“We’re not supposed to remember.” My brother kept muttering to himself. He and three others resurrected after going on a short expedition east of Aftermath. I came in as the last person resurrected. All four were in a shocked state of mind. My brother Floki was not responding to anyone or anything, he just kept muttering to himself over and over again.
One of the men was hiding under a bed. As I approached him he retreated farther under the bed and whispered “Pippen!” I crawled closer to him. ”Pippen, hide!” I looked into his eyes, His eyes were vibrating out of fear. “What happened out there?” I asked him with a soothing voice. He stared at me for a long time almost like he was trying to get his memories in order. “We went to the swamps to see why the Blight was so concentrated in that area.” He paused to try to get his voice under control. Taking a slow breath he continued. “We were prepared for the Blight but something was in there with us. It tore us apart,” he started to sob. I grabbed the back of his head and put my forehead against his. “You are safe now,” I told him.
“What attacked you and the others?” I asked him. He got his sobbing under control enough to say “It was a bi-pedal humanoid lizard creature. It wore clothes like a man and had a gator style tail. “ He stopped as if he was remembering. His breathing got rapid. “Its claws were black. Its skin was scaly and different colors, please help me forget this!” I nodded in understanding, then I crawled out.
“Guildmistress, can we get a necro here and Fugue them? What kind of creature has the power to force you to remember being killed?” The guildmistress’s expression showed deep thought. Raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips she replied, “None that I have encountered.” I let a sigh out before I spoke again. “Should I go warn people about the swamp?” She nodded in agreement as she called out to someone to fugue the four men.
I made my way out the guildhall and to the tavern where most townsfolk would be during this time. As I opened the door, I was met by some of the heroes that called themselves town guards. “Ah, just the fellows I was looking for. We have a report of a dangerous lizard creature near the town. From what was reported it may be too much for just you lot. We may need to get the town together to keep them safe.” The men laughed me off in their drunken state. I rolled my eyes and mouthed ‘worthless’ with my lips. I entered the tavern and saw a group of pirates and brothel workers sitting at a table drinking and talking about something I probably needed to hear the beginning to understand. I greeted them with a wave and a smile, then turned to the barkeep. “Hey, got some news the Healers Guild needs spread,” I told him everything then asked him to tell them to stay in big groups until we can handle the situation. He nodded and asked what have I eaten for the day. After answering ‘nothing’ he scolded me and gave me some rat meat on a stick and some watered down wine.
After a few minutes of sitting with the barkeep, my brother came in and sat next to me. “So I hear the whole expedition got killed and gave us some pretty bad Rez sickness.” I laughed at the rez sickness remark then replied, “Had to crawl under a bed to find one of y’all. But with all joking aside we need to prepare. We are not too well known and people don’t trust us enough to let us walk around with them.” He nodded and gave me a look. The look was him saying, no it’s you that don’t trust people enough. I knew the look well. Before we came here we were living in Blight safe areas and always on the move. He was small, ten years my younger. He didn’t remember the hardships we faced, the people that used us, and robbed us. I had been seeing that very look more than normal after he joined the expedition group. He liked being part of the pack; I was a bit of a lone wolf.
Later that day just before dusk I started to help the Healers Guild with fortifying their hall. We boarded the windows as we’d been doing normally at night since more deadly creatures had been coming to town at night. I kept telling the overseer it had to be the lights that were attracting the monsters. According to him, it was the absence of Blight that drew them to town, and the nocturnal creatures were always stronger. We barred the door with a six by six beam. It was pretty heavy, so it took two strong guys to lift it. It did its job very well; they said the guildhall had never been attacked.
Only members could sleep there and, well, I was not a member. So I made my way out and to the barracks where us nobodies lived. I armed myself with a large boat oar I brought from my home village. It had a lot of symbols I burned into it -- even the city’s symbol. I was sitting on my bunk as my brother and the others came in. They all armed and armored themselves.”New armor?” I asked them. My brother turned to look at me as he buckled up the leather armor. “Yeah, the Armorsmiths Guild gave us all new gear. It’s not much but we are quickly becoming known around town.” The one guy I talked to under the bed looked over to me “Yeah, Pip, you should join us. We want to form our own guild.” My brother looked at him smiling, giving him a wink. ”He’ll join.” The group all started to bother at me with friendly remarks.
All the fires, magically, alchemically, or natural all died out. The town went into a panic. Even the moon’s light that was normally produced was not giving us light -- even though we could see it in the sky. We all headed outside to see what all the commotion was all about. Very little could be seen outside, even less indoors. We all waited, thinking our eyes would adjust but they never did. My brother spoke to the groups. “We need to keep an eye ou…” Something interrupted him as he saw something coming from around the barracks. We all turned to look at what caused him to pause.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The creature stepped on to the concrete pathway between the barracks and the woodline. It moved slowly with heavy steps and sporadic movements. It paused by the door facing us. We couldn’t get a look at its face, but we could tell it had multiple colored scale patches all through its face. The lizardman lunged at the group, attacking us. The first person he went for was one of our monks. He fended the creature off decently but still took a hit from the creature.
The monk’s arm was shredded from the elbow to the wrist. He retreats as the rest of us attack the creature. We surrounded the creature and attacked it, two of us at a time would strike from opposite sides. This only worked once as the second time we tried it, he grabbed a sword that was thrust into him. He pulls in one of his attackers and forces him to the ground. We all took advantage of this attacking the creature. The attacks did not seem to phase him as he dug into his victim like a dog would dig a hole. He ripped out everything from the lungs to the groin.
We all backed off as we all noticed our friend laid in a bloody mess. The creature was solid red now covered in blood. The creature stood as it looked at his next target. We all watched in terror as the creature’s wounds healed before their eyes. Each one of the guys started running realizing we would need help. The creature got another one of us as we started to run. Only three of us were left, we ran toward the guild halls.
There was a group of people outside the guildhall trying to get the lamps relit with no success. We ran past them yelling at them. “Go inside!” They noticed our panic but did not react fast enough. The creature ran into the causing everyone to scream and run. Blood and body parts went flying everywhere. Only a few got away from the creature’s onslaught. The guildhalls were next, The creature tore through the door like it was paper.
As this was going on, the remaining members of the group and I got into our barracks, I looked to the group “Open the back door, then hide inside.” my brother looked at me. “ When it gets through the door i'll run out the back leading him back out to the swamps. I’m fast it won’t catch me.” I nodded in agreement then got under my bunk. The other guy got on his bunk with a shield and short sword. The creature took its time getting to our barracks, once it got inside it saw my brother and chased him outside.
Not long after it left it returned with my brother’s corpse. I could hear bones snapping and flesh-tearing. Then my heart sank as I heard my brother moan. I knew we could resurrect but we know we can only do it so many times before we are gone forever. This would be his fourth time resurrecting in two months. Knowing he may not come back I jump up screaming and throwing things at the creature. It stops eating and smiles at me. Its face is the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. Its teeth are short and razor-sharp, its scales are purple, green , red, and soaked in blood. Its claws are two to three inches long black and green. It's wearing tattered clothes like it was once more than just a killing machine.
I grabbed my boat oar and cracked it over the head of the creature. It went down from the blow. I yelled out hoping to get some attention “Help, We got some hurt in here. I think the creature is dead.” Some members of the healers guild ran in after a few minutes, They healed my brother. Then the creature started to laugh. I grabbed my brother’s hand and ran. The other member of our group came with us. As soon as we got behind the barracks we could hear the creature killing the few members of the healers guild that came to our rescue. We see our other members of our group walking between the barracks and the guild halls. My brother throws one of his daggers at their feet. Seeing the dagger they run to us staying in the shadows. Then we all ran to the forest thinking we would have a better chance of surviving.
“We need to come up with a plan.” the monk says as he looks around. “A trap?” I ask. My brother starts grabbing long thick sticks.” I think we would have a better chance of killing it if we can keep it out of range. “My brother says. The others agree and start making wooden spears. It does not take long to make them after a few minutes we made two apiece. We leave the spears scattered around where we planned on fighting the creature. Then two of us leave to find the creature.
My brother and I make our way back to where the creature was at. Inside the guild halls was a gory mess, blood coated the entire inside of the building. Body parts were everywhere. We continue looking for the creature and finally find it in the tavern. We beat on the windows to get its attention then run to the woodline. It chases us almost getting to us before we get to our place we planned the attack. I slow down and grab the spear and plant the flat side in the ground. As soon as I get it planted it finds its mark. Right in the stomach of the creature. Its momentum forces the spear to go through the creature.
The creature tries to break the spear but the others start to attack it as well causing it to be restrained. The creature seems to be lifeless as we study it. “It looks like a lizardfolk but with more scales.” the monk says. I look at it nodding “ what should we do now?” I ask. My brother starts to gather firewood and pine needles. “ burn it” he says. We all help gather firewood then we light up. It starts and we watch him burn. After a while, he dissipates and we see the lights of the town come back to life.
We sit for a while watching the fire. All feeling proud of saving the city. We all laugh and have a good time. Then we all head back to the city as it gets close to dawn. As we are walking we are ambushed by the creature. It kills my brother and the monk right away smashing their heads together. Brain matter and blood fly through the air. Falling from the sight I watch as the creature rip the other two apart limb by limb. I find myself petrified, I can't move. The Creature walks over to me and kneels on me. I ask it “what are you?”
“SEVER!” It screams as it plunges its hand into my gut and tears out my intestines. He makes a slipknot out of them then wraps it around my neck. Gagging and coughing as I start to fade I can feel him hoist me up a tree. Everything goes silent as my vision fades.
My brother never resurrects...