Trial of Sacrifice: A Sha-Touched Pugsworth
Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 3:30 pm
Dozens of torches guided the eight travelers –seven looked of the mercenaries hired, and the last of them a bound elven male– towards the back of the cavern. The struggles of the elf were in vain as he was easily dragged by the well-muscled men. The leader of their little group, a man calling himself Horos, raised his hand suddenly, which halted the group.
“Do you hear that?” the leader called out. The group focused their attention ahead of them, buy only darkness greeted them. Suddenly, a small figure approached from the shadows; the men could not help but laugh as a small pug approached them. They lowered their weapons, but were greeted by a figure from behind as well.
“Good EVE!” Cornelius called out loudly, startling the group. The men turned quickly, weapons in hand; Pugsworth yipped in anger as the men raised their weapons to his master. Horos, being the most steady of the group - although startled as he was– greeted the priest.
“Ye' best not startle me men, pries'.” That accent had bothered Cornelius, but pleasantries had to be exchanged.
”I agree dear Horos. They are a bit jumpy today.” He walked around the men, paying no attention to the Elf, but rather the smallest of the mercenaries. The dwarf he gazed at amused him, for he was clearly scared, yet gripped his rifle as if he intended to use it. “Now now young Dwarf,” The priest approached quickly and grabbed the man by the shoulder, “We mustn’t worry ourselves. You are safe within my home, but we must be going!.”
In his excitement, Cornelius pranced forward and urged the men to follow. Pugsworth motioned to the men to follow, a thing that confused them, not knowing how the canine knew such a command.
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After passing the last dozen torches leading into the cavern; the men were greeted by a room lit with hundreds of candles. The room had spanned nearly fifty meters long and wide, with a ceiling nearly half of that. Makeshift beams and unusual metals held the underground structure intact. Littered throughout the room were strange metallic objects and numerous sharp instruments. Those dragging the elf eyed the wooden cage and tossed the elf into it without hesitation. The bound man hit the ground hard, but remained conscious.
“It seems you found a room for our guest.” The priest jested as he walked into the room. Cornelius wandered about the room looking for something; it appeared that way–it is always difficult to tell what the man is truly thinking. “Pugsworth?” The priest called out, and was soon answered by the small yipping of his friend. The small pug drug a bloodied garment with him as he stood by his master's side.
“You read my mind.” Cornelius knelt down and retrieved the bloody apron, fastening it tightly around himself. “Now gentlemen,” he wasted no time once he was dressed properly “We have our groom,” then motioning to the prone elven male, “But what is a groom without his bride?”
Disappearing behind an earthen wall, the priest soon returned, pulled a large cage with him. While the cage was metal and spanned a solid ten feet in all directions, the wheels assisted the priest quite well in its transportation. Inside the cage was the bride he had spoken of; the woman was heavily bound and strapped rather diligently to the bars, rendering her almost immobile.
“Why ye' strap the wo'men down an' not the man?” Horos's accent once again stinging Cornelius's ears, but he did his best to ignore the pain.
“Have you heard of the Sha that inhabit this land?” Cornelius moved toward a small vial on a nearby table. “The land feeds off the fear of its inhabitants,” after picking up the vial, the priest made his way towards the woman. “It siphons the greediest nature in all of us, it is fueled by our anger towards each other.” Cornelius stood behind her and tipped her head backwards; he pulled her cloth gag down and emptied the contents into her throat. “But the hatred, that is the most important.”
As the priest placed the gag back into her mouth, he made his way towards the elf across from her. Poking at the man to wake him, Cornelius motioned Pugsworth back towards the woman.
“Ye do wha' ye want with tha' elves,” Horos interrupted once more, “Where's de' gold?”
“You will receive your payment when you've done your job!” The priest almost lost his temper as the accent burned his ears again–ever so sensitive were the ears of Cornelius. He made his way out of the room and walked towards the cavern entrance.
His instructions were much simpler now.
“When she awakes, kill the male, and you will see why she is restrained.”
“Do you hear that?” the leader called out. The group focused their attention ahead of them, buy only darkness greeted them. Suddenly, a small figure approached from the shadows; the men could not help but laugh as a small pug approached them. They lowered their weapons, but were greeted by a figure from behind as well.
“Good EVE!” Cornelius called out loudly, startling the group. The men turned quickly, weapons in hand; Pugsworth yipped in anger as the men raised their weapons to his master. Horos, being the most steady of the group - although startled as he was– greeted the priest.
“Ye' best not startle me men, pries'.” That accent had bothered Cornelius, but pleasantries had to be exchanged.
”I agree dear Horos. They are a bit jumpy today.” He walked around the men, paying no attention to the Elf, but rather the smallest of the mercenaries. The dwarf he gazed at amused him, for he was clearly scared, yet gripped his rifle as if he intended to use it. “Now now young Dwarf,” The priest approached quickly and grabbed the man by the shoulder, “We mustn’t worry ourselves. You are safe within my home, but we must be going!.”
In his excitement, Cornelius pranced forward and urged the men to follow. Pugsworth motioned to the men to follow, a thing that confused them, not knowing how the canine knew such a command.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
After passing the last dozen torches leading into the cavern; the men were greeted by a room lit with hundreds of candles. The room had spanned nearly fifty meters long and wide, with a ceiling nearly half of that. Makeshift beams and unusual metals held the underground structure intact. Littered throughout the room were strange metallic objects and numerous sharp instruments. Those dragging the elf eyed the wooden cage and tossed the elf into it without hesitation. The bound man hit the ground hard, but remained conscious.
“It seems you found a room for our guest.” The priest jested as he walked into the room. Cornelius wandered about the room looking for something; it appeared that way–it is always difficult to tell what the man is truly thinking. “Pugsworth?” The priest called out, and was soon answered by the small yipping of his friend. The small pug drug a bloodied garment with him as he stood by his master's side.
“You read my mind.” Cornelius knelt down and retrieved the bloody apron, fastening it tightly around himself. “Now gentlemen,” he wasted no time once he was dressed properly “We have our groom,” then motioning to the prone elven male, “But what is a groom without his bride?”
Disappearing behind an earthen wall, the priest soon returned, pulled a large cage with him. While the cage was metal and spanned a solid ten feet in all directions, the wheels assisted the priest quite well in its transportation. Inside the cage was the bride he had spoken of; the woman was heavily bound and strapped rather diligently to the bars, rendering her almost immobile.
“Why ye' strap the wo'men down an' not the man?” Horos's accent once again stinging Cornelius's ears, but he did his best to ignore the pain.
“Have you heard of the Sha that inhabit this land?” Cornelius moved toward a small vial on a nearby table. “The land feeds off the fear of its inhabitants,” after picking up the vial, the priest made his way towards the woman. “It siphons the greediest nature in all of us, it is fueled by our anger towards each other.” Cornelius stood behind her and tipped her head backwards; he pulled her cloth gag down and emptied the contents into her throat. “But the hatred, that is the most important.”
As the priest placed the gag back into her mouth, he made his way towards the elf across from her. Poking at the man to wake him, Cornelius motioned Pugsworth back towards the woman.
“Ye do wha' ye want with tha' elves,” Horos interrupted once more, “Where's de' gold?”
“You will receive your payment when you've done your job!” The priest almost lost his temper as the accent burned his ears again–ever so sensitive were the ears of Cornelius. He made his way out of the room and walked towards the cavern entrance.
His instructions were much simpler now.
“When she awakes, kill the male, and you will see why she is restrained.”