Stench of Death [TFTG]

Tierra drew in her last breath to savour the ‘almost’ fresh air which blew in from the West before opening the tavern door and stepping inside. She already noticed the stench of Orc and humans long before reaching the small abandoned Nora Trading Post, which lay between the ice peaks of Kildoran. A barren, deserted place which once thrived with trade between all races until the plague ravished these parts. Thirty six years of neglect gave the place an eerie feel. Travelling alone, she almost welcomed the faint trace of life which now seemed so repugnant, knowing why she was here and the task she had been given.

The warmth of the roaring fire in the hog roasting pit gave no comfort, nor did the warm yet fearful welcome from a human female carrying three large jugs of some alcoholic brew over to an alcove off to her right. The tavern was empty apart from those she had come to seek.
Her eyes followed the direction she was heading and saw the gathering which she was to be part of.
“Elfin, take your seat!” came a weak paltry voice, almost cracking with fear before turning into a manly throat clearing cough. Yes there was the smell of fear, she felt it too but wouldn’t let it show.
As she drew closer she glanced at the three solemn faces, Orc, human and Dwarf, all sat in silence, the human being the only one to meet her gaze.

“Please, the sooner we start the sooner we…….”

A purple flash erupted beside the fire pit, a hiss, then darkness. A hooded figure stood with its back to the group, a little disorientated to say the least, turning its concealed head to the left and right as if expecting to see something else when it materialised through the portal.

A mage for sure, not a very experienced one she thought.

The smell of rotting flesh hit her like a wave of scalding hot water, gasps and shrieks filled the air, “UNDEAD!” she drew her dagger before being knocked a side by the Orc who charged the undead.

“HALLLT.tu.tu.tu.!” the undead spun around, raised his staff and she felt an vice like grip wrap around her whole body, the Orc now frozen mid-swing of its two handed axe, whose blade almost touched the end of the glowing staff now pointed in their direction.

She couldn’t move and could hear the muffled screams tearing out from deep inside of her new companions.

“Sssit….baacckh down.ne.ne.” the undead commanded, it then twisted the staff flinging them all into their seats.

Still unable to move, their heads were now turned to face it.
The undead stood looking at each person now rooted to their seat around the table before casting its gaze upon the human lady whose jugs lay smashed on the floor beside her.

“No ssseat for you.u.u” as he thrust out his left hand, grasped at the air in front of him and pulled it closer . The human lady slid towards his feet before being raised off the floor and levitated up to its face.
The poor human was wretched with fear, a trickle of urine became a flood, firstly following the contour of her legs then making its own way down onto the floor. Her pitiful shrieks wailed like a cornered animal awaiting the pounce of its predator.

The undead looked at the seated group before tilting its head then retuned its gaze to the terrified human female.
“Thhanks.s.se for the food” and tore out a huge chunk of flesh from the ladies face. The screams grew louder, the pain, her body convulsed with it. The sound of flesh being torn away from bone, of bone then snapping, the splattering of blood hitting the floor now mixing with the puddle of urine, was too much. She then slumped, mid-air, the screaming stopped.

The undead threw her body over the fire pit and it landed beside the front door.
“mmmmm, yummy!” It then lauged whilst wiping its mouth with its sleeve.
Its head raised and lowered its hood.

Human, Tierra thought. It was tall enough to have been a small Elfin, yet what was left of its face still showed the one ear hanging off its putrid rotting skull, giving its former identity away.

It shuffled over to their table and sat mid-air where a chair should have been.
The stench was nauseous. It once again eyed each being at the table and rasped, “ Soo, thiss is my final battle.e.e eh” before bursting out laughing in a way that mocked every bit of life and resistance out of each of them.

“ I know where the rest of your kinds dwell.l.le..” Then laughed again.

“Have you not thought, WHY they are still alive.e.e?”
Still no words were spoken by the group she was with. Each still struggling to simply just get away.
The undead rested its gnarled hands on the table before looking at the nail on its right index finger. It then grabbed hold of it and twisted it off, then flicked it off across the table towards the direction of the Dwarf. The Dwarf shrieked and tried to move away, in vial.

The undead again gazed at his captive audience waiting for a response.

“No?” It said mockingly. It then pointed at the yellow finger nail which now lay on the table in front of the Dwarf.
“You call me Undead.d.d.de, yet I am dying, well part of me is.s.”
“Yess.s. we have taken so many. Our army is the greatessst ever seen in all our lands.s.s. but we grow ever more hungry.” Its voice sounding almost sullen.

“ Our council.l. has decided to let you live, in all your dwellings.s.se. For now.”
It then lifted a vial out of its pocket and placed it on the table along with a scroll.
This.s.s!” It snapped, “ will balance.ce.ce things a little.”

It then slammed its fist down on the table and said very firmly and slowly, “ Any! Any of our kind that holds the mark of Turan WILL remain untouched by this.s.s!” it held out the locket secured by a chain around its neck to affirm what they already knew.

It grabbed the vial, opened the top and placed a small drop on its hand. The rotting flesh fizzed; smoke began lifting from the area affected by the ointment. Then it stopped.
The undead looked again at the emblem on the locket, gave it a kiss then crumbled into a pile of dust.
The binding magic released its grip, slumping them into their natural seated position.

The Dwarf piped up. "Well I nearly had him there!"

I read this on mobile earlier today, and had to wait to comment until I was back home on a laptop. (Busy at work.)

SnF. You bring the aspect of repulsiveness to new levels, something rare, and something that made me shiver. VERY well written. Horrible, fantastic, and satisfying all wrapped into one quick story. Kudos.

If you were to expound your story line, I would read it. Hint.

reply to post by Druid42


Hi Druid42

Thank you for taking the time to read, reply and the * and flag my short story. Very nice comments.

I haven't had the chance to read through the other entries yet ( where do all them hours in the day go?)

I got a little carried away when writing it and ended up with 8000 plus characters. After a much needed cut and delete, it seems I've left out the bits I'd wished I'd kept. I'm a little over the 6000 count so I should have just left them bits in anyway.

Oh well, I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks again