Tales of grim justice
Part 1: The birth of something wicked
It was in the waning years of the fourth epoch, when the Diaboli first arrived to Yliakum that the sheltered diaboli youth N?n?tchuk stood in front of the bloody, battered remains of his very first kill, his battle staff ready to face another foe, should the need to do so arise.
The remaining ylian muggers surrounding him were envious at the fact that it was N?n?tchuk, and not them, blocking escape from the alley in which they had started the ambushed.
One of the rogues threw himself into a charge and steered for the exit, oblivious to the fact that a furious diaboli was coming in low with a force to be reckoned with. The man was hit just below the chin by the staff, and was sent reeling. Seizing the opportunity, as he had always been taught to do, N?n?tchuk went in for a second blow and put extra force into it by making a half spin. The staff connected with the cracking of bone as a result of the extra power put into it. The man fell, never to rise again.
In the meantime the last remaining mugger had taken the opportunity the death of his comrade presented, and run for it. The diaboli had no intention of pursuit, he only worried about the safety of the treasure he had fought to protect, the treasure, the phylactery which would eventually open the door to his greatest wish? immortality.
The diaboli twisted his staff a bit and slammed it against the already broken skull of one of the dead men. Kneeling beside the man, after the blood sent flying from the blow had settled to the ground, searching through his pockets for anything of worth. N?n?tchuk found a gold trinket, and stuffed it inside one of his pockets.
After having looted the remains of the makeshift ambush party, he rose and looked down the alleyway where he first came from before the assault. Gathering himself, he fled the scene and left the muggers to rot, but not before having practiced some of the dark arts he had picked up in one of his many tedious lessons of magic during his years of sheltered childhood. It wasn?t an easy spell, but it was performed flawlessly.
The spirit of the dead mugger rose from the body as a small luminescent humanoid creature the size of a finger. N?n?tchuk captured the spirit in a small vial, and escaped into darkness.
Part 2: Into darkness
As N?n?tchuk hurried through the system of alleyways that lay spread across a wide area in the city, he felt his hands itching after the spell he had cast moments before. Were the dark energies really as corruptive as his former mentor had told him? He dismissed the thought, and continued his strict pace all the while contemplating what he was supposed to do next. Disturbing images of the muggers he had disposed of earlier kept popping into view, and N?n?tchuk had to stop for a brief moment, in order not to fall from the dizziness.
One vision in particular captured his attention: N?n?tchuk observes himself from outside his body, ignoring the other visions that continuously pop into view, he focuses on this one and sees a faint, gloomy light protruding the shadows in the far corner of the alley he was in. The light was just strong enough to make the objects around it cast shadows. One of these shadows took on an obscured human shape, even though there was no person there to block the light. As N?n?tchuk noticed this, his heart skipped a beat.
Not daring to imagine what manner of creature had been hiding in that alley, and why it had been awakened by his spell, he started running. As N?n?tchuk could not dismiss the dizziness from the visions, he stumbled and fell knocking his head against the cold stone floor beneath. All went black.
Scrambling as he awoke, N?n?tchuk felt a sting as his vision jumped back into focus. It was noon now, and the light was hurting his eyes. He stood, and felt his forehead, his fingers touched dried blood and he drew them away. Suddenly remembering his visions, he started to walk using the nearby wall as support.
Dragging himself along the wall, he notices a couple of guards standing at a nearby corner chatting.
He managed to make a small cry as new vision hit him, it had a tremendous impact it was almost as if he was thrown into the air as the vision, which had yielded no clue whatsoever to its origin subsided, N?n?tchuk fell to the ground with a large *thump*. The two guards heard the noise and went to assist the fallen man. They picked him up and escorted him to the nearest healer, to get his wounds mended. While being carried N?n?tchuk drifted in and out of consciousness, struggling not to fall completely out of consciousness. He remembered the spirit which he had captured, and reached for the vial in his pocket. He took out the vial and opened it, the spirit slowly drifted out and tried to speak, but its tiny face had a grimace that swiftly changed from surprise to twisted agony as it was pulled by unknown forces out of the bottle and into N?n?tchuk\'s mouth. His vision blurred and his view went into darkness.
Part 3: Invoking the dead
Gagging slightly as he was coming to, N?n?tchuk observed his surroundings, quickly concluding that the guards must have heard him fall and subsequently carried him to a healer. A healer he knew quite well in fact.
The healer was the father of one of his fellow students, a very influential man in the town?s social hierarchy. Opening his eyes slightly more, as the pain in his eyes from the bright light in the healers abode subsided, he could discern a slightly shadowed figure brooding in a dark corner. Too tired to lift himself from the bed he was lying in, N?n?tchuk continued to observe the shadowy figure. It didn?t move.
Suddenly, though, it was as if it gave a slight nod with its head and turned to face the diaboli. The diaboli?s heart missed a beat and a tingling sensation rose from his feet to his head, as if he was freezing. He was afraid. The shadowy figure kept coming closer and just as it was about to step into view, the old healer stepped into the room, and the figure dissolved into thin air.
?What got into your ale, friend? Did a ghost steal your tongue??
- There was a deep, unnatural silence following the healers all too precise words
?Nothing, n-nothing? Stammered N?n?tchuk
?Well then, I?m glad to tell you that you didn?t take any serious damage, though I would keep my head still for a day or too?
-The diaboli touched the spot on his forehead which had taken most of the impact from the fall, and a small lump had appeared.
?That suits me just fine? the diaboli replied in a murmuring voice
?I need some time away from studies to look into a personal matter?
With this, the young diaboli got up from the bed he was resting in and took on his shirt which was lying right in front of the place where the shadowy figure had vanished.
Without paying any notice to this little detail, N?n?tchuk seized the shirt and pulled it over his head.
He exited the healers abode, shaking the old man?s hand as he left.
The visit of the shadowy figure had taken his interest, and he decided to find out what manner of creature had taken it upon itself to look him up, and why.
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Thought I\'d give that storywriting trend a shot myself. This is the first episode of a pre-story for the diaboli eventually becoming Malentor...
