You know, I don’t get what's all about risking my life for the lord. I know he rules this castle and by extension the village down the hill, but he has given so little to the people.
I had heard that when he first arrived 100 years ago he was kind, like his mother. I never heard her name, only that she was the Thirty Fourth Child of The First God.
As I walk to my post on the castle wall I look into the main chamber, where Lord Alburno was eating his second breakfast. The fat fuck doesn’t deserve that throne, adorned with gold, gems, and the skin of an Albino Bearilla, a rare 4 armed beast of slaughter. It was a prized kill of his, slain at only 16 years old.
I arrive at my post, the right tower facing the village down the hill. My friend and fellow guard, Tark, was leaning against the mossy stone.
“I wish the Giant War was still raging on, then I could have a real reason to guard this castle” he says while removing his helmet, his shabby brown hair and dirty armor showing the morale the guards of this fort show.
After the war’s conclusion I heard that not one Child of the First God has visited Lord Alburno. Sad really, but I'm sure he never cared.
I remember my first day here, my caretakers had died the day before, then I chose to become a guard of the fort. I never got formal training like the other guards, I was always too strong.
"Shame those bandits aren't showing up anymore, then maybe you could fight something other than a dummy" Tark snarks at me. The fool never fought any bandits either. He was always too scared.
Hours pass, and nothing changes. I should move to another part of the wall, it was getting boring on this side. Just then Tark sees something that isn’t the enclosing darkness of night.
“Look there, a shadow is coming up the road” he exclaims to me.
I look down and I see it too. Slowly it grows and the large torches reveal their presence with their beautiful flames. It's a group of womenfolk.
They scream at the top of their lungs up the wall “Please help! A beast is striking down the men in the village!".
I rushed along the wall, when I got there the guards were pulling up the huge metal gate.
"Hurry men! To your horses and to your swords!" yells one of the senior guards pulling up the gate.
I leap down the side of the wall and land in a pile of hay, it exploding everywhere. That really hurt, and I didn't realize I left my sword on the wall.
Brushing the hay off my armor I ran to the gate, another guard tossed a sword my way. We mounted our horses, and when the gate was open enough we rode out into the night, and into the fight.
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Down the hill we start to hear a howling scream from the village. The party looked at each other, some fear, some excitement. We were only 10 men. Besides me there's 6 regular guardsmen coming, they were nothing really of note besides Natan. Natan was quite good with a spear, and horseback combat.
"Come on men! Let us spear the beast! Natan yells atop his horse, Mae. I heard a rumor that he raised it since it was a foal.
Then there's Ox. A Mighty warrior, wielding a greatsword and huge gauntlets.
"I can't wait to have ribs tonight!" Ox yelled as he barely fit on his horse, being 7ft tall doesn't help much.
"Try not to fall big boy, I don't need to carry your sorry arse back up the hill!" Emera yells from behind. She's new to the fort, only arriving a week ago. I wish she would teach me how to use a bow, even if I can't infuse the arrows with magic like she can.
Ulir was silent, as always. He's an old cleric who worships Lord Alburno's mother. Powerful fire magic with a little light mixed in there. But the old bag only ever does simple healing after sparring matches.
We finally get down to the village, but the screaming has halted. I stay to the back, as the least experienced in combat it's my job to be killed first if attacked from behind, I just love my life sometimes.
Slowly we rode through, not one door was open, but the road was littered with bodies. I would like to say that they are all together, but not one body isn’t missing a limb. I look at the others, I think Ox threw up a bit. Was Ulir shaking?
Suddenly there's a sound of scurrying, which stops the party in their tracks. The black of night is only broken from our torches.
The silence was only for a moment, as soon as the party stopped I looked around and saw no beast. Then we heard a sound, I wasn’t sure what it was. But I sensed something, it felt evil. This thing, it wasn’t normal. I could feel the darkness.
Then with a loud growl, a shape leaped through the darkness, and grabbed Natan right off of his horse. A shrill scream came from Natan as it threw him around.
Before anyone could react, an enraged Mae kicked it into a house. 4 of the men got off their horses and ran inside the hole in the house. I start to climb off my horse but then a bright light comes from behind me.
When I look back the light grows into an explosion that decimates the structure of the home.
“What the hell happened!” I yell as I recover from the blast.
My eyes darted around, from Ox yelling at Ulir about something, to the 2 men and Emera tending to Natan. Natan is wrecked, Emera was searching for his left arm. His eyes were lifeless. Mae was still freaking out, blood lust filled its once calm eyes.
“Why did you do that!” Ox yelled down at the old man.
“Watch your tongue brute, I did those men a favor. It is better than being ripped to shreds by that freak of nature” says Ulir.
Then we hear something from the rubble that isn’t the crackling fire. Slowly a shape rises and a shadow is cast through the fire’s light. This thing, it stood like a man, even still wearing pants, had a lean body with muscles like Ox, clawed fingers, tough skin, and it’s face…
Its jaw was elongated, teeth sharper than a sword, eyes that of a primal hunter.
“WEREWOLF, GET AWAY!” yelled from behind me. I turned back and Ulir was backing away, Ox had his great sword gripped tight. I couldn’t find Emera but the two men were ready with sword and shield in hand.
I turn back and pull my sword out and grip it with both hands. The werewolf stands and raises its head letting out a great howl, the sound resonates and almost quiets the flames. Its head lowered as blood dripped from its lower jaw.
I felt my eyes widen as they locked with the beast’s. I blinked and it was gone from the rubble and was leaping on me. I rolled to the side but when I got to my feet the werewolf had already recovered and was swinging its claws at me.
It scratched through my chest plate with every swing. I swung my sword into its neck which forced it onto a knee but I couldn’t break the skin. Crap.
Then I felt intense pain, slowly I looked down and saw its claws deep in my chest. My sword dropped to the ground as I fell to a knee myself. I couldn't explain the feeling, weakness mixed with agony.
I tried to call for help but as I raised my head towards the others the werewolf bit down on the back of my neck.
Everything has gone black, I couldn't feel anything. This must be death.
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Okay this cannot be how the afterlife is. I thought the Fourth Child had finished an afterlife by this century.
Then from the darkness a deep voice called out to me, it felt familiar but unknown.
“Arise son, for death will not be the end”
Who would win in a fight?
