercilessly pounced upon the stricken horse! “Aaahhh!” Sir
Hammond gasped, awed by the creatures’ speed and ferocity!
The already dying horse made one final, desperate effort to escape his attackers by rising
to its’ hooves: fight or flight! It was immediately brought down again! Even its’ final
neighing was denied as one of the demons’ jaws clamped down upon the horse’s
throat cruelly cutting off precious air to it’s lungs! Only a loud hissing sound emitted
from the animal’s throat! The second creature with its’ razor like claws tore
into the horse’s stomach spilling it’s intestines seconds before barreling inside!
The filthy beast commenced to rolling around in the horse’s entrails in a gruesome
exhibition of ecstasy! The third creature was diabolically biting and clawing at the horse’s
convulsing, muscular hind quarters while the fourth occupied itself by ripping away its’ spinal
cord! “Uuhhh!! Damn!! God damn them all!!” Sir Hammond growled, powerless to
destroy those miserable creatures! Grievously he looked on, assuming that they were about
to devour the horse! But the demons merely stood about snarling, flexing their deadly claws
and flashing their sinister fangs as if attempting to impress the others!
“Blimey! Worse than bloody wolves they are!” Sir Hammond growled, “What
is taking them so long? What are they waiting for?” Sir Hammond mused that perhaps
they merely savored the thrill of the hunt… the kill, the flavor of fresh blood or
the rendering of flesh betwixt the spaces of canine teeth! Perhaps they were merely saving
the flesh of the beast for someone else: guarding it! then, from out of the darkness, a whole
horde of creatures of various sizes emerged, but instead of joining in on the fresh kill,
they began to disperse and search the entire area before them! It was exactly what Sir Hammond
feared most would happen! Gath has at long last learned of his escape from his castle, and
has sent his demon servants to search the country side for him! Like the horse, Sir Hammond
knew that he was far too weak to do battle against such odds even if he was still armed with
his weapon! Then, to his surprise, the demons began to excavate the mounds of earth that
he noticed earlier!
Dirt and mud was sent sailing everywhere as the creatures continued their frantic digging!
It was clear that they were searching for something! Then again perhaps the creatures were
merely about to bury the remains of the horse for a later repast! But again, Sir Hammond
was mistaken! The demons wasn’t immuring their future meal, but unearthing their present
repast…Humans! Sir Hammond crossed himself as the contents of the first few mounds
were revealed! The demons then began a terrible feeding frenzy as more of the human remains
were extricated from their profane graves!
As the demons’ feeding frenzy reached a feverish pitch, the corpses were literately
torn to pieces before his startled eyes! One small creature ran off on all fours with a human
leg clamped in its’ jaws while being heavily pursued by three others! “God save
me!” Sir Hammond whispered as he crossed himself again! The foul stench of the night
air was made even worse with the stench of the unearthed corpses, painfully twisting his
stomach into knots! He doubled over, leaning his body to one side as he regurgitated! When
the waves of nausea passed he rested, leaning back upon his elbow! “Fire and damnation,
I have no time for this!” he thought to himself, breathing through his mouth instead
of his nose!
He did not want the same odor to cause him to throw up again! Sir Hammond mused that he
was wrong about many things this night, but on two facts he was certain! For one, this is
surely an inopportune time to be ill! And second, he must get up and away from this place
before he is discovered! The demons were slowly approaching in his direction! It will only
be a matter of minutes before he is spotted! “Uhhh! Must…get up and …out
of here while I still have time!” after making certain that the coast was clear, Sir
Hammond sat up and turned only to end up staring directly into the slimy green slits of a
demon’s eyes!
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QUEST FOR THE SCORPION’S CLAWS
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