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| Whisper of a Demon's Shadow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Though death shall surround him | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He will not fall - a strength shall empower him | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The dark will be turned away | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The reluctant hero will prevail... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ...The Prophecy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Three: living nightmare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a cold sweat - Thomas awoke and flailed about on the ground. He quickly got up and looked around like a cornered animal. When he realized where he was and that he was safe - he began to slowly relax. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A dream? You have to be joking?" he muttered. He drew his dagger and stormed over to where the pool and Puffroom were. All that was there was a small clearing. There was no sign of tracks - no sign of a pool of water - nothing. He backed away and shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| He hesitantly made his way back to his campsite. He looked up at the dreary skies. The dark overcast of thick clouds made telling any sort of time difficult. But due to how dark it wasn't - he guessed that it was around midday. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I do not want to be at that place when the sun sets," he muttered as he gathered his belongings and hurried along. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mere hours later - he was there. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The mere site of the place alone was enough to turn a man's stomach. Clouds of flies hovered over vermin eaten corpses. The stench of death and illness hung thick in the air. The graves that were not disturbed - what few there were had putrid pools surrounding them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - why am I here?" he asked himself - looking around the nightmarish site. He stopped walking. Something was watching him. He slowly looked over his shoulder. A cat sized rat - perched on its hind legs was sitting atop a semi-toppled tombstone - staring him in the eyes. "AH!" he exclaimed as he jumped away. He slipped and fell into an open grave. A chill went down his spine - the grave - was not empty - nor dry. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a fevered panic he clawed his way out of the grave and looked over at the rat that he swore was laughing at him. He grabbed a rock and threw it at the vermin. The shot missed it - but was close enough to scare it away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I do not - repeat not like this place," he muttered. He forced himself up to his knees. It was there again - that feeling of being watched. "Go away rat," he began. He spun around - it was not a rat - it was three people that were dressed in tattered robes. "I'm - sorry - a huge rat," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do - not fret. This place - does things to the mind," one person said - his raspy voice made Thomas's skin crawl. It was then that he noticed the man's hands. They had blisters and sores all over them - and the fingers were almost claw-like. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - was just going," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't leave just yet. Not many come this way anymore," one of the others almost hissed. From the shadows in his hood - Thomas could see a look of delirium looking back. He was going to back away when he heard something shamble a fair distance behind him. He spun around and saw three more cloaked people - they stopped when he saw them. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This isn't a dream," Thomas muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Dream? I remember dreams," one muttered. He lowered his hood - his teeth were refined to points what few teeth he had remaining. A cannibal - no worse - a ghoul - one who feasted on the remains of the dead! "They are like voices," the madman muttered. Thomas drew his knife. He spun around making sure that his would be attackers could see the blade. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You will not make a meal of me," he stated. The ghouls staggered away - but began to circle around him - cutting off any means of escape. The moaning sounds sends chills down his spine - and the sounds of the ghouls smacking their lips with anticipation all but turned his stomach. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You can't beat us all," one taunted. It darted at him. Thomas spun around cutting the arm of the ghoul. It yelped out as it hopped away - cradling its wounded arm. Others among the ghouls began to look at the wounded one as a potential meal. "Him!" the beast hissed pointing at Thomas. Slowly but surely - once again he was the focus of their attention. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why are you - things here?" Thomas demanded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We live here. We sought to flee your village not so long ago - although - it seems like an eternity looking back. I think - the real question - my tender - looking friend - is what are you - doing here," an especially creepy looking ghoul asked - perched atop the gravestone that the rat had been on. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My reasons are my own and are none of your concern," he retorted. The ghoul chided and shook a claw-like finger. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I am making it my concern. One so young - so healthy - does not stray so far from the nest without reason. Could it be - dare I say - the prophecy?" the ghoul asked with a menacing hiss. The other ghouls began muttering prophecy until the ghoul raised its hand - causing the others to be silent. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What concern would it be if that were so?" he retorted. The ghoul smirked and shrugged his shoulders. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Maybe nothing - maybe more," the ghoul hissed as it hopped from its perch. Thomas watched as it growled at the others. They quickly scurried away - they were alone. "Good help is hard to find. Perhaps - just perhaps - we could be of service to each other," it hissed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I seriously doubt that," Thomas muttered. The ghoul giggled then glared at Thomas. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I would mind the tone my tasty looking friend. More than one of my less that savvy colleagues would love nothing more than to have you over for dinner. The only thing keeping that from happening - is the fact that we are talking," he pointed out. He looked over to the side - Thomas hesitantly did the same and saw the ghouls watching them from behind trees, stumps and toppled tombstones. "I walk - the run - get my meaning - my meaty friend?" he asked - showing his pointy teeth. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What do you want?" Thomas asked in disgust. The ghoul tapped his chin for a few seconds - as if to pretend to be thinking over the suggestion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Retire from your quest maybe. Leave your belongings and the like - and return to that precious village. It will be far safer in the long run," the ghoul suggested with a snicker. "But we both know that you would be way too stupid to take so safe a choice," he added - hopping closer. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "For once we agree," he retorted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "An errand perhaps then? Two birds - with one stone. I mean - if you are so intent on getting yourself killed - why not make the most of it?" the ghoul commented. It then leaned forward - its face close to his. The breath of the ghoul made Thomas's eyes water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What do you want?" he repeated. The ghoul sighed and hopped back. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Since - I can't stop you from trying to fulfill this outlandish prophecy - you can do a - service for me. Nothing big mind you. In fact overall it might actually help you. Down the path that goes east from here - is a swamp where a wretch of a necromancer hides. His foul magic - has - hindered out buffet?" the ghoul began. It was then that the sound of a corpse rising up from a grave got their attention. "Oh no you don't!" the ghoul hissed as it dived at the zombie. Thomas almost gagged at the site of the ghoul tearing the animated dead body to pieces. The ghoul then turned and smiled at him. "See what I mean? The bastard is stealing our food!" he added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And how am I supposed to deal with him? Surely you and your - uh - group of friends would be more suited to dealing with his kind," Thomas suggested. The ghoul sighed and playfully pounced over to where Thomas was. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "In theory that is good - but in truth - they are a bit of a craven bunch. They have been on a forced diet as of late. As such they are less than reliable," he pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Meaning that if one got hurt," Thomas began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The happy pack would sooner descend on the wounded that fight on," the ghoul completed. "So you see - you are my best option. And as your choices here are slim - you are the perfect candidate," the ghoul hissed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So - all I have to do - is deal with this practitioner of magic - and I am free to go?" Thomas sarcastically asked. The ghoul smiled at him - shaking a finger. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You must think me to be foolish. You think I will let you just meander out of here - free as you please? I don't think so. I think - maybe I'll have a couple of my friends go with you. You know? Just to make sure you make good on your deal?" he suggested. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "And what is to stop them from turning on me like animals? Or even killing me if I do manage to kill that thing?" he rebutted. The ghoul playfully shrugged his shoulders. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is to stop us from killing you and ending your fools errand here and now?" he rebutted. In a blur of motion Thomas drew his knife and stabbed it into the belly of the ghoul. It groaned as Thomas kicked the ghoul back. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Ah - big - mistake," it strained. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Was it? I think that one of us looks a whole lot more tempting to your friends than I do?" Thomas retorted. The ghoul looked over and saw the others inching forward. The ghoul covered his wound and hissed at the other ghouls. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You want to try me? Do so after you deal with that one!" the ghoul ordered. Once again all attention was on him. Thomas watched as the ghouls watched as the lesser ghouls made their way towards him. it was then that he noticed that the ghoul he injured had slipped away during the confusion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay - just have to injure one real bad - then they will all forget about me," he muttered. It was then that all the ghouls stopped in their tracks. "Why are they scared?" he muttered as he stepped forward - they all scurried back a bit. It was then that he noticed the shadow he was casting. "It isn't me," he muttered. The ghouls quickly scampered away. Slowly he turned around. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We meet again," Lia whispered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||