Faith restored


Slowly his heavy eyelids fluttered open, the flashes of images his mind pieced together made him groan. Eventually being able to get his eyes fully open, despite the blackness surrounding his left eye, he found himself chained to a hunk of rock jutting out of the ground. Casting his look across where he was held he could see the forest beyond, an oblong block with evil engravings upon its surface held the expanse of ground just beyond the tree line. Here stood their assailants. More rocks sprung from the ground nearer to him, he could see men chained to them. Some awake others not.

Why? Why are they here? Does Sigmar not protect those who worship him? Those whose entire lives have been devoted to his praise? Why would he allow them to be caught, and slaughtered like cattle? These questions raced about his head, then something changed. He had never seen his god, nor has he seen fit to send visions or a sign to his humble servant. Does he exist? Maybe a big hoax has been played upon them for the last thousand years or so, surely if Sigmar was so mighty and protective of his followers he’d let them know he was watching and judging. Curse him! Curse Sigmar!! If it weren’t for him he’d not be here, he wouldn’t die this way. And he’d have never had to give up joseilin; a family would be his. Instead here he was, chained to a rock in the middle of the Forest Of Shadows waiting for his death to collect him.

A whimper to his right cut his train of thought, chained to the rock was a man named Franz. Not the most stable to start with, now he was delirious. Words mumbled from his clenched jaws, every now and then he’s shout loudly before sinking back into madness, his wrists were red raw and bleeding as he grinded the flesh onto the rusted metal of the chains. Finally his incessant mumbling drew two of the guards, standing in front of Franz they began to sniff him, it was at this moment his delusion lifted. He stood face to face with two ragged animal faced creatures; a piercing scream tore from his throat. One of the guards placed its human looking forearm across Franz’s face, with the other hand it drew a black bladed knife. In one swift, smooth motion it had run the blade across Franz’s throat. The rich red liquid poured out and over his Averland uniform, bubbles formed in the ruin of his throat as he desperately attempted to draw breath. As quickly as it was done it was over, his head slumped onto his chest. Before returning the weapon to its sheath the bestial creature ran its black tongue along it, savouring the mans blood, then they unchained the corpse and dragged it towards the alter in the centre. This blasted rock adorned the centre of the clearing, deep grey in colour but he could see almost black patches. Then he realised these were rock, but blackened patches of blood, old and congealed. Deep grooves ran its length; the sides were adorned with blasphemous icons and sigils. The ends each held a skull, the head end of the alter ended in a spout. Sat below this was a skull, a human skull. As he watched, enthralled by the madness of it all, Franz’s corpse was dumped onto the alter, the rusted chains used to hold their victims down left hanging by the side. Stepping to the dial the shaman of the tribe began to chant in a bestial language, each syllable sounded like cannon fire in his head, others moaned in unconsciousness as the sounds beat through their skulls. Suddenly it stopped, looking up he was just in time to watch the Shaman plunge his knife into the chest of Franz and with a hideous sucking noise the beastman tore the dead man’s heart out. His jaw went slack, he could feel bile trying to force its way up, and if it weren’t for the shaman’s next act he would have stopped it. The creature put the bloodied organ to his face and bit deep, blood oozed out of the vital pump as the shaman tore a chunk off and swallowed. The bile followed. Something caught his eye as he lifted his head from the yellow stained armour of his chest, the crack upon the alter seemed different; they were filled with blood. Once more he was transfixed upon the gruesome act before him, as he watched the red liquid fell into the grooves and with speed flowed to the top of the butchered corpse. As it gathered it slowly began to drip, slowly at first but as more blood reached the head faster it became, the skull below soon became full; small drips of blood leaked from the eyes sockets giving it the appearance that the skull was crying bloody tears. Once deemed full the shaman picked the skull up, shouting something to the assembled beasts it’s proceeded to pour the vermilion liquid into the beast he knew was the tribe’s leader. Beating its fur-covered chest it roared to the skies, before turning to the shaman and grunting something in their own language. In turn the shaman shouted something at the two who killed Franz, and they returned to the stones once more; it appeared the sacrifices were not over yet.

b***ard he screamed! b***ard!!! Sigmar cared nothing for him or his people, would not the so-called god on mankind appear and save them or at least do something?! No. He’ll let them be sacrificed to those of the north, the dark gods. No peace for them, suffering and torment awaited in the afterlife. He spat, Sigmar a good god! Pah! A foul god, he revelled in bloodshed almost as much as those he supposedly opposed. No battle for his peoples souls would or could be won without bloodshed, the witch hunters doing his so-called “holy duty” slaying innocent people to cow the rest or his own battle brothers… they’re just as bad, using him as an excuse to get good men killed “Push forth or be cursed by Sigmar!” pff! He doesn’t care, what would he care for us for? He’s a god; he has better things to do that help us poor mortals.

As these cantered through his mind he had picked up on something, at first it was a low quiet thrum. But now it was louder, he could feel it. It sounded like, like horses. Knights? The cavalry? Carefully he scanned the enclosure, no one else seemed to have picked up on it. Then it was too late. The tree line behind the alter suddenly erupted into the thump of hooves, war cries and the screams of the beasts as dozens of knights tore from the shadow of the trees, the beasts were caught unawares. Shattering of lances mixed with the screams of their victims filled the air, each knight’s deadly weapon found a home in the body of a beast. Drawing their swords each mounted human gave a cry that tore at the heart and soul of the priest, the knights tore into the beasts hacking left and right; they cried for their god. Sigmar. But not everything was going well, small pockets of beasts have recovered from the shock and fought back, notched axes and stone spears gutted steeds and pinned their riders to the floor as their were brained or received an axe through the chest. To the far right three knights circled the combat and headed towards the prisoners, the priest could see sigils and insignia of Sigmar upon their armour and their steeds barding, the twin-tailed comet was prominent of all. Passing each stone their well looked after blades shattered the chains holding them to the rocks, most slumped to the floor others staggered forward or fell to their knees. Before his prison one of the two dismounted, the mounted knight broke him free; looking round the other reappeared from behind the rock his hammer in hand. Handing the heavy weapon to the priest with nothing but a curt nod he mounted up once more and both spurred their steeds into the combat, bloodying their weapons almost instantly. For many long moments he stood looking at the weapon in his hands, the pure symbol of his god, the one he had cursed and almost turned his back on. A single tear trickled down his face as his begged for forgiveness and promised he would pay back all he spoke, with this he hefted the weapon he made his way towards the combat; the name Sigmar upon his lips.


KU

:clap:

Me like again! Is this one for a competition, or just for fun?

The Green Goblit :orc:

Just for fun really, I wanted to try and not always do a dwarf story. I hope I got it all ok, seemed to come out ok.


KU

I really liked it. Almost makes me want to do some stories, but I am just to lazy.......