Between the screams that echo through the lair's walls and my damned father's mastery of the flames, it is almost impossible to really focus on creating a plan of attack. A part of me wants to run to Ruscotelep's side and witness what I am sure will be the most important moment in both of our lives, but the rest of me just wants to kill my father and provide my family with a future. I am sure that she will understand, plus she has the hobbit by her side. He is not going to let anything happen to either one of them. I turn my attention to the no longer intimidating Master of the Dark. He continues his onslaught of range magical attacks while cowardly keeping his distance. The muscles on my forearms pulsate with anticipation as the now glowing shards light up bright red. The longer he keeps me at bay the stronger the desire to sink my fangs into his side grows. Music starts to fill the cavern. Sweet notes of tranquil pleasure that seem to drown out all else.
Something prompts me to look upwards into the endless darkness of the cavern's ceiling where a pair of sympathetic birght red eyes greets my gaze. My mother is awake and trapped within the confines of the rock above. She is not keeping my family imprissoned as my father led me to believe. Instead, she is keeping them alive, away from my father and safe within her magic silk cocoons. Her music aids my concentration and within mere moments I am able look straight into my father's eyes with just one intent. Death! Gone is the haze that once filled my head with doubt. I hear nothing but my mother's music and can feel the hatred that fills his veins starting to boil. He launches another attack but not aimed at me. This time his target is my mother. He is trying to silence her but she quickly moves the remaining cocoons out of the way to avoid exposing them to any harm, baring her own body to the fire balls. A whimper escapes her as she is assailed with a huge barrage of flame balls but the music continues uninterrupted, a fact that only infuriates my father even further. I lunge forward and stop his spell casting but he jumps out of the way and avoids my shards. I stumble onto the stone platform and almost fall over the edge into the lava lake below. The shadows return to attack my father, sinking their fangs onto his tough skin and savoring the most ancient of energies. Their eyes glow like never before while suckling on his life, even as he desperately tries to shake them off. Several fire elementals rise out of the lava to rid my father of the shadows by throwing themselves at them in a twisted suicidal burst of magma. One by one they are sent back into the nothingness they came out of but not without first granting me the one chance I needed to get close enough to the beast. By the time my father realizes what has happened, I am close enough to get my first and most delicious bite out of him. With both shards sunk around his quite robust torso, securing my hold onto him, my fangs sink into the side of his neck and the first drop of his blood slathers the inside of my mouth with pleasures never experienced by any other creature before.
Something prompts me to look upwards into the endless darkness of the cavern's ceiling where a pair of sympathetic birght red eyes greets my gaze. My mother is awake and trapped within the confines of the rock above. She is not keeping my family imprissoned as my father led me to believe. Instead, she is keeping them alive, away from my father and safe within her magic silk cocoons. Her music aids my concentration and within mere moments I am able look straight into my father's eyes with just one intent. Death! Gone is the haze that once filled my head with doubt. I hear nothing but my mother's music and can feel the hatred that fills his veins starting to boil. He launches another attack but not aimed at me. This time his target is my mother. He is trying to silence her but she quickly moves the remaining cocoons out of the way to avoid exposing them to any harm, baring her own body to the fire balls. A whimper escapes her as she is assailed with a huge barrage of flame balls but the music continues uninterrupted, a fact that only infuriates my father even further. I lunge forward and stop his spell casting but he jumps out of the way and avoids my shards. I stumble onto the stone platform and almost fall over the edge into the lava lake below. The shadows return to attack my father, sinking their fangs onto his tough skin and savoring the most ancient of energies. Their eyes glow like never before while suckling on his life, even as he desperately tries to shake them off. Several fire elementals rise out of the lava to rid my father of the shadows by throwing themselves at them in a twisted suicidal burst of magma. One by one they are sent back into the nothingness they came out of but not without first granting me the one chance I needed to get close enough to the beast. By the time my father realizes what has happened, I am close enough to get my first and most delicious bite out of him. With both shards sunk around his quite robust torso, securing my hold onto him, my fangs sink into the side of his neck and the first drop of his blood slathers the inside of my mouth with pleasures never experienced by any other creature before.
Almost inmediately, a rush of memories start to flow through my head. Ancient secrets are revealed. Once forgotten allegiances resurface and the true purpose for his desire to conquer the world above comes to light. Unrequited love! A love so deeply desired that even the Dark Lord himself, defeater of ancient gods, could not recover from. The hatred that fuels his power comes from the realization that the one being that could withstand the onslaught of his passion was simply out of reach. The rumors of the existance of a creature that by pure bad luck was cursed with immunity to his fiery desires were just that until a melancholic new being entered the underworld in pursuit of a cure. My father's minions imprissoned Ruscotelep's ancestor in the deepest of caverns with an impenetrable magical shield where he would spend eternity lamenting ever divulging his dilema to the master of deception. The black dwarves lived their lives guarding an empty lair in Fuga island. My father then started to pursue his rise to the world above in order to find such forbidden fruit. I am sure the irony of it all would not be lost in him if he knew how close he came to fullfilling his quest. The need for a male offspring being the key to his freedom and my selection to mate with the one creature not able to give him such should be enough to make him lose his mind. Add to that the fact that there would not be such need if he was aware of the true nature of my beloved.
A sweet cry breaks through the music. My father pulls away and throws my ass against the wall. He is losing his strength but still tries to fly away from me to kill what he believes to be my son. A futile move on his part since there is no way in hell I am going to allow it. I summon the strength he is missing that now flows through my veins and catch up to him in no time. The force of my flight is such that we are both slammed against the opposite wall. Father seems a bit surprised; "You can't stop what must be my son. This fight you can not win and your son will be mine. That I can guarantee!" I feel the grasp of two fire elementals pull me away and a wall of flames rise up between us. From behind he boasts, "I have an eternity of experience behind me you fool. What makes you think that a lowly creature like you could stand a chance?" I try to break free from from the elemental's grasp but to no avail. Could this be the end? What will he do when he realizes that there is no male offspring waiting for him to devour? Wilok and Latka are powerful beings but no match to the Dark Lord and knowing them, their lives will be lost protecting what only I could. I hear my daughter's cries and there is nothing I can do to protect her. I manage to escape the fire elemental's grasp but more of them have risen from the lava and block my way. It doesnt matter how many of them I send back to hell by piercing them with my shards, they keep multiplying. I hear the crumbling of rocks coming from behind the fire wall and Latka's voice saying, "Wilok, get your ass back in here. He is too powerful for you to face alone!" Then the little one answers, "I know what I am doing, just keep them safe until I free Luguer."
The fire elementals keep their onslaught coming and I keep taking them down as they appear but no matter how fast I kill the bastards, this fight seems not to have an end in sight. Whatever is going on behind the fire wall must be huge because it sounds like the whole world is falling apart in there. Suddenly, rain. It is raining inside the lair. Cool, refreshing, wet, life originating rain. This is the hobbit's doing, I am sure. That little bugger somehow made it rain in here. Not only did he make it rain, there is thunder and lightning all over the place. The remaining cocoons that precariously dangle from my mothers legs are in danger of getting zapped by the bolts of light my ever so cautious friend is bringing forth. On the other hand, his rain did put out my father's fire wall and sent the fire elementals scurring back into the lava lake. Father turns around and he is not pleased. He is looking for Wilok but cant find him. I summon a spinner and quickly head towards him to make sure he doesnt discover the hobbit's whereabouts. As I aproach, so do the shadows and they are pissed. The hunger that fuels their desire to feed is strong. Their sight is again mine and I get to experience every bite they inflict on his no longer so tough hide. With such a deluge still filling the lair, there are no more fire elementals or imps for him to summon to his aid. The end is near!
From inside one of the many tunnels on the lair's wall a familiar figure steps into the light. A vision of perfection completely slathered in blood from head to toe with one hand gripping her sword and the other carrying a necromancer's head. Her eyes glow with fire as she looks into mine with a satisfied look on her face. I hear my daughter's cries but she is not to be seen yet. Latka steps forth behind Ruscotelep also covered in blood but not carrying my daughter. Father tries to rise up in her direction but he is too weak to flap his wings and slams against the rock wall. I reach him fangs bared. He has no fight left. With so much water inside the lair, the lava glow that once brightly illuminated the place starts to wain. Father refuses to let go and tries to claw his way up the rock wall towards the baby's cries The memories that now flood my thoughts are not as forthcoming as before. Fear of being imprissoned inside the lair for eternity. The lonliness that comes with such punishment. The ever expanding hatred of everything that thrives in the light. Visions of me sitting in my father's throne, ruling the underworld after his passing at my fangs' doing. I quickly pull away but its too late. Father must die if my daughter is to have a future in the world above. My family must go back to the light without me. Once he is finished, his world will be mine and so will his curse. I look at Ruscotelep and she is holding my daughter in her arms waiting for me to meet her. Father does not have much time left. I look at Latka and somehow he knows. He always knew. From the moment we met, there was no need for mindspeak. We bonded as brothers that night in the forest feasting on wolf meat. From that moment on we knew each other well. Wilok comes down from the darkness of the cavern's ceiling and joins them. The brownies always true to form, climb on the back of his armor. The shadows are now gone and father just lays there against the rock.
The cocoons are now on the stone platform. The first one to crawl out of them is Windancer and she comes out swinging. A new creature materializes next to the almost dead Dark Lord. A beautiful long golden haired creature that seems to care for the bastard. I look up and the big hanging spider is gone. This is my mother. She sings to him and his battle form fades away, giving way to his true self. She looks at me, "You have to dismiss them out of the lair before he dies. I will stay with you my son but they have to go now. My song will only keep him alivc for a few moments but once my notes fade so will his breath and your chance to give them freedom. Think of a safe place and picture them standing there. That will dismiss them. Hurry!" I think of Windancer's home inside the magic wall. With the Dark Lord out of the picture there is no threat for them there and it is the one place I felt at home. I am sure Ruscotelep can make a great home for my daughter there. And if she has a little bit of me in her, they are going to need all the help they can get. With so many dark minions and necromancers left in the world above, they will have to continue the fight for freedom without me. I look up and they are gone. I look behind me and the platform is empty. The music is also gone. I figured she has been imprissoned for long enough. I pick up father and summon a spinner to rise us up onto his throne. Once there, I let him take his last breath. Somehow there is contentment in his eyes. Perhaps resignation to his fate. Perhaps submission to the conclusion of his existance.
I turn away to take a gander at the destruction we caused but all is renewed. The stone platform is devoid of any sign a drop of blood was ever spilled onto it. The holes created on the lair's wall that my father made while trying to find Wilok are gone. Even the remanants of the cocoons that once kept my family safe from harm are nowhere to be found. I knew Wilok's power of renewal was strong but I doubt his rain could restore ancient rock to it's original state. This must be father's doing! I quickly turn around and there sits a different version of me. In place of my father's carcass, a younger, scarless and very confused me is in search for answers that I can not provide. He must be the me that will be. The one yet to be brought forth by my mother. The proof that this is not over yet.
A sweet cry breaks through the music. My father pulls away and throws my ass against the wall. He is losing his strength but still tries to fly away from me to kill what he believes to be my son. A futile move on his part since there is no way in hell I am going to allow it. I summon the strength he is missing that now flows through my veins and catch up to him in no time. The force of my flight is such that we are both slammed against the opposite wall. Father seems a bit surprised; "You can't stop what must be my son. This fight you can not win and your son will be mine. That I can guarantee!" I feel the grasp of two fire elementals pull me away and a wall of flames rise up between us. From behind he boasts, "I have an eternity of experience behind me you fool. What makes you think that a lowly creature like you could stand a chance?" I try to break free from from the elemental's grasp but to no avail. Could this be the end? What will he do when he realizes that there is no male offspring waiting for him to devour? Wilok and Latka are powerful beings but no match to the Dark Lord and knowing them, their lives will be lost protecting what only I could. I hear my daughter's cries and there is nothing I can do to protect her. I manage to escape the fire elemental's grasp but more of them have risen from the lava and block my way. It doesnt matter how many of them I send back to hell by piercing them with my shards, they keep multiplying. I hear the crumbling of rocks coming from behind the fire wall and Latka's voice saying, "Wilok, get your ass back in here. He is too powerful for you to face alone!" Then the little one answers, "I know what I am doing, just keep them safe until I free Luguer."
The fire elementals keep their onslaught coming and I keep taking them down as they appear but no matter how fast I kill the bastards, this fight seems not to have an end in sight. Whatever is going on behind the fire wall must be huge because it sounds like the whole world is falling apart in there. Suddenly, rain. It is raining inside the lair. Cool, refreshing, wet, life originating rain. This is the hobbit's doing, I am sure. That little bugger somehow made it rain in here. Not only did he make it rain, there is thunder and lightning all over the place. The remaining cocoons that precariously dangle from my mothers legs are in danger of getting zapped by the bolts of light my ever so cautious friend is bringing forth. On the other hand, his rain did put out my father's fire wall and sent the fire elementals scurring back into the lava lake. Father turns around and he is not pleased. He is looking for Wilok but cant find him. I summon a spinner and quickly head towards him to make sure he doesnt discover the hobbit's whereabouts. As I aproach, so do the shadows and they are pissed. The hunger that fuels their desire to feed is strong. Their sight is again mine and I get to experience every bite they inflict on his no longer so tough hide. With such a deluge still filling the lair, there are no more fire elementals or imps for him to summon to his aid. The end is near!
From inside one of the many tunnels on the lair's wall a familiar figure steps into the light. A vision of perfection completely slathered in blood from head to toe with one hand gripping her sword and the other carrying a necromancer's head. Her eyes glow with fire as she looks into mine with a satisfied look on her face. I hear my daughter's cries but she is not to be seen yet. Latka steps forth behind Ruscotelep also covered in blood but not carrying my daughter. Father tries to rise up in her direction but he is too weak to flap his wings and slams against the rock wall. I reach him fangs bared. He has no fight left. With so much water inside the lair, the lava glow that once brightly illuminated the place starts to wain. Father refuses to let go and tries to claw his way up the rock wall towards the baby's cries The memories that now flood my thoughts are not as forthcoming as before. Fear of being imprissoned inside the lair for eternity. The lonliness that comes with such punishment. The ever expanding hatred of everything that thrives in the light. Visions of me sitting in my father's throne, ruling the underworld after his passing at my fangs' doing. I quickly pull away but its too late. Father must die if my daughter is to have a future in the world above. My family must go back to the light without me. Once he is finished, his world will be mine and so will his curse. I look at Ruscotelep and she is holding my daughter in her arms waiting for me to meet her. Father does not have much time left. I look at Latka and somehow he knows. He always knew. From the moment we met, there was no need for mindspeak. We bonded as brothers that night in the forest feasting on wolf meat. From that moment on we knew each other well. Wilok comes down from the darkness of the cavern's ceiling and joins them. The brownies always true to form, climb on the back of his armor. The shadows are now gone and father just lays there against the rock.
The cocoons are now on the stone platform. The first one to crawl out of them is Windancer and she comes out swinging. A new creature materializes next to the almost dead Dark Lord. A beautiful long golden haired creature that seems to care for the bastard. I look up and the big hanging spider is gone. This is my mother. She sings to him and his battle form fades away, giving way to his true self. She looks at me, "You have to dismiss them out of the lair before he dies. I will stay with you my son but they have to go now. My song will only keep him alivc for a few moments but once my notes fade so will his breath and your chance to give them freedom. Think of a safe place and picture them standing there. That will dismiss them. Hurry!" I think of Windancer's home inside the magic wall. With the Dark Lord out of the picture there is no threat for them there and it is the one place I felt at home. I am sure Ruscotelep can make a great home for my daughter there. And if she has a little bit of me in her, they are going to need all the help they can get. With so many dark minions and necromancers left in the world above, they will have to continue the fight for freedom without me. I look up and they are gone. I look behind me and the platform is empty. The music is also gone. I figured she has been imprissoned for long enough. I pick up father and summon a spinner to rise us up onto his throne. Once there, I let him take his last breath. Somehow there is contentment in his eyes. Perhaps resignation to his fate. Perhaps submission to the conclusion of his existance.
I turn away to take a gander at the destruction we caused but all is renewed. The stone platform is devoid of any sign a drop of blood was ever spilled onto it. The holes created on the lair's wall that my father made while trying to find Wilok are gone. Even the remanants of the cocoons that once kept my family safe from harm are nowhere to be found. I knew Wilok's power of renewal was strong but I doubt his rain could restore ancient rock to it's original state. This must be father's doing! I quickly turn around and there sits a different version of me. In place of my father's carcass, a younger, scarless and very confused me is in search for answers that I can not provide. He must be the me that will be. The one yet to be brought forth by my mother. The proof that this is not over yet.