The First Elder, what did he know? Sure, he claimed to have met The Three himself, but I always doubted this. As strong as he was, he had a crucial flaw, one that a leader ought not indulge in. Trust is something that shouldn’t be given lightly. The fool died for his trust, and I often wonder, especially when the madness takes me, if I ever was truly worthy of the trust I used to murder him. Though I truly suspect the thought to come from the madness, I smile as I scream. For that was the very moment I came to truly know the thing that dwelled in the Reservoir, and the power that it could bestow. All I had to do was separate the First Elder’s mind, soul, and will. His sacrifice was a small price to pay for such wonderful pain, such wonderful power, such pleasing madness. My screams and my laughter echo in my mind to the image of the betrayed. I know his body is still there, despite the time that has passed, his pieces locked away safely. When those pieces are inevitably freed, it will be too late.

Kurt rushed over to grab Dorian, leaning against the door frame to scoop his little brother up by the collar. As his head moved passed, he felt an obvious change in pressure. As soon as his ears were through, the sound of a roaring crowd thundered through his eardrums. Dorian was frozen, gawking at one of those things, this one staring in bewilderment right back. He had a more human quality to him than the others as he pointed at the two brothers. He shouted, “Gir-un-tok! Gir-un-tok!” Kurt had no idea what the hell that meant, but the reaction of the other ones standing around it was immediate. Ten? Fifteen of them? All started moving towards Kurt and Dorian with haste, Kurt grabbed Dorian by the back of his jacket and pulled him to his feet.

They were off then, with the speed that only honest fear could bring you. Frantically, they made their way back to where they had started, hearing more and more of those things chattering behind them. Kurt turned his head to gauge distance, when he almost stumbled over. They were hot on their tails, despite being malformed they were surprisingly nimble, two of which were so close that Kurt was able to swing his dory behind himself and nick one of them. It stumbled, its momentum carrying it to a fall.

The corridor wasn't wide by any stretch, and as the first fell, several others toppled over them. “Move!” Kurt shouted at Dorian. Kurt had to shorten his stride, Dorian didn't have the length of leg for this kind of speed. Had they not been descending in their run of terror, Dorian would have already gotten them caught. As it was, with the speed Dorian was moving, he had to flail his arms wide to keep himself from stumbling over, which was now the only acceptable speed.

As they ran past another door it swung open, more of the things coming through. They were just a hair too late opening them, a moment earlier and the two would have ran headlong right into the horde. Instead, Dorian and Kurt whipped past as the hall became darker. Dorian started to falter, slowing a touch in his strides.

“No time, Dor, we have to keep moving.” Kurt said, pushing his brother from behind.

“I can't,” Dorian replied between breathes. Bear scat, Kurt knew his little brother wouldn't be able to make the run all the way back, and what if they did? Where did they go from there? Though Dorian had a whole lot of heart, it wouldn't be enough in this circumstance, and Kurt didn't have the heart to leave him behind. Coming to a particularly dark spot, they slowed for a moment, catching their breath.

Dorian was near enough to have a breathing attack, the sound of his gasping echoed across the stone walls with each ragged breath. That's when Kurt heard more doors opening, this time in front of them rather than behind.

A now desperate Kurt was moving his way along the wall, dragging an exhausted Dorian behind. They came to the room with the platform and levers. As they headed in, they were spotted by a real ugly bastard, nose audaciously large and a rounded head that was covered in warts. Kurt wouldn't have been able to make it out if not for how oddly reflective those warts were.

“Stakich-Kuruk!” The thing said as they closed the doors.

“Get on the platform and pull the lever, I'm gonna bar the door. Go! Now!”

Dorian didn't waste any time, he headed over to the platform, pulling the lever as he hopped up. The ceiling above began to part, and the roiling chatter of the massive crowd began filling the chamber. Kurt finally lodged the dory in place, and ran towards the platform. He hopped up, having to push off the platform with his hands to make his way up. He stood just in time to make a rude gesture at the door that was suddenly swarming with those things. Dorian joined him, and together they laughed at their would-be attackers as the image of the creatures slowly vanished beneath them.

The light was very bright, and they hadn't noticed its intensity because they were focused on taunting their pursuers. When they looked up, their eyes had difficulty adjusting to the light after spending so much time in the dark.

The first thing Kurt could make out were the rocks strewn about the place, creating small mounds and uneven surfaces, then more open spaces. As the platform came to a halt, Kurt noticed a sudden silence. At some time during their ascent the roaring sound had stopped. Kurt could now make out walls surrounding the area, but only as he raised his hand to shadow the light.

“Kurt” Dorian called, something in his voice. An uneven tone, something he had only heard once before, when they had to fight a mountain lion. Kurt looked back at him, but Dorian only stared at something off to the side of him. His eyes getting clearer now, Kurt followed Dorian's gaze.

“By the gods.” Dorian whimpered.

Before them, more than twenty yards tall were sheer stone walls, leading to row upon row of stone chairs. It wasn't as large as the Colosseum in the north, but this was still huge. And whatever these things were, there was a whole hell of a lot of 'em filling this place up.

The field they stood on was about forty by eighty yards, large enough for any number of the creatures to show up down there with them. It was a terrifying thought, but an odd and insatiable lust for violence had surged within him. The sensation wasn’t natural, it was forced, like an oppressive shadow had descended on his mind. Kurt began feeling reckless, despite this stupid situation, whatever the hell they had done to get there, they were there now.

“Hey, assholes!” Kurt called out, breaking the quiet. “How many more of you do I have to kill to get the hell out of this shit hole?!” The words “shit hole” echoed back to him, and the hush over the crooked crowd continued. After a moment, a cracking noise began. From high up, an archway above revealed a private balcony center to the field. The cracking noise began there and spread like a wave, abruptly the ground seemed to shake to the “Kkek-kkek-kkek.”

Then, just as quickly, the sound stopped. “Kratk-kug, chulanjuer!” The voice that bellowed was old but masculine. A roar followed; this sounding much more human-like. Kurt felt his stomach drop and moved to Dorian. He was dusting himself off, oddly enough.

Kurt made a face at him. “Any ideas?” Kurt shouted through the booming noise.

“Yeah, we'll be okay. I've got my juice back.” Dorian said, then pointing to a drop gate, he gestured.

It got quiet again. That voice spoke again, carrying well from the amphitheater like effect.

“Kou ask? Kow many you musk kiyy to leave?”

“Yeah, how many?” Kurt shouted back, demanding in his tone.

“K-k-if you k-can past three-k-tests of stren-k-th, k-I will grant k-you safe pass-k-age.”

Kurt's eyebrow raised to the thing, though he knew that he couldn't see it. “That simple? I've already killed two, show me the third.” He pointed his finger down, but the shape in the distance shook his head.

“Three tests-k. Take-k-it or we will have -k-meat tonight, you-k-see, many mouths to feed-k.” Even though he couldn't make out the thing that spoke, Kurt knew it was smiling.

Grim faced, Kurt nodded. “Show me your worst.”

“Kit-shaid Shak-im-ueur!” The crowd went wild. “Utka-issen raed!” The voice boomed as the figure sat. You want a show? Fine by me.

The drop gate Dorian had gestured to slowly raised. A large shadow was cast out from the light coming from behind it. As it stepped out of the gate, shadow stretching long, came an enormous creature. It was malformed like the others, its arms however were unrealistically large compared to its legs. He stepped forward walking with his arms between steps. One was longer than the other, enough that when the thing moved it looked like it had a hump.

Stepping forward the haggard looking Giant roared, raising its fists and spinning about. The crowd went wild while Kurt thought desperately about what to do. He needed a weapon.

Kurt turned in time to see the saber Dorian had grabbed earlier bouncing on the ground in front of him. From the other side a moving ball of mass sped past him. Kurt turned to follow, seeing Dorian bounding up a large boulder at unbelievable speed. Unbelievable speed for a fat ten year old that is. Dorian bounded up a slanted boulder aiming himself towards their first opponent.

Dorian leaped taking stone pieces with him. When he should have fallen short, he just kept going, as though shot from a sling. Too dumbstruck by the spectacle, Kurt didn't move. Mouth agape, he watched as about a hundred and eighty pounds flew toward the Giant's face. Coming down with both hands, he smashed his hands down. The Giant toppled like something had ripped it to the ground. And there was Dorian, shouting at the thing as he brutalized it. He looked like a great ape, like the ones in the deep Wilds. Kurt had seen what those things could do to a passerby, it wasn't pretty. Dorian smashed down with both hands over and over just like one of those apes. At first there was a wail, then a muffled shout and gurgling. After a long moment the only sound that resonated in the chamber was that of meat slapping or being tenderized.

When Dorian stopped he stood up, covered in gore. He smiled at Kurt. “Do I get extra points? Ooh, ooh, tell me I get extra points!” He laughed a bit at the end there, something that both reassured and unnerved Kurt at the same time.

“Yes, Dorian, you get extra points.” Kurt pinched the upper part of his nose as he sighed, mostly silence from the stunned crowd. A whisper began, then more audibly. “Vassu, vassu,” the creatures said, pointing down at Dorian.

“Kit-ket Ghorrukar, if k-you want to play k-games vessel, k-you should-k k-have said so.” A voice came from above.

As he spoke Kurt retrieved the saber. Hefting it in his hands, he felt like he'd rather go without. He wasn't used to the weight, he didn't have a counterbalance. Then again, he'd never held so much raw steel in his life before, it could fetch a fortune with the smiths. If a staff was deadly, Kurt mused, how deadly could this be?

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Dorian had made his way over to Kurt, and Kurt moved to intercept him. With a deep hum, the ground shook. Black masses seemed to shape themselves around Dorian in a cage-like structure, stone solidifying around it. Dorian moved to break it but found he couldn't. He thrashed, like a beast caught in a trap. For all intents, he was.

A distant wall began to part, not a drop gate. This appeared to move on its own accord, another room behind it.

Only two torches adorned the large chamber, a black mass shambling towards them. Kurt made over to Dorian's cage, trying to break it with the saber. The stone wasn't overly thick, it didn't make sense. Kurt kept at it, trying to get it to chip away.

“Kurt” Dorian said, “you might want to give that a break.” As he said it, the saber broke.

“Ah, you jinxed it! It was gonna give!” Kurt yelled at him, only now noticing the pale expression plastered on Dorian's face. Turning, Kurt saw a walking legend.

A Great Bear was walking towards them, massive in size. Kurt had seen long tables smaller than this thing, its maw large enough to fit Kurts entire torso.

“Dor, uh, any ideas?” Kurt asked.

Dorian took a moment, pensive. “Yeah, take Ohmer, he'll know what to do.” Dorian gestured out with his hand, and something resembling the dory from before shot out. This time it was a bit longer, better sized to his own height, but with odd curves as though it was made piecemeal from smaller parts. “Keep him busy while I get out of this thing.” Dorian said, a tinge of worry to his voice.

“This is worth so many more points.” Kurt said, and he headed out to meet the bear halfway. Maybe scare it away? Keep it away from Dorian until he got out, and he could make more mincemeat. That seemed to work well enough last time. As Kurt jogged out, the dory vibrated in his hands. Was it humming?

“Ohmer? Is that you?” Kurt asked between breaths. It hummed louder. Okay, I could work with this, he thought as he wondered at the versatile Garru.

Approaching a point to intersect the bear, he kept having odd sensations, something like a desire to action. It was making him feel brash and agitated, an aching that only violence could cure. The unerring pressure from this place, it made him… angry. He took his ground, planting the dory.

The Great Bear approached, huffing through its nose before sitting on its haunches. With a boom it roared, maw opening wide to display massive teeth. Kurt bellowed a response, but not in humor. There wasn't any joke in his manor, rising to the challenge, Kurt charged, as did the bear.

Just before they met, Kurt pivoted, using the dory to turn sharper than expected. Seeing a large paw coming at him, he rolled with the turn. Coming up, he whipped the dory out hoping to slash at the beast's foreleg. Instead of staying straight, it arched creating a whip like motion, blade point extending.

The bear pulled back, not expecting the counter. It roared in indignation, and for the briefest moment the urge for violence was called back. Now that he wasn't driven by anger, for a moment he wondered what in the actual fuck am I doing?

He ran then, moving to get high ground on the creature. Finding the sloped stone Dorian had leaped off earlier, he turned to face the bear. It wasn't far behind, and it was closing quickly. Kurt gave himself some space to maneuver, picking a good place to take advantage.

Then the urge for violence was back, stronger than ever. Rage enveloped him, he saw the bear and charged. Coming in close, he took a sideways leap, lashing out a stab as he did. Ohmer extended his dory-self, poking the bear once in the side, then again at the foreleg. The beast was becoming hobbled now, which was his general tactic. Maim before the kill.

Another strike caught the paw on the opposing front leg, the bear now getting incredibly agitated. It limped after Kurt but caught another two strikes in the side for its efforts. Ohmer was more of a whip now, one that was deadly accurate. Coming back around, Kurt slashed out but nothing was in his hands. Glancing back, Ohmer was suspended in mid-air, looking very different from his usual self. He looked to resemble a dominant predatory cat, except his snout was extended like a coyote. He now had four nimble legs dangling beneath him. Kurt had never seen a Garru like that before.

“K-k-knot very fair.” A voice sounded from above. Hovering above them, the figure from before spoke. “Ki'ins tu k-knooat. Vassu Kracken, etka Priyu.” The crowd gasped out in wonder, “priyu, priyu,” they muttered. Then some started shrieking, the sound so terrifying that it immobilized Kurt for the moment.

In that moment, despite whatever the crowd was going on about, the Great Bear finally found his mark. Last moment, as the massive beast reared its paw back to strike, Kurt stepped in. The result was the most jarring experience of his young life, one moment his vision was that of black fur, the next moment everything blurred past as he was ripped off his feet. A few pops sounded from his side as he was struck, and a few more after he bounced off the ground once, twice, then rolling to a stop. As luck would have it, as he was struck, he was flung up the slope of the stone, landing and letting an arm dangle over the side. He knew he was unreasonably lucky but wasn't surprised. He'd get out of this one yet.

Sitting up, wincing in pain, he coughed once. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he didn't have the energy, or the care, to cover it. He was delirious, head swimming as he tried to make sense of what was around him. A black shape in front of him was limping its way towards him. He heard the speaker again, this time Kurt could understand him.

“Ah, a Priorius and a broken vessel. This must be his work.” The hovering figure lowered himself a little, and Kurt could finally start to make out some details. It was covered pustules, and was pale like snow. His eyes though, they were a glowing dark green, menacing like a stalking great cat. “He's been trying to-k breed an army of k-you for ten millennium, maybe more.” His chortling came out like crackling, a series of k-k-k-k. It was a horror. “Would k-you like to see-k why?”

The arm of this thing came up, a tendril of green light reaching out to Kurt. He'd have moved if he could, but every breath was debilitating as breathing shot lances of pain throughout his body. The light was suddenly on him, smothering him completely. All he saw was a jarringly bright light for a moment, before he could finally see everything in unbelievable detail.

“Sh-k-all we try rage?” He heard, the crowd now silent, the only noises the bear moving in for the kill.

A pulse ran through Kurt, like before he was innervated by the desire to move, then it was intensified. It washed over him, through his mind, through every bit of himself. His soul was on fire, all he knew was outrage, indignation, fury, and wrath. He stood, no longer in pain, fully enthralled with the fight.

With the bellowing cry of a rabid animal, he bounded towards the bear. He had no thoughts as he leaped in, surprising the beast. He struck out three times in quick succession, hitting the large animal’s ribs as he ducked a blow. Keeping light on his feet, he kept circling, striking the bear’s hind leg at the joint twice before continuing. As Kurt was fully behind the bear, he grabbed on to the fur. It spun, but Kurt's grip was the steel of fury, and nothing short of the Gods would deny him as he held fast to the gargantuan beast.

It spun several times, trying to get at Kurt. Every time it stopped, Kurt would climb farther onto its back, treating its thick coat like rungs in a latter.

“Docility.” Something said, and a pulse echoed through Kurt. He was confused for a moment. What was he doing? His hands and body hurt, why was he hanging on to this rug. No matter, he thought as he let go. Sliding off the bear, he landed hard but couldn't be bothered by it. He knew he should get up, but why?

The bear turned on him and slowly made his way over. “Kurt!” A voice cried. “Kurt! Get up Kurt! Get up!” The crying voice seemed to be wailing, crying maybe? The bear stood over him now. “Get up Kurt! Now! Kurt!” The bear arched up and pounded down with its forelegs. The air left him, and he knew that what just happened should have killed him. It reeled back to do it again, then a shout.

There weren't any words to the vocalization, but a deep bellowing boom followed it. Then his pain came back. Another shout, all primal, echoed and this one carried a wave with it. The sound was Dorian, and Kurt could suddenly feel his anger, his distress. The bear had been affected somehow too, and was backing away, looking like it was going to sick up.

It did, after several convulsions, a black mass erupted from its mouth. Unlike normal vomit, this kept going, it grew until its size near matched the bear. The bear, now brown, looked at the mass and began to flee. The mass writhed, and began to chase the frightened animal. As it did, a beam of bright light shot out, grasping the mass. “No!” A cry from above called.

The black mass became all points, jagged and hard, rolling in to the light. Kurt followed it, but it was so fast he wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it. It slammed into Dorian's cage, toppling it over. The mass moved, squirming back and forth, slowly disappearing until nothing but Dorian and the cage were left.

Another boom followed, and the cage erupted. Standing there, Dorian, plump and disheveled and young, now bore an expression of scorn. The malice in his lightly glowing eyes was palpable, it made Kurt shiver for just a moment.

“Kareck-tar Gnokish-tar trienke?!” Dorian said to the creature above.

With a sneer the thing responded. “Ikken farshek, ukon fur shin Moder. Shet ki!”

Ohmer had been suspended there, trying to move but unable. The green line connecting it to the thing glowed for a moment, then ever so lightly it drifted upwards. The manling reached out, grabbing Ohmer by the neck and squeezing it back. Ohmer stopped moving. The evil looking thing chuckled in a “kek kek kek.”

It tilted its head at Dorian. Dorian said, “Moder, kitek mikos Garru.” It chuckled in response. “Ketok priyu shashak. Karrah, sharek, kishet trak. K-you will see, there is no,” it gasped for a moment, a shriek echoing through the somberly quiet chamber. “Point.”

“Ki!” Dorian bellowed, “Ki Moder, Ki!” A hum emanated from Ohmer, unsettling. It was fear.

“Kii! Kii!” Dorian screamed, tears falling down his face.

The creature, Moder, Kurt assumed, stared down at Dorian. It began Sending as it spoke its own words, Kurt understanding them despite the clicks and gravelly voice. “You were meant to be here, for you have found them. In this, so close to the end, he returns, and in me his power will be reborn. I will know freedom once more!” Without looking away, it broke Ohmer with a bone curdling twist. Loud pops sounded as Moder continued to twist. Then, Moder couldn't twist anymore. It held Ohmer out by the neck, reaching out with a clawed hand. Kurt didn't know how much strength it would require doing it, but Moder ran his other hand down the neck and stripping the skin straight off the Garru. Whatever corpse lie beneath, it glinted like a crystal.

Dorian was wailing now, the pain in those shrieks would likely haunt Kurt onto his dying day, which may yet be this day. Kurt would have comforted his brother if he could move. He might have broken his back and was in no shape to do anything else but sit and watch.

As Dorian shook with grief, his wailing slowly evolved into outrage. Kurt could still make out the tears falling down his little brother's face, and if a tear left his own eyes, he knew no shame for it. After a long series of sobs, Dorian paused. He took a deep breath, holding it for a moment. That's right Dorian, remember the stave practice, remember self-control, remember to breath. Dorian's eyes opened, and the sight scared Kurt down to his broken bones.

Dorian's irises were completely gone, the light that shone through them so bright Kurt wanted to shield his eyes, but couldn't. The wail that reverberated from the chamber was feral, the scream carried with it pulses of force, debris suddenly being flung away from him. A pause, and Dorian screamed again, this time even louder, and the force doubled in intensity. Moder shot a hand out, trying to do something, but Dorian snarled. Possessed, he gestured to his side, a boulder flew into the air, curving as it caught Moder.

The boulder curved again, this time heading straight for the ground at alarming speed. Then another wave came from Dorian, and like diving into a lake in winter, Kurt did everything he could not to gasp in surprise. He could feel Dorian, could feel the depths of his pain. Kurt knew he was in bad shape, but the pain he felt from Dorian was unbelievable by comparison. Humiliation, outrage, grief, loss, indignation, hurt, loneliness, and so much more. It was abrasive, like diving headlong into a winter lake.

The boulder landed near Kurt, no more than ten yards from him, but he couldn't care. This new pain, this agony was all. Dorian walked, steady but sure, towards the boulder. His hand arced out, and the boulder melted around Moder. The melted stone solidified in a kind of chair, tilted oddly, holding Moder out in front. Kurt could see, despite the tears running down his face, that Moder too was crying.

“K-you are the one...” Moder said between gasping breaths. He sobbed, then said, “I've been waiting so long for...”

“You animal!” Dorian snarled in the creature's face, and with the word “animal” came another pulse of pressure. The sound of small rocks hitting the ground around them was of little concern to Kurt at that moment, though he did begin to worry that the chamber would collapse if this kept up.

“K-I can give him back, the-k Garru.” Moder wheezed. “I can show you the secrets.” It said before gasping. The stone around Moder flexed, constricting on it.

“Ikkon shiatska karish ka.” Moder whispered. Dorian stopped, standing in front of him.

“In exchange? What would I want from you other than how to get Ohmer back?” Dorian's glowing eyes dimmed as logic began to win out.

“Kikesh, freedom. You will be captured by-k k-him. K-you know who I speak of, but k-you know not k-what it k-will take.” An arm reached out, holding the crystalline corpse of Ohmer. “K-he is like me, k-he is undying. There k-is a way for us both to-k be-k free. K-I have waded thkough so much pain, k-waiting for k-him. I k-thought it wou-k-ld be me, but it k-must be you. K-you are k-it, k-you are the k-k-k vessel.”

Dorian stood, thinking. With a wave of his arm, Moder's prison melted away, and the ugly pale creature smiled. “Let k-us first take care of that one.” Moder said, gesturing to Kurt. A green light flashed, then black.