Chapter 21
“Zayne stood in the frosty night as the sound of bones and flesh were torn asunder. The stars overhead had a memorable twinkle in them as he debated whether to help the soldiers out or just to leave them to their fate. Oh how cruel fate could be to these peasants.” The inner monologue of Zayne’s head was being narrated by Foulness as the night stayed still.
“Oh get over it already, Zayne go help those people. Then go get that guy, you know the one that you knocked out then left in a bed.” Jiminy was speaking fast as the display of the soldiers differences were shattered as the creature continued its onslaught of an attack, and by that it was eating them then shitting them out again.
Currently the creature was a ginormous slug that was pearl white to the point that is was practically glowing. The size of it was larger then that of the in they had visited that evening. The bulk of the slug was barely contained as fat rolls were literally spilling out of it in the shape of black tare that smelt worst then anything anyone has ever smelt. The mall of the slug opened again showing a flower shaped mouth as small needle like teeth were stack upon rows and rows all the way it its gullet. The thing convulsed shutting as it scrunched up then sprang out stretching, clamping down on another solder as he waited for help. The help that never came in time.
As the previous human that was swallowed by the brood mother sat there being digested alive, the following human would take that one’s place as it shifted on the final cycle of its gullet. The human that was being digested was pushed out of it as one of its offspring that was a mangled mess of human melded together with a semblance of a crab. The whole prosses had been documented before from multiple kingdoms.
The total number of humanoid crab things was currently sitting at 53 soon to be 54 but that was neither here nor there as Zayne sat watching in rapped attention. But maybe Jiminy was right, maybe he should help. Help them to die faster. That and he wanted to see if that slug was edible in any way.
Sitting atop the roofs peek, Zayne pushed his will out causing his chains to lift him slowly as he assessed the situation. Over the years of constantly attacking the human’s city, he had developed a keen eye for tactics but was non the wiser for it unfortunately. Only instincts with this one as it always is. The ghostly chains slowly settled in his palms as he prepared to pounce on the things below. Squatting down, Zayne gave all the strength that he had shattering the small house that he stood atop, launching himself into the air. The house was completely obliterated as the shock wave passed through the soldiers and creatures alike causing them to cease for a second. The men and women looked around trying to spot the source of the noise as a ripping sounded above caused them to look up. The creature by now was preoccupied with eating more solders as something split it in two. The explosion rocked the humans causing most to stumble from the tremendous blow, blood and digested human parts splashed out coating everyone in a 30ft radius from the impact.
“Lieutenant, Roll call!” Night captain Margellio yelled out. The silence stretched out until one of the men came forward as the rest of them stayed watching the unknown knight as he stood in the center of the creature. The soldier came forward at an unease pace, “Lieutenant didn’t make it sir.” The man took off his helmet gripping it tight in both hands. “He was one of the first casualties of the brood mother unfortunately.” The sullen look and the soldiers’ faces said it all.
Margellio took it in stride as the news hit him, a man that served under him for the past twelve years didn’t make it through this fight, his friend didn’t make it through this fight. “He,… he will be missed.” Gathering his wits Margellio roused the rest of his men only to be confronted by another knight, and by the look of their insignia it was sir Knight Ogre.
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Looking at the blood covered knight should have brought great peace to Margellio but it had the opposite effect on him and his man. The once bright and cheerful man was standing silently in a scene of carnage without saying a word. The onlookers stayed their hands as they waited for sir Ogre to say something cheerful but all that was met with them was abysmal. Sir Ogre took slow strides out of the corpse of the beast as he made his way in front of the night captain, the sound of blood squelching in his steel boots was the only sound that accompanied the crackling of the flames that flickered.
No one made a move to stop the legendary knight , only to step out of his way so they wouldn’t be stop on.
“Sir Ogre, it is a pleasant surprise to see you. Especially on these trying times. I-” Zayne threw out his hand out to fast for anyone to see surprising night captain Margellio and everyone else there. The hand appeared in front of the night caption resting in what he could only guess was a waiting hand shake.
He slowly reached out unsure if this was what the mythical knight truly wanted or if he was just giving him something. Wait. Could it be sir Ogre didn’t find him adequate for the night commanders' position. He didn’t have the authority to take his rank away from him, but if he did there was no one that would argue that fact present nor would his men help. They just witnessed the knight kill the beast by himself saving everyone here. No, he would what needed to be done.
Everyone present waited in rapped attention as their night captain took of his sign of authority off with his hand then smashed it in to the waiting hand of the man in front of him. Every one gasped, one even eeped. Margellio turned his gaze to his men searching for the one that ended.
“I’m sure all of you are aware of what this means. That I have failed you, and that I am not fit to lead anymore.” Tears were starting to bud in Margellio’s eyes. “But today-”
As Margellio went to pull his hand back he found that he couldn’t, the sir knight was still holding on. The pressure slowly increased causing pain to shoot up into his arm, the small cracking of his bone followed quickly behind it stopping him from being able to scream. The pain stole the air right from his lungs as his legs began to wobble. The pain subsided shortly over time to the point where it was now numb. The onlookers didn’t expect anything like this causing most to stay in place. The few that did move was due to uncertainty forcing them to take a step back. Then, a voice caused the hand that was attached to the night captain to stop. The voice belonged to a wandering peasant.
“Za-, sir Ogre. Is everything alright?”
Zayne turned to see Chris, the one that was supposed to be in his bed out and walking around. Chris threw a few hand gestures out. -What the hell are you doing?- Margellio saw the sign of hands but couldn’t say what was being said.
The hand let go as the sir knight responded to the now recognized squire. -Just having fun-.
Zayne threw a few more but at this point his hand movement was going to fast for Chris to keep up with it. The pin was still embedded into the night captains’ hands as he looked down to assess the damage that was done to his once knightly hand. It was mangled and broken in shades of purple and blue with some spots that look gray. Needless to say, it wasn’t a pretty sight but that didn’t stop the night captain from coming up with more delusions of why the sir knight would do something like this.
-The sir knight must think that I am still needed for the service of my men and for the kingdom. He just could bring him self to tell me that without losing face with my men. He truly is a hell of a man-. Or so Margellio thought to himself.
The night captain hid his punishment under his arm; his punishment for failing his men and his kingdom as he spoke to everyone around.
“Men, today was a great victory with many sacrifices. Some of you will remember this night as the night we finally defeated the brood mother that has plagued this kingdom for the last eight years. That this night marks the end of the nightmares the rest of the villagers will have to face!” he cheered as he looked around remembering that all of the villagers were all already dead. He move past that side note as he gave the marching orders to the rest of his men, their going back to the keep.