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Thread: Last of the Iron Fangs - Chapter 2 - It will learn

  1. #1
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    Default Last of the Iron Fangs - Chapter 2 - It will learn



    Riayu led his team through the trees, the Sslik spread out and the mammals close behind. They were following a trail of blood, a spot here, a smear there, barely discernable but still a trail that would lead them to their quarry. After several hours, they came across a mangled body, and though Artgith and his party recoiled at it, the hardened Sslik ignored it and continued past without slowing down. They now had an idea of where their prey was headed, and had decided to follow it to a small valley at the western end of the Sslanis Basin, near the town of Parsinia.

    Nobody said anything for several days as they moved slowly, the Sslik trackers able to follow the skillfully hidden trail of Sslimath. Riayu stopped several times a day to confer with his troops in sign language, often sending them out wider in an effort to not miss anything. They had come across another path that had a scene of carnage on it, obviously work of their quarry, and sped up a bit, knowing now that Ssilmath was headed to the rich copper mines near Parsinia, perhaps to rest, perhaps to find more creatures to slaughter.

    As they neared the entrance of the valley, Raiyu called them all together, breaking the silence. The Sslik trotted over quickly, spears and bows ready and looking alert. Artgith, Mayloth, Grizzlebeard and Vishouth moved up as well, looking very uneasy about things.

    "Ok, he is in there," Riayu said as he motioned towards a large mine shaft. "I can smell blood in there. I will go down, with our friends here, and I will take Vrex, Zalvrid and Morhith with me. The rest of you, stay at the entrance and do not let him get out. This is our chance to remove a blight from the Sslik name."

    "Aye, let's kill him and be done with it," Artgith growled, drawing his longsword. "I want his head."

    "Hrrmmm...perrhaps you should stay up here," Vishouth broke in, then gave Riayu a glance. "I...Hrrmmm...I would like to take him to Kion...Hrrrmmm...alive."

    Riayu nodded to Vishouth, and placed his maul at the entrance to the mineshaft. Artgith began to protest, but Vishouth shook his head and grabbed several length of strong cord from a pouch at his side. Without any further words, they descended down into the darkness.

    Though the shaft was dark, the reptilian and feline eyes adjusted quickly and they were able to see with little trouble. Ssilmath had gone deep, but had not counted that the mine had no side passages or exits. A good half hour went by before they had gotten to the bottom, where the shaft widened into a large room. Vishouth, Riayu and the other three Sslik spread out, looking everywhere they could, searching for their elusive prey. After several more minutes of searching, they found the reptile standing in at the far end, in a fighting stance and with a challenging look in his eyes.

    "Ssilmath, do not resist, "Riayu began, moving towards the other Sslik. It hissed at him, then growled deeply before rattling out an angry tirade in an alien tongue. Riayu winced slightly. "I don't understand most of what he says. I don't know Sslik as well as I should. But he basically calls us traitors to our race."

    "Hold him...Hrrmmmm...down, and I will tie him up," Vishouth instructed. "Do whateverrrr you...Hrrrmmmm...have to. I want him....Hrrmmmm...unharmed."

    "What are you going to do with him?" Riayu asked, signanling Vrex, Zalvrid and Morhith forward. They nodded and trotted forward, holding their staffs ready.

    "I'm going to...Hrrrmmm...train him," Vishouth responded in his deep voice. "All life is sacrrrred, and...Hrrmmm...should not be wasted."

    Raiyu nodded, then gave a command. The other three Sslik charged in and began to strike at Ssilmath with their staves. After a short while, a very bruised and unconsious Ssilmath was bound and carried up the mine shaft. Vishouth placed Ssilmath on a travois, bidding the others goodbye. Riayu asked for payment, but Artgith refused, stating that the Sslik should be happy to do their duty. As he walked off with Mayloth and Grizzlebeard, he was oblivious to the looks of hate and loathing he recieved, nor did he see one of the reptiles raise a spear to throw, only to have Riayu hold his arm and prevent it.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Several days later, Vishouth walked up to his house just outside Kion. He laid the Travois down wearily. Ssilmath was asleep now, but for most of the trip he had struggled and made all sorts of angry screams and noises. As he stood up and stretched his back, Kindra, his wife, came running out of their large, beautiful sandstone villa.

    "Vishouth Dravorin," the lithe, tiger striped Saris stormed. She got down to where he stood by the travois, and put her hands on her hips. "I let you go for three days, and you disapear for 2 weeks. And you bring a Sslik, bound like some animal, to my doorstep!"

    "Kindrrra," the black furred, golden maned Saris soothed. "Dearrrest, I saved him...Hrrmmm...frrrom a human that desirrred...Hrrmmm...to kill him."

    Kindra scowled for a moment longer, then smiled deeply as she ran up to her husband and began running her fingers through his mane. Vishouth smiled and held her close, then released her and looked at the slumbering Sslik. His face darkened and he scowled.

    "Dearrrest, I...Hrrrmmmm...know that you will not...Hrrrmmm...like this, but, "Vishouth started. When Kindra looked at him with concern, he continued. "Hrrrmmm...This Sslik is wild, and...Hrrrmmm...must be caged like an animal. It is...Hrrrmmm...forrrrr everrrryones safety."

    "You're right, I don't like it," Kindra replied, scowling. "He doesn't deserve it whatever he has done."

    "It isn't what he...Hrrrmmm...has done," Vishouth countered, nudging Ssilmath with an armored toe. "It is what he...Hrrrmmm...is. He is morrrre an...Hrrrmmm....animal than anything else. Hrrrmmm...He has neverrrr been...Hrrmmm...arround civilization beforrre."

    At the prodding, Ssilmath opened his eyes, muscles instantly bunching as he tried to leap up...All the he managed was to flop on the ground repeatedly, snarling and slobbering. Kindra and Vishouth moved back, letting the reptile settle down. After several minutes of thrashing, he lay still, panting from the exertion. Vishouth stepped over to him and gently moved Ssilmath back onto the travois.

    "You see my dearrrr," Vishouth explained. "He....Hrrmmm...does need to be caged. At least...Hrrrmmm...Until he is civilized."

    "And how will you manage that, husband," Kindra asked softly. "Will it learn to behave?"

    "Aye, my dearrrr." the cleric replied. "Whateverrr it...Hrrrmmm...takes, it will learn."

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Ssilmath opened his eyes at the feel of metal nudging his back. He knew that he was still bound, but perhaps this time he could break the bonds. He put all of his strength into trying to break the bonds, grunting with the exertion, but having no success. He heard that cat speaking, but understood nothing of what they were saying. After several minutes of futile struggle, he laid his head on the ground and gave up. He felt himself moved back onto whatever the cat had used to carry him, but paid it no mind. He focused on trying to remember what these two legged cats were, trying to remember why they seemed familiar.

    The only images that came to his mind was flames, and seeing other cats like this one striding around in armor. There were other softskinned there as well, laughing as they did something horrible. But everytime he tried to remember what they had done, his mind went back to flames and darkness. All he felt was a need to kill these cats, and every other soft skin possible. Why he needed to kill them remained a mystery.

    He lay still as that big cat and another smaller one carried him into a large stone building and to a back room. Struggling was useless at this point. They laid him down inside a room with small shiny bamboo stalks for walls. The fools...the moment he had broken free, he would snap the fragile walls and kill them all before he went back to his home, back to the jungle. Slowly Ssilmath smiled to himself. He would kill them all and drag every soft skin down to hell with him.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Why is he smiling?" Kindra asked worridly, pointing to the savage grin on the reptiles face. "He seems almost...happy."

    "I do not know my...Hrrrm...dearrrr," Vishouth answered. He closed the door to the cage and turned to his druidic wife. "But once he...Hrrrm...learrns to speak common, I...Hrrm...am surrre we will find out."

    "I don't like the look of that smile," Kindra shivered. "It reminds me of the smile Ruxus get when they are about to kill a small animal. It's a smile that comes from the anticipated pleasure of killing."

    "Then perrrhaps he...Hrrmmm...is an animal," Vishouth said as he put an arm around his wife's shoulders. "And if so, then I...Hrrrmmm...intend to trrrain him."

    "How?" Kindra asked.

    "The way you...Hrrrmmm...trrrain a vicious animal," Vishouth replied with a sad but determined look on his face. He turned and gestured to a long strap of braided leather. "You beat and...Hrrrmmm...starrrve them until they...Hrrrmmm...obey you."
    Death is the ultimate dilemma and integral to the beliefs and behavior of every culture. Life is bore on the corpses of the dead. Without death, there would be no motivation to do anything. The only emotion would be existing. Life would be pestilent and agonizing.

    Ssilmath Torshak
    Paladin of Kass, Master Armorsmith

  2. #2

    Default Re: Last of the Iron Fangs - Chapter 2 - It will learn



    Great story!!!
    Ular Naga wants more!
    More!
    :D
    Ular Naga

    Proud "Handy Man" of the -Dark Saga-
    Unity Shard

    "First i followed the light then the blight, but suddenly nature showed me the path to walk"

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