A Tale of Plague and Pestilence - The Story

[Jiggy]

Incredible!Can't wait for more, now that the tension is rising.

[Ξ H2O Ξ]

Oo, the suspence is rising.

Can't wait for more!
H2O

[Elazar The Glorified]

Super fluffy update Batman! A great read Monsterzonk. Looking forward to the next bit. It's certainly getting tense in here!

[npow34]

Awesome! Looks forward to more! You tease your avid readers too much my friend.

[Monsterzonk]

Thanks for the kind words, guys! Here's a bit more tension for you...


… The howl echoed through the night again. The Elves raised their bows, searching the darkness for any sign of its source. Something was out there, and in this part of the world it certainly was not friendly. Another maddened bellow tore through the air, drowning the wind. Haethoran had heard the sound before, and his blood ran cold.

“They know we are here,” he whispered. “Prepare yourselves!”

Dark specks appeared in the distance, silhouetted against the pristine snow. They raced across the plain with great leaps, their bared fangs glinting in the moonlight. The creatures closed the distance alarmingly fast, their lean bodies almost flying towards the Shadow Warriors. The warhounds of Chaos had come for them.

As one the Elves sent their arrows towards the howling beasts. Their shots buried themselves deep into the hounds' shoulders or heads, and several collapsed in mid-leap. Yet still more of the creatures were coming at them. The Shadow Warriors calmly fired another volley, slaying half a dozen more of the beasts.

“Blades!” yelled Haethoran, tossing aside his bow. His warriors obeyed immediately, drawing their swords and preparing for the onslaught. An instant later the warhounds were upon them, drowning the Elves in the rotten stench of their matted fur.

One of the creatures hurled itself at Haethoran, its teeth bared in a vicious snarl. The Elf reacted quickly and rolled underneath the leaping beast. Getting back to his feet he saw himself facing yet another hound and stabbed his blade into its throat. Blood and pus gushed from the wound as the creature died.

To his left he saw one of his brethren hard pressed by two hounds. One of them had locked its jaws around the warriors arm while the other was snapping at his ankles. The Shadow Master sprinted forwards, but his path was blocked by yet another of the foul beasts. Growling, it went for his sword arm, and Haethoran barely managed to avoid its bite. He smashed his free fist into the thing's nose. With a yelp it jumped back, but the Elf pressed forwards, slashing his sword across the warhound's snout. The pain drove the beast even deeper into frenzy. It jumped at the warrior and smashed him to the ground, burying him under its weight. Pinned down, Haethoran desparately fumbled for the dagger sheathed at his belt. He felt the hot breath of the creature, and the stench almost overwhelmed him. From the corner of his eye he could see his comrade finally overwhelmed by the creatures besetting him, the hot blood streaming from his torn throat staining the snow.

Haethoran cursed, twisting his neck to avoid the beast's jaws. The creature was still pinning him down, frantically snapping for his face. His hand finally found the haft of his dagger, but before he could even half draw it he was drenched in a gush of foul blood. Temporarily blinded he desparately stabbed his dagger into the hound's side. He could feel the weight lift from his chest and hurried to wipe the blood from his eyes. Cythrai stood over him, grinning, his blade covered in the creature's blood.

With a thankful nod Haethoran got back to his feet. He looked around, trying to grasp the situation. Cythrai had already thrown himself at another warhound, stabbing his blade into its flank. The Shadow Warriors were surrounded by the snarling beasts, and outnumbered at least three to one. A few of his brethren already lay dead, covered in their own and their opponents' blood, but most of them were still fighting. They might still prevail, Haethoran realised. The beasts were ferocious, but the agile and battle-hardened Elves still took a heavy toll on them.

Grasping this spark of hope, the Shadow Master charged at another warhound, shouting an order to his brethren to form a defensive formation. Centuries of experience took over and the Shadow Warriors slowly fell back towards their commander. The warhounds had grown more cautious now, circling around the Elven formation and looking for a weakness.

The Shadow Warriors calmly waited for the pack to attack once again, their bloodstained blades held ready. Haethoran felt confident that they would overcome this foe, but then his confidence was shattered by the thunder of hooves...


Now I'm off to write up today's battle report for the arenas. I hope I can get back to this afterwards (though there's a bit of uni work I need to finish first).

Cheers,
Monsterzonk

[Jiggy]

Can't wait
Studying is the reason I don't have too much time for writting too, so I hope this comeback of yours will be a big one

[npow34]

WOW MZ! You have a gift my friend. This story is just fantastic and you manage to always end at the best climax! Of course that is what a great writer does. What are these thundering hooves? Aid of the empire....or those knights we've yet to see painted from you? Or maybe they are are knights of Khorne! Sorry just talking to myself more than anyone else....

[Monsterzonk]

Hey fellas!

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. Uni work took longer than expected, but here's a little more to make up for that!

… Whimpering, the warhounds withdrew even further from the Elves, their tails between their legs. Haethoran alertedly spied into the darkness, the hoofbeat getting louder with each passing second until finally the massive figures of armoured knights emerged. They were racing towards the Shadow Warriors across the snow covered tundra, wicked swords and axes gleaming in their gauntleted fists.

“Arrows!” commanded the Shadow Master, even though he knew it was in vain. Many of the Elves had discarded their bows during the fight, but a few of them fired a desparate volley at the charging knights. The projectiles broke against the heavy black steel of the knights' armour and shields.

Preparing to sell their lives dearly, the remaining Elves readied their swords in calm acceptance. The knights were merely a few yards away, spread out in a wide, crescent battle line. But instead of smashing through the Elven formation and trampling the lightly armoured warriors to the ground, the riders reined their warhorses, stopping almost within sword's reach of the Shadow Warriors.

The Elves remained still, uncertain of what this meant, and waited for an order from their commander. Haethoran tried to speak, but his tongue would not form the words. His throat was dry and he could hardly breathe. With a horrified expression he turned to Cythrai, only to find the champion claw at his own throat, eyes wide. One of Shadow Warriors collapsed to the ground, choking and bleeding from his nose. The Shadow Master staggered a single step forwards before his knees gave in. He could hear the distant buzz of insect wings. His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw was a bloated rider approaching him from the darkness, his twisted staff glowing with power.

“Take them,” ordered the Master, pointing at the twitching Elves. “They will seal the pact.”

* * *

It had been several weeks since his conversation with Gunther. Hermann von Hohenfels felt weary. In addition to his daily duties as captain of the Order of the Twin-Tailed Orb he had spent the dark hours of the night in the chambers under the east tower, studiying tomes of knowledge gathered by Sigmar's faithful. Much of it he did not understand, and what he did comprehend left a galling feeling in his heart.

He had thought he knew the enemy, but over the last months it had turned out that he did not. He had not even scratched the surface of evil. The knight had served Sigmar well over the years, fighting his enemies upon the field of battle, but now he was introduced into a war far more dangerous than that. Hermann had suspected the existence of cults dedicated to the Dark Gods to exist within the Empire's society, but now that he knew the magnitude of it all he felt close to despair. How was he supposed to overcome this foe?

Hermann had sought the counsel of Brother Gunthar, but the old priest only confirmed his worst fears. There was no way to permanently rid the Empire of the taint at its heart. For each cult they put to the flames, two others would spring up. They knew too little about the works of the enemy to establish an effective defence.

The clang of metal upon metal tore him from his brooding. He was standing in the keep's courtyard, overseeing his brethren's afternoon training session. Clad in simple robes and leather armour, his men were duelling with blunt swords, honing their skills in the winterly chill.

The clatter of hooves on the copplestone road leading up to the gate drew Hermann's attention. Brother Gunthar had been out on patrol with half a dozen knights, and they had been four days overdue. At the sound of approaching riders the practice fights ceased. Hermann beckoned one of the knights and ordered him to fetch the Grand Master. With a nod the warrior hurried away.

The gates opened creakingly, and Guthar proudly rode into the courtyard, followed by his men. Behind the knights Hermann could see another figure enter the keep. It was an old, haggard woman. A spiked iron collar had been fastened around her frail neck and her wrists were bound with rough hemp rope. Heavy chains ran from the collar to two of the knights' gauntleted fists, dragging her along behind the horses. Her ragged clothes fluttered in the cold breeze and her head was bowed.

Hermann walked over to Gunthar, who was just dismounting his steed. “Who is that woman?” the captain hissed, feeling inexplicably uneasy in her presence.

“She is a witch,” said Gunthar, his expression indifferent.

“You know Manfred will not approve of this,” urged Hermann. “Why did you bring her here?”

“You of all men should understand, Hermann von Hohenfels. I brought her with me to question her. You know we must learn what we can about the Empire's enemies.”

Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the Grand Master. With long, purposeful strides Manfred von Hohenfels crossed the courtyard. He was clad in a chainmal shirt and a simple surcoat, adorned with his personal heraldry and the order's symbol of Sigmar's comet. His enchanted blade hung sheathed at his side. The Grand Master's expression was unreadable, but Hermann could see the discontent in his brother's eyes when is gaze fell upon the bound woman.

“What is the meaning of this, Gunthar?” Manfred demanded with a stern voice.

“I bring a prisoner, mylord. I found her guilty of witchcraft and brought her here for questioning,” Gunthar replied calmly.

“If you found her guilty, why have you not burned her at the stake as per the Emperor's law?”

“Because, mylord, as I have told you before, we must know about our enemy to ultimately defeat them.”

“I have heard your case, Gunthar, and I disagreed. You know that! I will not have her within my walls!”

Manfred's fury was obvious. His hand had clasped the hilt of his sword, and his eyes blazed in anger. The Grand Master demanded strict discipline from his subordinates, and he lead by example. The priest had openly defied his orders by bringing the woman to the keep. Hermann wondered whether Gunthar was fully aware of the situation. Manfred could have him chained and incarcerated for this.

In an attempt to calm his brother, Hermann stepped forwards and laid his hand on Manfred's arm. “Easy, brother,” he said. “Gunthar may have a point here, and I think you should reconsider. But if you want me to strike down that witch here and now, I shall do so without hesitation.”

“I have considered my opinion carefully, brother,” spat Manfred. “I will not change it.”

With a curt nod, Hermann let go of the Grand Master's arm and drew his sword. He walked over to the woman, ignoring Gunthar's angry glare. The witch raised her head at his approach, staring at him. Hermann could see the hatred burning in her eyes, yet still she remained silent.

“You have been found guilty of witchery, woman, which by the Emperor's law is to be punished by death.”

Without hesitation, he brought up his blade, beheading the old hag with a powerful backhand slash. The severed head tumbled to the ground as Hermann stepped back to avoid being hit by the gushes of arterial blood. The headless body collapsed.

“Burn the corpse,” Hermann ordered calmly.

Cheers,
Monsterzonk

[Fraggzy]

Great job zonky!

I have been gone for a little while and then i come back finding this, if only all days were like that

[Monsterzonk]

Thanks Fraggzy! It's comments like this that keep me motivated to continue writing this story!

[Jiggy]

Great job once again .Is this "witch" they found Emilia?I suppose not because the butcherman is taking good care of her (huh...) but if not what is she?

[Monsterzonk]

Great job once again .Is this "witch" they found Emilia?I suppose not because the butcherman is taking good care of her (huh...) but if not what is she?

Nope, she's not Emilia, who's several hundred miles further north in Kislev. The witch, in fact, isn't very importat at all. And now she's dead anyways... I just introduced her to underline the differences of reasoning between Gunthar, Manfred and Hermann....

[Elazar The Glorified]

More great updates Monsterzonk. I really love your army fluff and it always inspires me to pick up my pen too

[Argyle]

Brilliant updates, Zonk! I love it! And the AoD format writing works really well.

[Monsterzonk]

Thanks, guys! You really spur me on!

Unfortunately I got hit hard by uni work assignments this week, so it'll probably take some time before the next update. Though maybe I'll write a little more today, as I'm too exhausted to do uni stuff (went to see The Prodigy on Thursday and Placebo yesterday - good times!). But first I'll have to write the AoD batrep that should have been done on Thursday...

Cheers,
Monsterzonk

[Monsterzonk]

Here's a bit more. It's not much, but it's all I could manage in between uni stuff and work.

“What in the name of Sigmar was that?” hissed Hermann, pacing the room under the east tower like a caged animal. Gunthar was sitting in his armchair, calmly watching the agitated captain.

“We both know what must be done to protect the Empire, Hermann,” he finally said. “I had hoped to convince the Grand Master as well. He would be a great asset to our holy cause.”

“You should know by now that my brother seldomly chooses to rectify his opinion. It was a foolish ploy, Gunthar!”

“No, Hermann, it was not. It has shown the men that their Grand Master is not omniscient. And even if it merely swayed one or two to see the wisdom of our approach it was worth it. We cannot fight the enemies of the Empire on our own, Hermann!”

Von Hohenfels still frowned upon the careless use of his name. He had bled to forge his reputation, and now this old man insulted him with his ignorance. But he swallowed his pride, knowing that Gunthar could not be impressed by furious outbursts. “Are you trying to undermine my brother's authority, priest?” he asked, forcing his voice to remain calm.

“I am trying to save the Empire, Hermann von Hohenfels. You know that! Manfred is a good man and a loyal servant of the Emperor, and yet he fails to do what must be done to secure the safety and prosperity of our realm. Far be it from me to undermine the Grand Master, but I will not fail in my duties because he is too ignorant to acknowledge the necessities of our task.”

“And what is that supposed to mean, Gunthar?” asked Hermann, slowly calming down. He had stopped pacing the room, standing in front of the Warrior Priest like a forlorn child. His energy had dissipated and he felt tired and spent.

Brother Gunthar stood up, laying a reassuring hand on Hermann's shoulder. “I know the past weeks have been hard, my friend,” he said. “You have learned much of the darkness that surrounds us, and I know it sometimes seems to be too much to bear. But your mind is strong. You are a captain of the Knights of the Twin-Tailed Orb. Steel your resolve, brother, for we will triumph in the end!”

“I know, brother. So tell me what must be done.”

[Jiggy]

I feel you on the nowhere-to-be-found free time...
Good stuff again.I want to see where the Gunthar-Hermann thing will go.I can even picture them turning against each other on a crucial momment

[Papawolf]

Loving it mate

[Gargobot]

Sitz grad in der Uni und bin schon 10 Minuten zu spät für mein Seminar, weil ich die Geschichte noch zu Ende lesen wollte. ^^
Awesome!!!

[Papawolf]

mooooooooooooore