This Old Man
by Karashi
Disclaimers: All the characters in this fic is copyright of Karashi, if there are any similarities between my characters and actual characters, it is purely coincidental. The game Ragnarok Online and anything related to it belongs to the Creators of Ragnarok.
Chapter
One
In the midst of a decaying
forest, a creature struggled to survive in the dead of night. Unmindful of the
briar patches that clawed at its skin, heedless of the pain in its bloody feet,
it ran as if possessed. Adrenaline surged in every vein and only one thing was
on its mind… escape.
Yes, it had to escape them.
Them, the group that chased it, those who hungered for the taste of virginal
flesh. It sped through the dark woods, unconcerned of the wild beasts that
roamed the forest. Right then, the idea of being torn apart by a monster was
much more appealing.
The creature was gradually
tiring, its vision grew hazy, its lungs burned like wild fire, and to its
horror, it was slowing down. A gauntleted hand grabbed it by the shoulder and
yanked it to the ground. The wind was knocked out of it, rendering the creature
momentarily stunned. It blinked away the spots in its eyes and saw five figures
overhead.
Calloused hands gripped the
creature's luxurious mane, as their hot breath scalded its smooth, pale skin.
They grunted to each other in tones that sent waves of dread down its spine.
Its whimper for mercy was muffled by the shriek of ripping fabric.
Harsh, maniacal laughter rang
throughout the dark, rotting woods. They found delight in its suffering, and
they sought to extract as much pain as possible. Sharp, deadly blades glistened
in the moonlight and reflected the malice and lust in their eyes. Without
warning, the faceless shadows descended.
And the creature screamed.
The five got to their feet as
they sheathed their swords and buckled their belts. None gave the pitiful thing
that lay discarded on the blood-drenched earth a second glance. All that
mattered was their hunt-turned-tryst had been a most enjoyable one. They were
laughing triumphantly, taking only a few steps away from the dying creature.
"Lively one we had tonight,
eh?" the scrawny one sniggered to his companions.
"Aye, that be a mighty fine prey."
The arrogant one nodded.
"We should have paced
ourselves, you know? Saved some for tomorrow." The burly one rubbed his chin.
"Does it really matter? We can
find some fiesty harlot back in Geffen." The lithe one licked his lips in
anticipation.
"Still not satisfied?" the
bawdy one snickered.
"It's not that I just…" he
trailed off.
"What is it?" the scrawny man asked.
"Can you not hear it?"
"Hear what?"
"Typical, a man who's as deaf
as he is brawny." The arrogant man rolled his eyes. "Hooves, you dolt."
"So a knight decides to travel
by moonlight on his Peco-Peco, I've heard of stranger tales."
"It's not a Peco-Peco." The
lithe one hissed. "It's a Nightmare."
"Are you serious?!?"
Before anyone could reply, a
large shadow loomed before them. Their jaws dropped open in shock, for the
demonic horse was drawing a coach. The driver wore a cowled robe, covering his
face. But the clothing could not hide the glistening slivers imbedded in his
arms and legs. Wordlessly, the driver released the reigns binding the Nightmare
to the coach. And with a flurry of hellfire, the Nightmare attacked the five
men.
The burly one barely had
enough time to draw his sword as the demonic horse bit down into his jugular.
Razor teeth ripped away flesh, and a fountain of blood spewed from the man's
throat. The other four stood in horror as the Nightmare took a mouthful of
their companion's crotch.
A terrified scream caused the
fiery monster to look up as the arrogant one sliced down. The steel harmlessly
passed through the Nightmare, apparently he forgot this monster could only be harmed
by the elements. He paid for his mistake by having his skull crushed beneath
the demonic horse's hooves.
The lithe one tried to run,
but the driver dismounted from his seat and drove his slivers into the man's
face. Unintelligible words flowed from the man's mouth, and in annoyance, he
dragged the shards downards until he reached the stomach. The hooded figure
twisted his arms and yanked his limbs away, tearing up his victim's internal
organs in the process.
Foolishly, the remaining two
tried to attack the driver. Their swords were prepared to slice away, but the
Nightmare tackled them. With unimaginable strength, the demonic horse pinned
them to the ground with its hooves. It brought its fiery eyes close to their
faces, the sulfuric gas that filtered from its mouth suffocating them. Before
either man could fall unconscious from the stench, they had their faces torn
off and their sternums splintered.
The demonic steed gave a
triumphant neigh before it began to greedily devour the men. The driver cleaned
himself off with the lithe one's garments before he approached the eating
animal. Gentle pats and praises were enough to calm the beast, but then its
nostrils flared once more. The Nightmare smelled something else and it tugged
at the driver until it spied the dying creature.
"What is going on Schyll?" a
voice from the coach demanded, "Are you losing control of Cupcake?"
"No master, but she seems to
have found another body." The driver answered. "Shall I feed it to her?"
"You know as well as I that my
sweet darling refuses to eat anything that she didn't kill."
"What are we to do with it
then, master?"
"Bring it to me and I'll
decide what to do."
Schyll picked up the broken
creature, his slivers dug into its flesh, and its body stiffened in pain. Cupcake
trotted behind him amiably, nibbling on the dying thing's fingers, not quite
caring that her saliva could burn flesh.
The master took one look at
what the driver held in his arms, "We bring it with us back home. I believe it
can be of some use to me."
"As you wish."
He played Knick-Knack on my thumb
