::: TALES OF "THE WORLD OF VISIONS" :::

Rockstockade

Tale 6

The hunter’s curse

The hunted

The curse hunter

The cursed

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Also it’s werelizard not warelizard. Haha!

I have edited this because I made a grave mistake with Ahdo Aricen and also some of the facts. I have removed a section at the end that I will address in another story and fixed the fact that Ahdo was not human as originally assumed. I also changed the story’s end a little as I felt it was poor in comparison to the previous sections. Still I do not think my words give the story justice, but I can’t be editing things forever. Well, I could but I shouldn’tAlso it’s werelizard not warelizard. Haha!

Athel Claspcrimson was a happy dwarf child for his first two years in the World of Visions. But his common fortress life was thrown into chaos when the terrible Night Creature, Conibo Tuftchanneled rampaged through his home, Quakecolumn. The devastation caused was too much to bear for his fragile, infantile mind and Athel grew fearful of every shadow.But he was a wilful soul and worked tirelessly to learn to confront his fears. He read every parchment he could find on night creatures and other beasts of legend and with sticks and stones he imagined himself training a martial art. His nervous disposition, taciturn nature and daydreaming tendency alienated him from his kinfolk; so when he was an adolescent, he had no friends and no much in common with anyone else around him not even with his own parents. However, he was not exempt from the longing that puberty brought to every dwarf, and one day, he decided he was ready to leave the nest, once and for all defy the terrors that had assailed him his whole life, and at the same time, escape constant mockery. So, he set off to wonder the world.He visited many a place, and eventually found an old forgotten volume that told of how, the feared night creature Conibo, who’s attack had left him so mentally scarred, had once been a noble elf, that had fallen victim to Oce Shademurk the Crypt-Abysses of Fate.It also told of how she had kidnaped countless more like Conibo and had turn them into creatures of gloom and engendered with them countless abominations. This knowledge made him decide that Teyo Asada, The World of Visions, would never be safe as long as the Crypt-Abysses of Fate was alive. So, he declared himself a Monster Hunter, got hold of a crossbow and sworn to kill the ancient fiend.His search led him to confront The Abyssal Shade of Crypts. A pitiful child Night Creature. His incompetent guide had confused the target, but it was a good opportunity to rid the world of such a monster.He only just managed to slay it, but this gave him great confidence in his ability. For a while he boasted, in hamlets and hillocks, of his achievement, but when his services where required to engage in battle some beast or another, he could never repeat the feat and instead barely made it out alive.He disregarded those failings as not being part of his destiny. He believed that his, was a divine mission, his prowess would only manifest in the presence of Night Creatures, so he focused his efforts once again to find the Crypt-Abysses of Fate.Two years he scampered through mountains and forests unaware that he accidentally had evaded Nonure Cryptskulls. The Night Creature had started to track him upon discovering that he had killed one of her daughters and she ultimately caught up with him. Athel fought ferociously but only achieved a nasty injury; so chose humiliation over death, and escaped before Nonure could launch her first attack.Athel then, felt ready for the next chapter of his life; he had had enough adventure. It was time to settle back into the life of a nice fortress; he could learn a new craft and find himself a wife. Besides, the monster was sure to catch up with him again and he wanted to be safe, deep underground when that happened.He decided, to visit his parents. He had got word that Meng Wheelwaves and Tekkud Relieflanced had moved to the Peaks of Partnering and had made their home in a recently founded fortress.It was a long hard trek, but he was a seasoned traveller, so he soon found himself standing atop the mountain looking at a long wall in the distance. Rockstockade, He had heard a lot about it in his way here. It was said the fortress had dug so deep that they had discovered an underground cavern, many monsters must lurk in those depths, so scores of monster hunters were making their way there for a chance to claim the glory that came with slaying them. He felt his stomach sink when he heard that, and for a moment, he considered turning back. But he concluded that his days as a monster slayer had ended and he was only going to join his parents in a quiet farm life so there was no reason to worry about caverns and such.He sensed a dwarf approach behind him. Another monster hunter. Athel picked up his pace. Some of the monster hunters he found on the way had recognised him and had laughed and ridiculed him and he was anxious to see his parents so decided that he should avoid getting distracted in conversation with a stranger. The dwarf behind him picked up his pace too. He must have identified him, Athel increased his own speed; surely the traveller would not see the point in chasing him and would leave him alone, but instead Athel felt the stranger run towards him. This startled him so he turned, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a werelizard leap at him.It had bitten him in the neck and left him there prostrated. He tried to scream but only heard the spurting of blood. The curse of the werebeast was now within him. He would become that which he hated the most.Athel would not allow such fate to befall him. He turned face up to look at the stars, he would not call for help; he should wait to bleed to death and then everything will be left behind. That would have to be his last triumph. He felt all his strength leave him, taking with it his pain and his fears. He would soon be free. He thought of Rockstockade, the notorious fortress he would never see was about to be assailed by a werebeast. Horror struck him suddenly, his parents where there, he had to warn them. At that moment, he gave his last breath.Likot Parchedsabre was born in the middle of great commotion. Cudgelpaddles rarely went a season without turmoil but in this occasion this large Hillocks, once a thriving metropolis, suffered near complete destruction.The day Likot was born she also died and was born again; for the werelizard who destroyed her home also destroyed her and in so doing conceived her anew. This cycle was repeated every moon; Likot would start as a dwarf, she would thirst the thirst of a dwarf and hunger the hunger of a dwarf, until this thirst and hunger killed her; and Likot the dwarf would be dead, and Likot the werelizard would be born; and then she would hunger and thirst the hunger and thirst of a werelizard; and the moon would set and Likot the dwarf would re-emerge, and she would start to hunger and thirst all over again.From the day of her birth she wondered the ruins of her home all alone. Then, the Dwarven civilization, The Influential Torch reclaimed the place and she was forced to flee.From afar she watched Cudgelpaddles grow and from afar, she longed to be like those creatures that now occupied her lair. But fear of the unknown prevented her from approaching them.Another five years of her cycle of hunger went by, until one night of full moon, she went into town following, a dwarven child who resembled her own reflection in the murky brook. She was so absorbed with the new sights and smells that she did not feel the change come. suddenly she couldn’t help getting closer to other children; and she couldn’t help feeding on them; and the feeling of, finally, having satiated hunger filled her with ecstasy; and she fed more and more. But dawn came at last; and Likot was reborn as a dwarf; and she saw the devastation she had caused; and flashes of a memory she didn’t know she had, came to her.The same day that Likot felt ecstasy for the first time, she learnt despair. And she saw despair in the faces of those still alive as she left the place. There was horror too in those faces and she also felt horror. She run and she hid, and she hungered. But she could not bring herself to quench that hunger ever again.Likot found that she was being followed, so she hid even deeper in the wilderness. She did not know much about the world, but she knew how to remain hidden from others and she knew how to watch them; so, for ten years Likot was followed obstinately by Zutthan Spiketomes and for ten years she evaded her.Zutthan, had started the hunt without any experience but revenge is a limitless motivator and ten years, a long time. She learnt how to survive in the wild, how to track, how to hunt. And she learnt Likot’s habits, so one day, Likot could not avoid her pursuer any longer.They fought viciously; one with rage, one with desperation, and when Likot realised she was losing, she let her hunger take over; and she fought even more ferociously but in the end she did not conquer. She run away with grave wounds but still alive.Likot sworn that from then on, she would live. She would kill so that she would live. And she would feed so that she could live. So, she rampaged through Minefrills, and through Mirrormaster, and Growlcloisters. Zutthan followed her trail of death to Paddlejoyus, to Combinedem. But Zutthan destiny led her to confront other beasts, and Likot continued ravaging everything in her path: Rampartplain, Manorscrape, Fortuneships and she killed many a monster slayer. And she learnt to enjoy breaking them. And she got stronger, she lay waste to Sparkledplotted and Bronzebrother and Willhawks and one day, following the scent of a monster slayer to the peak of the highest mountain she had ever climbed, she arrived to Rockstockade.She killed the hunter swiftly and entered the fortress unseen.Sarvesh Channelfigures was born in Bellroots and there, he gave birth to his daughter Aban Treatycradle, and there he watched her grow in size and in attitude and eventually saw her grow tired of the farmers life. She decided she would become a monster slayer and despite Sarvesh and her mother Cog’s opposition she trained and became a proficient macedwarf.Aban assisted Bellroots in resisting numerous werebeast attacks and her success convinced her to pursue her career in the wider world. So, against her parents’ wishes she embarked in her journey.The next autumn an outpost liaison visited Bellroots bringing news of Aban’s death. She had been slain by a giant cougar. This news devastated Sarvesh and he could no longer work the land or tend the animals. He had to go out there and avenge his daughter. So, against any misgivings that he might have had; he armed himself with a crossbow and set off to slain Pillarcherish the Steppe of Temples, the giant cougar.Sarvesh never found that beast but he did succeed in killing many others. His name had started to be known across the land and when he was bestowed the name The Complex Urns, he dedicated this accomplishment to Aban’s memory.One day he heard of a fortress high on the Peaks of Partnering which had discovered a cavern deep underground. Word had it, that many foul monsters lived in the vowels of that mountain so various monster slayers made their way there. Sarvesh had learned to enjoy his profession so he also made his way to Rockstockade, looking forward to fighting exotic beasts.On arrival he was impressed by the magnificence of the fortress. He had rarely seen one of its kind; it had a gigantic and opulent dining hall where they served superb food; it had a vibrant tavern and a comfortable inn and according to the locals they were working on a grandiose project that he would not want to miss. Unfortunately, the fortress was not accepting petitions from monster hunters and the caverns were closed to all. However, he was having a great time and he met very interesting people in Rockstockade so he decided to stay a bit longer.One day, there were screams booming around the fortress. Sarvesh came out of the tavern to see what had happened, and saw people running up and down yelling “werelizard, werelizard”. He lost no time, readied his crossbow and run toward the main stairway. Passing the hospital, he saw great commotion and many wounded. And ahead a great fight. How did a werelizard sneaked this far into the fortress? Had it been inside before its transformation, the fight would have started sooner. He decided to ponder on this question later and went to join the fight.This werelizard was no common werebeast. They were always crazed for blood but that made them wild and sloppy. This one fought with the determination of a conscious being. It killed and wounded many and avoided harm with incredible skill. Sarvesh was so bewildered that he did not notice the fiend approaching him. The pain of a bite to his arm brought him back to his senses. It was too late, he had been infected. He fought the beast with his fists and his own teeth, while the fortress military slashed and shot at the monster. It took an inordinate amount of time to put it down. It was finally struck down by Vabuk Allypage one of the fortress founders.The fortress was in chaos. The dead were being tallied and the wounded were being gathered in a room near the hospital. He could not let them lock him up. He was now a danger to anyone around him and his life would not be the same ever again, but he would not die, or worse, live the rest of his days locked up in some room.Sarvesh left the fortress making sure no one noticed. He did not know if there was a way of getting rid of the curse, but he would not rest until he found a way of doing it. He travelled the world in search of an answer.He decided that he would follow the curse trail all the way to its origins and kill every single werebeast in its lineage. If that did not help to lift the curse, at least he would rid the world of its evil.He soon found that the monster that cursed him was Likot Parchedsabres who had been infected by Iden Lessonoar. Sarvesh had seen Likot go down he needed to find Iden.One day, while searching through scrolls in Trammeledmalign a goblin city; Sarvesh saw an artefact cabinet of no much interest except its masterful craftsdwarship. It had an image of a dwarf and a child and they looked so plain that he wondered what warranted their rendition. He was told that its creator was Momuz Gildrivers and it depicted the dwarf Catten Mostwords and his son Iden Lessonoar.Sarvesh couldn’t believe the coincidence; he had met Momuz Gildrivers in Rockstockade; he had to talk to him to find out the whereabouts of Iden and maybe he would know who had passed the curse onto him. That night, Sarvesh stole Fatalsaviour, the cabinet, and made for Rockstockade.It was a long journey, made harder by the weight of a cabinet on his back so Sarvesh lost track of time. He finally arrived and made his way to the main entrance. Everyone recognised him and welcomed him back and he felt an unusual sense of belonging. He saw Momuz by the gates playing with his son who must have been born while Sarvesh was away. Momuz looked up at him and smiled, and as soon as he spotted the cabinet his face brightened. Sarvesh suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and Momuz expression changed to one of utmost horror; that was the last thing Sarvesh would be aware of.The werelizard killed Momuz before he could react. Then devoured the child.Meng Wheelwaves had moved to Rockstockade with her husband to work as farmers; but a fortress this close to the goblin capital in a barren land like this proved to be far more difficult and dangerous than she expected, and things did not go as they had planned.First there was that giant cave toad that attacked them in the cavern. It was a risk of the type she was used to take, but this time it came too close and if it wasn’t for Vucar’s fast reaction the toad could have killed her. It nearly killed Mosus and the whole affair was quite traumatising. She didn’t know that it was only the beginning.The fortress closed the caverns while it got its security in place. Meng relaxed as everyone else did. She received a message from her son Athel; he was on his way to settle with them in the fortress. She felt relieved that he had decided to do so. He wasn’t exactly the smartest of her children, nor was he the strongest so knowing that he was out there in the wilderness chasing monsters was a constant source of worry. Things seemed to be looking up.Then it happened again. As she was hauling some stone through a narrow corridor, she saw it coming towards her. A lizard twisted in humanoid form. She knew of this type of beasts; if not dealt with swiftly they could be the downfall of an entire fortress. She dropped the boulder, prepared to wrestle the beast and screamed the alarm at the top of her voice.The monster came at her fast. Meng managed to dodge, tried to swing a punch at it but failed. The monster turned and almost bit her arm. It was hard to anticipate the werelizard movements; it attacked with tremendous skill. Meng took a severe beating, but she was able to evade its bite.Later she was praised for her actions; she had given the military enough time to arrive and contain the monster. However, the beast caused significant destruction before it was put down. It had killed many and wounded even more, possibly infecting them; but worst still, at the gates of the fortress, it had killed her son.Tekkud her husband did not take the news well. He fell into depression and the thought of her wife having been attacked twice in a year was not a comforting one. He was kind and funny but had never been a strong dwarf; so, when she decided to join the military to help keep the fort safe it must have been too much for him. He withdrew form society and eventually died of dehydration. She did all in her power to help him but sometimes there is nothing anyone can do once a dwarf had taking that path.She was not going to give in to grief, though. There was so much to do. She was strong and disciplined but she needed a lot of training if she was to become a true warrior. Her conviction was reinforced when the cyclops Lun Dashdiamonds stomped in trying to enter the fortress and thanks to their training Meng and her squad easily took care of the brute.Then once again the werelizard curse came to haunt the fortress. Servesh Parchedsabres a monster hunter that had been in the fortress while the werelizard attacked returned, turned into a werelizard and killed three dwarfs including a newborn baby before dying.An order to lock up the cursed dwarves was passed and Ahdo Arisen complied of her own accord, but some of them were too wounded to move so remained in the hospital. Time run out and various civilians had to fight and conquer the turned beasts. Two more dwarves lost their lives and three were bitten during that fight.Things at this point seemed to have spiralled out of control. In an enormous effort the cursed where locked in a room. Families and friends were separated. Everyone had someone to mourn and in the end no one knows for sure what happened. But after the next full moon only Ahdo remained.