Cebrious Arcane-hybrid
Wanderer
A Tale of Murder: 2
“I have avenged you Brother,” I said.
“You have dispatched all of them?” Cebrious replied, his voice still weak from the ambush yesternight.
“No, but the first is vanquished. I left his head impaled on my spear.”
Cebrious grinned, but his grin soon faded as pain pumped through him with every heartbeat, “Where did you find him?" He asked, "I thought the three never traveled alone.”
“He was meant to die, my Brother. His path crossed mine as he ran from Empath Abbey…” but he interrupted.
“…and you delivered him to death?”
“Of course,” I replied.
“Tell me everything Nox…”
“Yes, Brother, lay back…I will tell you…”
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My head throbbed as I left the Den of the Shadow-Lords. Empty. Skeletons never satisfy my blood lust. Digging heels into my horse, I charged towards Yew. The vendor shops are usually brimming with the fresh and innocent, and the voices were getting louder. I pulled out a vial of my deadliest concoction and coated the blade of my kryss…then I saw him. He fit the description, tall, light skin, long white hair, and a full beard. He was laden with backpacks, and his horse, tired from the labor, walked behind him. The nag’s reigns were caught in a tree, so I watched him. Perhaps, he’ll lead me to their home, I thought, so I followed. He futilely attempted a spell, but was too over-burdened to meet with success. My hands were moist, and my grip on the kryss tightened. I felt the heat rising through me, the heat of lust, the heat of vengeance, the heat of murder.
I sprang from the bushes, and with one strike of my spear, he was immobile. He gazed up at me with fear filled eyes. His heart betrayed his pride, and he begged for life.
“B-b-but can’t you spare me?”
“No.”
“Why? What did I ever do to y-y-you?”
“Not me, little one, a Brother of mine.”
“W-what could I have done? I am not but a poor, humble, s-scholar. I…” his voice quivered like a baby bird chirping for its mother.
“Silence,” I commanded, his display made me ill. “Today,” I grinned, “Today, is your final day.”
The kryss burned in my hand. With a motion I removed the spear and tore through his stomach with my kryss. The stomach, the epicenter of pain, so agonizing is a strike to the navel, I relished in his torment. I watched his entrails spill, gangrenous from my concoction. His moans gurgled as blood filled his lungs.
“You have tread upon the path of the Murderers Incorporated, little one, a path that no man leaves,” I watched as the memory flooded back.
“M-m-m-Murderers Inc.?” Recollection mixed with agony, his faced twisted as he responded. I knew his time was short. “You shall all be wiped from this land, murderous scum!” He coughed, blood pouring from his lips as he spoke, “The day will come when you are the one that lay dying!” His burst of pride made me think he might die with honor, though the fight was gone from his heart and he remained paralyzed, awaiting his death.
“Ah, yes, little one, and what a day that will be,” I grinned, envisioning the sweet release of death, “But today, is your day.” His confidence vanished and turned to fear as I twisted the kryss, deeper, always deeper, until I can grab the spine.
“Where are your companions?” I demanded, but his lungs had only blood to reply.
Deeper… I forced the kryss through his spine, feeling the give as his flesh tore, then the warmth… The blood washed over me as the spray fountained from his back. I watched the final whisper of life slip from his eyes, and closed mine, as I felt the sigh. The headache ceased, and the voices quieted. His eyes, tranquil with release, stared through me, gazing at the sun as I delivered him to death.
The warmth of the sun shone upon my face.
The warmth of the blood was greater.
I left his head on my spear to rot.
I released the nag of its burden, gathered my new wares, placed the body on the nag’s back…
…and walked away.
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A grin washed over Cebrious, and the satisfaction of vengeance eased his pain.
“Tomorrow, I will be well, tomorrow, I will find the other two and deliver them to death, my Brother, tomor…”
“Tomorrow, we, will deliver them to death, Cebrious, and there is no need to search.”
“No need?” He asked, startled at my response.
“I found this in his pocket,” I replied, pulling a brown stone used for magical travel.
“Nox,” Cebrious replied, slapping my face affectionately, “Today, you have shown that you truly are a Brother of the Murderers Incorporated. Tomorrow, we will burn their houses, and bathe in the blood of their families.”
I slid back in my chair and let the abyss of sleep envelope me.
Dreams of death, dreams of murder, dreams…
of tomorrow.
“I have avenged you Brother,” I said.
“You have dispatched all of them?” Cebrious replied, his voice still weak from the ambush yesternight.
“No, but the first is vanquished. I left his head impaled on my spear.”
Cebrious grinned, but his grin soon faded as pain pumped through him with every heartbeat, “Where did you find him?" He asked, "I thought the three never traveled alone.”
“He was meant to die, my Brother. His path crossed mine as he ran from Empath Abbey…” but he interrupted.
“…and you delivered him to death?”
“Of course,” I replied.
“Tell me everything Nox…”
“Yes, Brother, lay back…I will tell you…”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My head throbbed as I left the Den of the Shadow-Lords. Empty. Skeletons never satisfy my blood lust. Digging heels into my horse, I charged towards Yew. The vendor shops are usually brimming with the fresh and innocent, and the voices were getting louder. I pulled out a vial of my deadliest concoction and coated the blade of my kryss…then I saw him. He fit the description, tall, light skin, long white hair, and a full beard. He was laden with backpacks, and his horse, tired from the labor, walked behind him. The nag’s reigns were caught in a tree, so I watched him. Perhaps, he’ll lead me to their home, I thought, so I followed. He futilely attempted a spell, but was too over-burdened to meet with success. My hands were moist, and my grip on the kryss tightened. I felt the heat rising through me, the heat of lust, the heat of vengeance, the heat of murder.
I sprang from the bushes, and with one strike of my spear, he was immobile. He gazed up at me with fear filled eyes. His heart betrayed his pride, and he begged for life.
“B-b-but can’t you spare me?”
“No.”
“Why? What did I ever do to y-y-you?”
“Not me, little one, a Brother of mine.”
“W-what could I have done? I am not but a poor, humble, s-scholar. I…” his voice quivered like a baby bird chirping for its mother.
“Silence,” I commanded, his display made me ill. “Today,” I grinned, “Today, is your final day.”
The kryss burned in my hand. With a motion I removed the spear and tore through his stomach with my kryss. The stomach, the epicenter of pain, so agonizing is a strike to the navel, I relished in his torment. I watched his entrails spill, gangrenous from my concoction. His moans gurgled as blood filled his lungs.
“You have tread upon the path of the Murderers Incorporated, little one, a path that no man leaves,” I watched as the memory flooded back.
“M-m-m-Murderers Inc.?” Recollection mixed with agony, his faced twisted as he responded. I knew his time was short. “You shall all be wiped from this land, murderous scum!” He coughed, blood pouring from his lips as he spoke, “The day will come when you are the one that lay dying!” His burst of pride made me think he might die with honor, though the fight was gone from his heart and he remained paralyzed, awaiting his death.
“Ah, yes, little one, and what a day that will be,” I grinned, envisioning the sweet release of death, “But today, is your day.” His confidence vanished and turned to fear as I twisted the kryss, deeper, always deeper, until I can grab the spine.
“Where are your companions?” I demanded, but his lungs had only blood to reply.
Deeper… I forced the kryss through his spine, feeling the give as his flesh tore, then the warmth… The blood washed over me as the spray fountained from his back. I watched the final whisper of life slip from his eyes, and closed mine, as I felt the sigh. The headache ceased, and the voices quieted. His eyes, tranquil with release, stared through me, gazing at the sun as I delivered him to death.
The warmth of the sun shone upon my face.
The warmth of the blood was greater.
I left his head on my spear to rot.
I released the nag of its burden, gathered my new wares, placed the body on the nag’s back…
…and walked away.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A grin washed over Cebrious, and the satisfaction of vengeance eased his pain.
“Tomorrow, I will be well, tomorrow, I will find the other two and deliver them to death, my Brother, tomor…”
“Tomorrow, we, will deliver them to death, Cebrious, and there is no need to search.”
“No need?” He asked, startled at my response.
“I found this in his pocket,” I replied, pulling a brown stone used for magical travel.
“Nox,” Cebrious replied, slapping my face affectionately, “Today, you have shown that you truly are a Brother of the Murderers Incorporated. Tomorrow, we will burn their houses, and bathe in the blood of their families.”
I slid back in my chair and let the abyss of sleep envelope me.
Dreams of death, dreams of murder, dreams…
of tomorrow.