Here’s something I’ll do occasionally on this blog.
Future Character Spotlight.
These will be sporadic microfiction or short story posts involving characters I want to use in future books. It’s like a day in the life of a certain character before I start writing them into a book or whatnot. For this one, I have an elven slayer anti-hero for hire who regularly kills demons, dragons, and other malevolent creatures. His name is Revik AKA The Serpent of Tavushire. Just a little warning, this character is sadistic and his hatred for monsters really shows in the big fight scene.
I walked along this barren field. There was grey grass and a sky to match it today. How fitting.
I was told to visit one little hovel which was straight ahead. Apparently, my next hit would be mentioned over there. I couldn’t complain despite the grey world around me. Someone like me can get a little vengeance and still be able to pay my rent.
I knocked on the door of this decrepit house. “Are you the Serpent of Tavushire?” A creaky voice came from behind the door.
I smiled real wide hearing that name. “You’d win that bet.” The door opened and I saw the old man in charge of my little mission. He was a head shorter than me, had a scar over his right eye that was covered with an eye patch, wore a basic brown tunic, and his face was almost as wrinkly as a walnut. “Alright, pops. Let’s get to it then. What’s my job?”
We sat down and he debriefed me with this scroll containing a picture. “There’s a wyvern-man that’s been spotted around here. He has killed fourteen people in a nearby village. His name is Zmey and there’s a 100,000 Platinov bounty on his head.
“Is that so? That’s as much as the time when I was sent to slaughter two rock dragons all by myself.” I grabbed one of my throwing knives and pointed right at this scroll. “Not that anyone heard me complain since they were too busy being invertebrates.”
“I assume you’ll take the job then?”
I stabbed the scroll containing that devilish mug of Zmey. “Yes, but on one condition.”
“What would that be?”
“I’d like one omelette before I go.” I requested. “I got to keep my strength up since I’ve been walking all day, you know.”
The old man slowly nodded his head and breathing out of exasperation. I heard him mutter the words. “They’ve all told me about his fixation on egg dishes.”
One omelette later, I found the trail where my target would be. Such is the life of an elf like me. I guess some major tragedies carved me into the man I would be. So Zmey wasn’t a dragon, but he was close enough. If he was, then would have accepted that job even faster. Looks like I didn’t have to wait long. There he was looking all demonic near the mountain. He had a humanoid body, looked taller than me (keep in mind, I’m six foot three here), had dark red scales and used wings for arms. I grabbed some of my knives and readied myself.
“Hey, Zmey!” I shouted to him. He saw me, and he shot out some fire at me. How predictable. I threw a couple of my throwing knives, but he dodged him. Maybe I underestimated him just a little. It didn’t matter. I was going to bring on his finality. He shot out some fireballs with his mouth. One of them got me in the arm. I felt the pure heat from that assault and I couldn’t help but laugh. It started out as a small chuckle. He must have felt threatened because he fired some more. I just stood still and embraced the agony. Even though part of my armor got burned and my dark tan skin would be a shade or two darker, I ended up laughing harder. “My turn now.”
I gave him a twisted grin that would make grown men wet themselves if they saw me like this.
I threw more knives, but I finally got a hit right in the abs of that demon. I saw the blood pouring out and watching him bellow. My smile got even bigger. Yes, that was it. I switched up to my other knives that had some razor wire attached to them. I fired a couple of them and latched them on it’s wings from a distance away. The fun was about to start. I pulled Zmey closer to me while he was still in the skies. I guess he wasn’t as strong as I thought. Maybe that payment was a bit much, but I didn’t care. Getting paid was half the enjoyment. He was pulled up to where I was in melee distance to him. His jasper eyes looked at mine while I just kept on grinning. I grabbed my dagger and I went straight for his heart. Once my blade pierced his chest, he bellowed with smoke emitting from his mouth. It was time to bust out my mantra. “Vitiate! Vitiate! Vitiate!” I shouted each time I stabbed Zmey with my dagger. The beat of the blade filled me with so much ecstasy as I watched him bleed. His reptilian blood got all over my body, but I thought of it as just body paint I could wash off later. Next, I went straight for his head and sliced it clean off with my dagger.
“You did it! Now Zmey won’t hurt anyone in the villages here.”
“Don’t mention it. You got my money?” I ordered him. He brought out the bag full of a hundred grand. I grabbed it and tossed him Zmey’s head. “Consider it a present. I’m a generous monster-slaying elf, by the way.”
Well, I couldn’t complain about today being able to kill and get rewarded for it. I just hoped that some goody two shoe party wouldn’t spoil my need for vengeance.
Father…Mother…Each vitiation is dedicated to you. I know you’re smiling down at me while you sing in the immaculate chorale.
C. M. B. Bell's Writing Universe 