The sun was setting over the river, its last rays turning the calm water a
fiery red. Shadows crept over the country home of The Baron of Ferlangen.
The darkness flowed down the hill like floodwater, covering the trees, the
rocks and the two lovers, lying on a wool clock in each others arms.
The sound of the coach drawing up at the crest of the hill stirred the young man into waking, "Father's home". He gently picked up his future bride and started toward the coach.
...................................
The Baron watched his son make his way up the hill, with the girl in his arms. The boy was almost a double of his Father, they shared the same dark hair, but the boy kept his longer. Both had intense blue eyes, which perhaps spoke of some Kislevite in their ancestry. Both had the sharp nose and high cheek bones of Imperial nobility. They were of similar height, the boy sometimes looking taller because of his more slender build. He had been well educated in both academic and social subjects; he would make a fine Baron one day.
....................................
~~Some weeks later~~
The wedding feast was well under way. The ceremony was perfect, they were now man and wife and a new alliance was sealed between the two families. The guests were busy eating and dancing, enjoying the distraction from daily life. They didn't hear the guards cry before it was suddenly cut off. They barely heard the sound of the shattering glass as something was thrown through the window. Only when the object landed in the centre of the room did anyone take notice.
The guards head lay on the floor, blood staining the pale wood. Everyone was staring at it, the silence was suffocating. The air seemed to shatter as someone let out a shrill scream, then all hell broke out.
The first of the beasts leapt through the broken window, shattering the remaining glass. It was swiftly followed by others of its kind. The beastmen poured through the ruined windows, flooding the hall with chaos moulded flesh. Those nearest the walls were cut down before they could even scream. Those who still lived formed themselves into a tight circle. The noblemen and guards drew their swords, which they always kept by their sides. The beasts charged into the group, the goat-like horns and pointed teeth doing as much damage as the crude weapons. The men fought back with swords of the purest steel, but without shields or armour they could not mount a strong defence. The beasts were opening gaps in the circle faster than the men could close them; they were slowly being picked off whereas the beasts seemed limitless. Then it happened.
The fiends broke through the ring of warriors. Rusty blades mercilessly cut thorough women and children, none were spared. The last of the men fell, the others swiftly followed. The beasts let out a triumphant roar, a sound that chilled the souls of men miles away. Their leader shouted orders in its dark language and the beasts left with less enthusiasm than when the arrived. A few of them stooped and looked hungrily at the dead before leaving. This attack was just to show off their strength to the other herds, there was no need to take the meat. All that was taken were the weapons the defenders had used. The stench of death lay over the lifeless hall.
Sometime later something stirred among the mass of copses. A single survivor rose slowly to his feet, the club wound on the side of his head leaking a slow stream of blood. The attackers had left him for dead, it was one small mercy. He cast his eyes round the hall, looking for one body among the carnage. He found her lying in the middle of a pile of brutally carved flesh. He held her ruined body close to his. They had had less than a day as a wedded couple; they should have had many years. She should not be dead now.
"I'll find a way; I'll bring you back to me."
Zacharias left the house of his father behind and headed west. Somewhere there was a way to bring her back to him, and in Middenheim he hoped to find it.
The sound of the coach drawing up at the crest of the hill stirred the young man into waking, "Father's home". He gently picked up his future bride and started toward the coach.
...................................
The Baron watched his son make his way up the hill, with the girl in his arms. The boy was almost a double of his Father, they shared the same dark hair, but the boy kept his longer. Both had intense blue eyes, which perhaps spoke of some Kislevite in their ancestry. Both had the sharp nose and high cheek bones of Imperial nobility. They were of similar height, the boy sometimes looking taller because of his more slender build. He had been well educated in both academic and social subjects; he would make a fine Baron one day.
....................................
~~Some weeks later~~
The wedding feast was well under way. The ceremony was perfect, they were now man and wife and a new alliance was sealed between the two families. The guests were busy eating and dancing, enjoying the distraction from daily life. They didn't hear the guards cry before it was suddenly cut off. They barely heard the sound of the shattering glass as something was thrown through the window. Only when the object landed in the centre of the room did anyone take notice.
The guards head lay on the floor, blood staining the pale wood. Everyone was staring at it, the silence was suffocating. The air seemed to shatter as someone let out a shrill scream, then all hell broke out.
The first of the beasts leapt through the broken window, shattering the remaining glass. It was swiftly followed by others of its kind. The beastmen poured through the ruined windows, flooding the hall with chaos moulded flesh. Those nearest the walls were cut down before they could even scream. Those who still lived formed themselves into a tight circle. The noblemen and guards drew their swords, which they always kept by their sides. The beasts charged into the group, the goat-like horns and pointed teeth doing as much damage as the crude weapons. The men fought back with swords of the purest steel, but without shields or armour they could not mount a strong defence. The beasts were opening gaps in the circle faster than the men could close them; they were slowly being picked off whereas the beasts seemed limitless. Then it happened.
The fiends broke through the ring of warriors. Rusty blades mercilessly cut thorough women and children, none were spared. The last of the men fell, the others swiftly followed. The beasts let out a triumphant roar, a sound that chilled the souls of men miles away. Their leader shouted orders in its dark language and the beasts left with less enthusiasm than when the arrived. A few of them stooped and looked hungrily at the dead before leaving. This attack was just to show off their strength to the other herds, there was no need to take the meat. All that was taken were the weapons the defenders had used. The stench of death lay over the lifeless hall.
Sometime later something stirred among the mass of copses. A single survivor rose slowly to his feet, the club wound on the side of his head leaking a slow stream of blood. The attackers had left him for dead, it was one small mercy. He cast his eyes round the hall, looking for one body among the carnage. He found her lying in the middle of a pile of brutally carved flesh. He held her ruined body close to his. They had had less than a day as a wedded couple; they should have had many years. She should not be dead now.
"I'll find a way; I'll bring you back to me."
Zacharias left the house of his father behind and headed west. Somewhere there was a way to bring her back to him, and in Middenheim he hoped to find it.