Category : Stories

Sub Category : Fantasy

The sound of steel cutting through the air is the only warning the creature gets.  The heavy bladed axe connects with force and precision and cleaves the void creature with a single swing.


The twisted creature of flesh and steel collapses under its own weight and falls to the ground.  The fierce warrior that struck the blow leaps from his hiding place and lands heavily in triumph.


The gleaming example of martial prowess stood tall on his mountain. His leather armour creaked against the mass of muscles beneath.  He idly drops the axe head onto its hook at his belt. In a moment of quiet contemplation he picks up a tentacle from the veil born.


Three?  He had never seen three together in any configuration.  The warrior had spent much of his life bringing these evil beings to ruin.  In all that time there had never been a gathering of three together attacking a group of people this large.  These implication were ominous.


“Stay in cover, there may be more.” He calls over his shoulder.  Nothing he knew of these creatures was true anymore, now was the time to let caution should guide his way.


Ignoring his own warning, he walks into the street openly, as if to invite whatever remained to come out and play.  Caution was never his strongest suit, then again, neither was listening to his own advice. The sound of steel tapping on wood rapidly catches his attention and he wheels to face it drawing his axe once more.


Silence falls on the street again setting an eerie feeling unto the warrior.  Again the tapping sound rumbles in the silence and the warrior wheels again to face it, only finding darkness.


A third set of tapping sounds from a third direction and the warrior wheels one more time.  Patience is a second virtue the seasoned warrior lacks. What remained of his patience was now gone.  “Come out here and fight me you hellish beasts! I can hear you out there.” He bellows at the darkness.


In all three direction the shadows shifted and contorted before spitting forth a strange new being.   The shadowy creatures chattered towards their challenge. Unlike any seen before, these creatures moved quickly on six shorter but still sharp legs.  Legs crafted from the limbs and weapon of a fallen warrior. Postured like a scorpion with its tail up high the creatures moved into position surrounding the veteran brandishing two sharp claws ready to strike.


Atop the creatures tail sits the void born terrors that build these things to steer into battle.  The man did not need to have fought these particular mutations to know how to bring them down. With a hop onto a claw and a leap onto the body he brings the axe down hard, cleaving the terror in half.


Confident in his kill he turns to assault the remaining two while it crumbles beneath him.  A sudden blow from behind knocks him forward onto the ground and a claw slashes his calf.


He rolls onto his back, stunned.  How could the beast he had just cleaved be still fighting on.  He had been so certain of the kill.


From the shadows rushes a new figure to the scene.  A young girl rushing to the warrior screaming for him not to die.  In her teary embrace the soldier waits calmly for the inevitable. 


The creatures rear in preparation for a final assault and a realization dawns on the man.  The clever beasts had built a decoy atop its tail and hid under the body of the construct. This knowledge would help in fighting these in the future, it was too bad this knowledge would not survive.  Closing his eyes, he embraces his daughter in his arms. He pained at the idea he could not save her, but should he die here, then she would still fall in short order so long as these things walked.


As the creature brings its pointed legs to bear upon its intended pray a sudden flash of light bursts from the pair.  The light erupts with a force strong enough to knock all three creatures back. When the scene washes white and blinds everyone watching the terrifying moment.  Eventually, the darkness returns and with it the remnants of the scene, the devastation is clear.


Not only were the three scorpion-like creatures a husk of dripping flesh and twisted metal but the closest buildings were damaged beyond repair.


“What happened?” he asks.


“I am sorry daddy.”


“Sorry for what?”


“I, I did it daddy.  I didn’t mean to but I couldn’t stop it.  Are they going to take me away now?”


“Who?


”The Paladins daddy, that’s what they do right?“