ONE MAN'S MEAT
By Terry
Maltman
The two slayers were
still following the noises. In the tunnels sound
carried for miles and it was impossible to say
how far ahead it came from. Mad Harald and Crazy
Grungnar had come to Karak Azgal in the hope of
finding something worth fighting but so far all
they had encountered were Goblins and Skaven.
Whilst they enjoyed fighting them, they hadn't
lasted long enough.
"What's that?" said Grungnar, not
caring whether their quarry heard them.
The noises they were following were a strange wet
sound, a bit like a cat lapping milk but less
rhythmic. The slayers ran on into the next
chamber. From the remnants of tools and equipment
it must have been a workshop. Near the far
doorway lay a shape. It once must have been human
but now it looked like nothing that had walked in
the sunlight above.
"I think that an animal has been eating it
", volunteered Harald. The gore and guts
spread around the chamber were too messy for an
animal and Grungnar said so.
As he spoke a shadow detached itself from a dark
corner and slipped out of the door. The slayers
glanced at each other and gave chase. Whatever it
was, it was moving too fast for the slayers. They
could hear the slap-slap of bare feet on the
tunnel floor ahead echoing their own feet. The
sound faded as the creature ran farther ahead of
the two dwarfs. Even in near total darkness they
found their way sure-footed through the ruins of
the once proud stronghold.
A light! Harald raised his hand in a silent
gesture to halt. Ahead was a doorway. It was
nearly closed but a dim red light was visible
around the edges. A new sound started. This time,
not the wet tearing of the half eaten corpse but
a mewling, keening wail. Not loud but it cut
through the silence like a knife.
"Sounds like something interesting,"
whispered Harald. He ran his thumb along the
blade of his axe until a bead of crimson blood
echoed the bloody light from the other side of
the door.
"Let's take a look," agreed Grungnar.
Kicking the door open they strode inside with
axes held high.
Startled by the intrusion, a dozen pairs of eyes
lifted to view the slayers. On the floor were
several more bodies, or at least the remains of
them. Several ghouls paused with bloody gobbets
of flesh hanging from their mouths. In the
centre, one creature stood taller than the rest.
It was a foul and twisted humanoid, like a
monstrous parody of the ghouls; themselves
mocking parodies of human beings. As the creature
spoke he revealed long fangs protruding from his
upper jaw. "Who disturbs my feast?" The
vampire stepped towards the slayers raising the
cruel talons on his fingers.
"A Strigoi!" Exclaimed Harald. "I
have heard of them, but never seen one."
"At last!" cried Grungnar. "A
worthy opponent. Let us meet Grimnir with a happy
heart."
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