Post by Phil on Sept 19, 2023 8:01:29 GMT
"Poor little reptile.
So weak a body, to contain so strong a will."
As a young Tortle, having watched as his parents were murdered in front of him, being abducted, caged, transported to the City of Brass, sold to a Styx devil, and working as a slave in Stygia, the 5th level of Hell... it would be fair to say that Uoro did not have a happy upbringing.
Having endured 20years of this nightmarish existence, through extreme cold, torture and anguish, Uoro continued his thankless work as an Ice Breaker; using his large iron hammer to break up clumps of ice, that attempted feebly to strangle and subvert the river Styx.
Surviving mainly through sheer will power, and obedience, all it would take was one bad day for his time on this plane to draw to an end.
After a particularly heavy session of relentless ice smashing, and coping with his master's mercilous beatings, something inside him snapped. As his abuser took a moment to break away from the delight of assault, and check across the Styx for future work; Uoro stood behind him with hammer in hand, and swung with 20 years of pent up misery into the back of the Devil's skull, casting him off the bank at which he stood, and crashing down into the freezing and doomed current below.
Uoro, breathing heavily, took a moment to reflect in the joy of his actions, before the realisation of what he'd done began to sink in as deeply as his Master went to the depths of the Styx.
Knowing his time was up, and overcome with both physical and mental exhaustion, the hammer slipped from his hand onto the ice and he collapsed, finally, to his knees.
...and there he knelt, in utter silence for what seemed like an age.
Eyes closed, he began quietly cackling to himself at the enjoyment he felt, as he reminisced over his own selfish cruelty so recently enacted. As his laughter became louder, he felt a strange glee spreading through him like a fire within. His eyes flashed open, as he roared with rage and joy across the water. But as his laughter began to fade, so too did his cruel glee. He realised in that moment he had experienced a rush unlike any other he had felt before; and a sorrow that he would unlikely ever feel it again.
As he knelt there pondering his new found emotions, he became aware of a voice coming across the water. Quiet and eerie it was, though with an undertone of power and malice.
"Poor little reptile".
Uoro looked out, for the source of the voice, but could see none.
"So weak a body, to contain so strong a will."
He did not respond.
He instead gazed out into the gloomy depths, to watch as an apparition of a ghostly white woman, obscured by a translucent silver veil appeared before him in the surface of the river.
"Do you not wish to be free little one? Do you not crave to serve one who will reward your joy?"
Uoro transfixed, watched as a pale hand reached out from the water's surface towards the chains connecting his wrists, and with a light tap of a finger, the chain pinged in two.
"Who are you?" he uttered eventually.
"I am one who has watched you for a time. I am one who sees your potential, and have watched you stifle it until now. I am one, who would grant you this kindness. I ask only, that you serve me willingly."
**********
As a silent darkness eerily spread throughout the alley like ink spilling onto paper, those nearby watched in curiosity and horror as street lantern after street lantern appeared to be consumed by its merciless greed. Retreating back, they saw its hunger grow and snub out anything that may cast or reflect light; creating a perfect pit in the air. As fear and instinct told those nearby to flee, it appeared to slowly stop in its tracks before, as quickly as it had started, beginning to withdraw. Shrinking back into the shadows, the once stifled lanterns began to bead back through the curtain of emptiness. The moonlight once again visible on the cobbled floor, the veil continued to shirk away back into the night. And as it dissipated, a single solitary figure was left alone in the alley. A pair of yellow eyes pierced through the night, and a dull "Thunk!" of iron landing on stone rang out. A gleam of moonlight flashed off a manacle cladding a scaled wrist, and a low, rumbling chuckle sawed through the air.
So weak a body, to contain so strong a will."
As a young Tortle, having watched as his parents were murdered in front of him, being abducted, caged, transported to the City of Brass, sold to a Styx devil, and working as a slave in Stygia, the 5th level of Hell... it would be fair to say that Uoro did not have a happy upbringing.
Having endured 20years of this nightmarish existence, through extreme cold, torture and anguish, Uoro continued his thankless work as an Ice Breaker; using his large iron hammer to break up clumps of ice, that attempted feebly to strangle and subvert the river Styx.
Surviving mainly through sheer will power, and obedience, all it would take was one bad day for his time on this plane to draw to an end.
After a particularly heavy session of relentless ice smashing, and coping with his master's mercilous beatings, something inside him snapped. As his abuser took a moment to break away from the delight of assault, and check across the Styx for future work; Uoro stood behind him with hammer in hand, and swung with 20 years of pent up misery into the back of the Devil's skull, casting him off the bank at which he stood, and crashing down into the freezing and doomed current below.
Uoro, breathing heavily, took a moment to reflect in the joy of his actions, before the realisation of what he'd done began to sink in as deeply as his Master went to the depths of the Styx.
Knowing his time was up, and overcome with both physical and mental exhaustion, the hammer slipped from his hand onto the ice and he collapsed, finally, to his knees.
...and there he knelt, in utter silence for what seemed like an age.
Eyes closed, he began quietly cackling to himself at the enjoyment he felt, as he reminisced over his own selfish cruelty so recently enacted. As his laughter became louder, he felt a strange glee spreading through him like a fire within. His eyes flashed open, as he roared with rage and joy across the water. But as his laughter began to fade, so too did his cruel glee. He realised in that moment he had experienced a rush unlike any other he had felt before; and a sorrow that he would unlikely ever feel it again.
As he knelt there pondering his new found emotions, he became aware of a voice coming across the water. Quiet and eerie it was, though with an undertone of power and malice.
"Poor little reptile".
Uoro looked out, for the source of the voice, but could see none.
"So weak a body, to contain so strong a will."
He did not respond.
He instead gazed out into the gloomy depths, to watch as an apparition of a ghostly white woman, obscured by a translucent silver veil appeared before him in the surface of the river.
"Do you not wish to be free little one? Do you not crave to serve one who will reward your joy?"
Uoro transfixed, watched as a pale hand reached out from the water's surface towards the chains connecting his wrists, and with a light tap of a finger, the chain pinged in two.
"Who are you?" he uttered eventually.
"I am one who has watched you for a time. I am one who sees your potential, and have watched you stifle it until now. I am one, who would grant you this kindness. I ask only, that you serve me willingly."
**********
As a silent darkness eerily spread throughout the alley like ink spilling onto paper, those nearby watched in curiosity and horror as street lantern after street lantern appeared to be consumed by its merciless greed. Retreating back, they saw its hunger grow and snub out anything that may cast or reflect light; creating a perfect pit in the air. As fear and instinct told those nearby to flee, it appeared to slowly stop in its tracks before, as quickly as it had started, beginning to withdraw. Shrinking back into the shadows, the once stifled lanterns began to bead back through the curtain of emptiness. The moonlight once again visible on the cobbled floor, the veil continued to shirk away back into the night. And as it dissipated, a single solitary figure was left alone in the alley. A pair of yellow eyes pierced through the night, and a dull "Thunk!" of iron landing on stone rang out. A gleam of moonlight flashed off a manacle cladding a scaled wrist, and a low, rumbling chuckle sawed through the air.