As I road up the loose dirt path to the dark and foreboding house at its end I
wondered in my head if anyone would be still be waiting for me... I kept
reassuring myself that one day late was not a reasonable thing to loose sleep
over or be worried for that matter… “They’ll still be there… I told my
self… hopefully… or perhaps one day late was one day to late and they gave
up on me all together! “No! Don’t think that way Hank!” I practically
yelled. I silently listened as my voice drifted through the trees and gloomy
county side of a region close to the Glomdoring forest. To my alarm the small
house was upon my horse and I now. “Time for the moment of truth” I mumbled
to myself, unsure of my fate.

I quietly dismounted the fat horse I called my own and slunk over to the old
wooden door, this thing looked ancient I thought. Perfect for the situation. I
couldn’t see a knocker on the door so I gave the door a hefty pound no…
more of a feeble tap then a pound… I was to cold to put in an effort. Yes far
to cold. “Better say something, yes that would be nice…” “Is anybody
there?” I asked more to the door then the insides of the house. Yes I needed
to be louder much louder. Is any body there? I uttered the words with no relish
and of a hoarse voice that surprised me. It must be colder then I thought! I
rubbed my hands together in a vein attempt to warm myself. I cleared my throat
once again and yelled at the top of my lungs “is any body there?” I waited
listening for any noise from within the shadowy mass of a house, “nothing!”
I muttered in disbelief. My fears had been met they had left without me! I
cursed my terrible luck and arrogance. And sulkily mounted my horse.

We eased into a trot towards the way we came to this cursed house. Just before
we’d gone five yards a thought occurred to me. I whirled around in the saddle
and yelled to the house and its surroundings “tell them that I came, that
nobody answered, that I kept my promise” after completing my task I began to
ride of. I felt my horse’s gratitude to leave the horrid spot it was almost
as great as my own. We were fifty yards away from the house when a large axe
flew overhead. The axe collided with a hefty branch that was looming above.
Upon impact with the limb it sliced through sending it hurtling down towards
us. I threw myself from the smooth leather saddle of my steed, landing with a
thud on the moist ground.

I watched with horror as my ride bolted off into the night in a desperate
attempt to get away from the terrible racket, and leaving me alone in the
gloomy forest deep within the countryside near the tainted Glomdoring forest
that I was fleeing from. I pulled myself to my feet hesitantly looking about
for the person who threw the hefty axe. I found him standing by the door of the
accursed house. I so badly wanted to leave this place behind but the stranger
would no doubt pursue me. He was a dark silhouette illuminated in the
moonlight. I could see no detail what so ever on him… or her, except for
another hefty axe in it’s right hand and another slung over it’s back.
Perhaps the axe was an accident I thought. Maybe the stranger was a person I
wanted to meet like my good friend Rilyd. Rilyd and I were to meet here with a
couple other deserters the only one whose name I could remember was…. Jehan
yes that was it. Or perhaps the stranger was just some crazed old traveler
searching for shelter from the cruel elements of Mother Nature. “Well one
way to find out” I mumbled half-heartedly.

I then began to walk towards the figure in front of the house whilst
attempting to use the last of my energy and conserve the heat within me. We
were twenty feet apart now I could barely see his face from the dark earth
toned cloak he wore I stopped at ten feet awaiting for the man to speak. He
seemed very familiar… I couldn’t place it right then, but then he spoke in
a harsh slightly sarcastic happy tone that didn’t seem suitable for the
situation. “Hello Hank”. He uttered my name with such hatred for at that
moment I remembered were I had seen this stranger. His name was Jarnyl from the
little I remembered of his looks he could be considered hansom to a very small
degree and possessed an eerie pale complexion. He was about five years older
then I, which would place him around twenty-four. I had played with him and a
couple of other travelers in the last village I’d visited in a high stakes
poker game. I had been desperate for money and in need of a better horse, some
boots and good food to continue my journey so I cheated. I was never a talented
poker player when I thought about it. I glanced at the leather boots I had
bought with the money I had cheated off of John and his friends. John was left
with barely anything as for his friends they had been smarter then he and left
the musty bar we played in early. But John on the other hand was over confident
that he would win it all back easy in a matter of hands. He was wrong.

I diverted my gaze to my cherished boots that were being dirtied by the
undeserving soils at my feet. I didn’t dare meet his eye as I lifted my head,
afraid of what I would see. “Hello Jarnyl…” I said. The branches above
were still wet from rain and slowly dripped down upon are heads. We were so
close, I could see his crystallized breath as it fled the moist confines of his
mouth and disappeared in to the night air. I hid my puzzlement of his attitude
with a casual stroke ok my long brown locks, a habit that I did constantly.
“So Jarnyl why...” I was cut off guard as two more hooded figures burst
out of the empty doorway and charged me head on. I was in no condition to
counter such a sudden and unprecedented assault. The first figure hit me with a
well-aimed punch in the gut sending me sprawling in the mud. Out of air and out
of hope I lay there watching as the second slowly circled me I could see the
spurs of his boots and heard the “chink chink” noise they made. He lifted
me up and with my arms held tight was thrown through the open door I landed on
the creaky floorboards, they groaned under my weight. I stumbled to my feet and
was able to catch a quick look at my captures. Yep, Jarnyl’s friends, no doubt
about it, defiantly not my friends. With this enlightenment put aside I surveyed
my surroundings typical phantom infested house probably hadn’t been inhabited
for years and was layered with dust. Once again I was thrown to my next
destinations, which was unfortunately a painful fall down a long flight of old
stairs.

I awoke with a pounding in my head, “must have hit my head on the way
down,” I mumbled. I stood; wobbling from a sudden dizziness, all was black
like an eternal eclipse. As my eyes adjusted to the dark I realized they had
taken my precious boots leaving me to freeze with only my old worn traveling
socks. I mumbled under my breath cursing the scoundrels upstairs. They were
probably sitting by a fire a sudden feeling came upon me as something small and
fuzzy rubbed against my leg. “Great, rats! The last thing I need!” I kicked
the varmint with all my might and sent if hurtling through the air. My actions
were rewarded with a satisfying smash, it must have hit an old jar or something
of that sort. “Ha Ha!” I laughed “he’s dead now!” just when the
smallest feeling of relief began to wedge its way into me the floor came alive
with scurrying and small squeaks, I shuffled my feet uneasily afraid of what
was to come. A bolt of pain struck my foot as a small beast bit me with such
furiousness that I yelped helplessly as the miniature teeth broke though the
sock and skin and quenched its mouth with blood…. My blood. More and more
shocks of pain erupted within my feet until I was brought to my knees by the
agony. Slowly picking away at my sanity. “Little vermin!” I yelled in a
quivering voice. “Sto… stop!” I mumbled trying to remain conscious as I
keeled over on my side and they attacked my upper body.

Half an hour passed as I watched the rabid feeding frenzy upon my flesh all was
numb I couldn’t feel anything, nothing except the chilling cold that gripped
my soul and body in a terrible embrace. To my painful relief the frenzy
slowed… but I could still feel nothing. Through my partially dead eyes â€"one
of the only things left alone in the living nightmare- I saw the little forms
slink away into their holes and warrens happy and content with their feast. But
another was coming. I watched in utter horror as a blurred shape slowly came
into view. It made its way over across the jagged brick floor. It was rat,
bigger then the rest, much bigger. It creped towards my bedraggled corpse I was
able to make out more of the beast. It was a shaggy, muscled and uproariously
big, rat with its filthy claws out stretched. I laid there defenceless to the
onslaught about to be brought upon me. I watched in horror as the creature
leapt upon my face and finished what the others had failed to finish I let my
final breath of life dispel itself from my body as the terrible rictious of
pain escaladed through out me I felt my eyes roll back in my head as my soul
was ripped from within my corpse. As death aroused to greet me and wisp me away
these words kept echoing through my head… “ I was a rat at heart when I
lived but it seems the only thing that could rightfuly slay and relieve the
lands of Lusternia of my greedy and conceded ways were the claws of what I
truly was… a rat, the master rat”

proudly written by Sir Karrack, Disciple of the dawn.